By Michaela Gordoni
Actress Marlee Matlin opened up about one of the best decisions she made in her life — getting sober.
“In all honesty, Deaf women in general do experience domestic violence. The situation is quite urgent for them, and they need help. As far as my drug abuse goes, I decided to become sober, as I indicated, and that’s the best gift I ever gave myself,” the 59-year-old CODA star, who’s been sober for 38 years, told Parade.
The actress also discusses this in her NOT ALONE ANYMORE documentary.
Matlin went to the Betty Ford Center to go through rehab treatment and had to pay for an interpreter out of pocket.
I asked, I think two or three or four times. I had to pay for my own access, which is ridiculous, but that’s [still] going on every day. We have to pay for our access. Why?” she said.
Before rehab, Matlin was heavily addicted to weed and cocaine.
“No one wanted me to go into rehab, because I had just made a movie and the potential of getting an Oscar was going in my direction,” she said. “And I said: ‘Yeah, but to keep going I need to take care of myself first.’ I had to get sober so I could think clearly.” And she doesn’t regret it.
Matlin’s hit Apple TV+ movie, CODA, is about a young woman named Ruby, who is the only hearing person in her deaf family.
Part of Movieguide®’s review of the move reads: “CODA is a heartwarming drama with a realistic feel to it. The acting is excellent. Even better, the movie has a strong Christian, moral, pro-family worldview. There are references to prayer and an emphasis on family members helping one another and staying together…”
Matlin is the first Deaf actor to win an Oscar. She enjoys acting and is concerned about Hollywood’s limited roles for other actors like her.
“Why does it have to be so difficult for me and other Deaf actors to find work? There are great and fabulous actors out there,” she said. “Great writers, great directors, producers, hair, wardrobe, whomever wants to work in the entertainment industry. They are out there!”
Related: CODA Offers A Unique Look Into A Deaf Family And Their Struggles
Actor Henry Winkler and his wife, Stacy, opened up their home to Matlin after she got out of rehab.
“They gave me a foundation to build my career on,” Matlin told PEOPLE in 2021.
She had known the couple since she was 12, attending the International Center on Deafness and the Arts.
Winkler says she’s like a daughter to him.
“Stacey and I went to a talent show at this place. A young girl came out, 12 years old, couldn’t hear, and danced to a song from THE PAJAMA GAME,” he said. “And Stacey and I wept, not because it was a little girl dancing who couldn’t hear, but because her spirit jumped out of her body and into everyone’s hearts. You couldn’t miss it if you had a pulse.”
“Cut to, there is a knock on the door,” Winkler said. “It’s Marlee. And she said, ‘Look, I just left my boyfriend. I have no place. Can I just stay with you for two days?’ Two-and-a-half years later, she finally moved out.”
They told her she could stay as long as she wanted and helped her develop her career and start a production company.
“We had dinner together every night with the family,” she said. “All the way, I was trying to respect their boundaries as a family, because I was living in the guest house, but they always insisted that I join them for meals. And at the same time, they always gave me words of support and advice.”
“After dinner, Henry and I would sit there over his glass of tea, and he always made sure that my dates were appropriate that came to pick me up.”
She says there’s hardly a more “genuine” family in Hollywood than the Winklers.
Matlin’s story is a testament to her resilience and ability to bounce back amidst trying circumstances. She’s knocked down barricades and found hope on the other side.
Read Next: Academy Award-Winning Best Picture CODA Stresses Importance of Family
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