Shoshannah Stern | |
|---|---|
 Stern in 2016 | |
| Born | July 3, 1980 Walnut Creek, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, writer |
| Spouse | Ricky Mitchell (m. 2012) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Louise Stern (sister) Brendan Stern (brother) |
Shoshannah Stern (born July 3, 1980) is an American actress and writer.
She was born in Walnut Creek, California, into an observant Jewish and fourth-generation deaf family, [1] the daughter of Ron Stern and Hedy Marilyn Stern (née Udkovich), and the sister of writer and artist Louise Stern and former Gallaudet Men's Basketball Coach and current political scientist Brendan Stern. [2] Both of her grandmothers are Holocaust survivors. Her hometown is Fremont, California, where she attended the California School for the Deaf, Fremont.
Stern's first language is American Sign Language. She is also able to read lips and speak English without an interpreter. She attended Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the world. [3]
She married her husband, Ricky Mitchell, on June 3, 2012, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their daughter was born in February 2015. She currently resides with him in Hollywood, California.
Stern got her first regular series role as Holly Brodeen, a member of an elite government anti-terrorist task force in ABC's Threat Matrix . The role was created for her by the show's producers after a director who had worked with her on The Division recommended her. [4] She had a recurring role in Showtime's Weeds (as Megan Beals-Botwin) and was also on ER , Providence and Cold Case . She played Bonnie Richmond in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama Jericho . She had a recurring role in Season 3 of Fox's Lie to Me . [5]
Stern appeared with Matthew Broderick in the film The Last Shot and starred in the film Adventures of Power . She also appeared in the popular music video "Yes We Can", written by will.i.am for the Barack Obama campaign.
Her 2020 role on Grey's Anatomy is the first recurring deaf doctor role on a prime time television network show. [6]
She also played the recurring character Eileen Leahy on the CW show Supernatural .
She is also set to write the episode "Tuklo" of the Hawkeye spin-off series Echo , set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Alaqua Cox.
In 2025, Stern made her directorial debut with Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore , a documentary revolving around actress Marlee Matlin, which will have its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. [7] [8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Auteur Theory | Founders' Day girl | |
| 2003 | Justice | First patron | |
| 2004 | The Last Shot | Steven's girlfriend | |
| 2008 | Adventures of Power | Annie | |
| 2010 | The Hammer | Kristi Jones | |
| 2023 | Under the Boardwalk | Shelly | Voice |
| 2023 | The Magnificent Meyersons | Susie Meyerson | |
| 2025 | Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore | — | Director, producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Off Centre | Rebecca | Episode: "Hear No Evil, See No Package" |
| Providence | Renee | Episode: "Great Expectations" | |
| Boston Public | Episode: "Chapter Fifty" | ||
| 2003 | ER | Rosemary | Episode: "A Little Help From My Friends" |
| The Division | Episode: "Testimonial" | ||
| 2003–2004 | Threat Matrix | Holly Brodeen | Series regular (6 episodes) |
| 2005–2006, 2012 | Weeds | Megan Graves | Main role (14 episodes) |
| 2006–2008 | Jericho | Bonnie Richmond | Main role (18 episodes) |
| 2008 | Cold Case | Leah O'Rafferty | Episode: "Andy in C Minor" |
| Sweet Nothing in My Ear | Valerie Park | TV film | |
| 2010–2011 | Lie to Me | Sarah | 3 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | Another Period | Helen Keller | 2 episodes |
| 2016–2020 | Supernatural | Eileen Leahy | Recurring role (7 episodes) |
| 2017 | Fridays | Kate | |
| 2018–2019 | This Close | Kate | Main role (14 episodes) (also co-creator) |
| 2020 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Lauren Riley | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Echo | — | Writer (1 episode); Disney+ series |
Children of a Lesser God is a 1986 American romantic drama film directed by Randa Haines from a screenplay written by Hesper Anderson and Mark Medoff and based on Medoff's 1979 play. The film stars William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, and Philip Bosco. The film's narrative follows two employees at a school for the deaf: a Deaf custodian and a hearing speech teacher, whose conflicting ideologies on speech and deafness create tension and discord in their developing romantic relationship.
Marlee Matlin is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for a BAFTA Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards.
Phyllis Annetta Frelich was a deaf American actress. She was the first deaf actor to win a Tony Award.
Bill O'Brien is a television series actor and the Senior Advisor for Program Innovation at the National Endowment for the Arts.
Sweet Nothing in My Ear is a 2008 American made-for-television drama film directed by Joseph Sargent and is based on a 1998 play of the same name by Stephen Sachs, who also wrote the teleplay. It stars Jeff Daniels and Marlee Matlin as the parents of a Deaf child, played by Noah Valencia, who struggle with deciding to give their child an implant that will allow him to hear again. The film premiered on CBS as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation on April 20, 2008.
Elisabeth Ann Zinser is a retired university president, most recently at Southern Oregon University (2001–06) in Ashland, Oregon. Previously she was the chancellor of the Lexington campus of the University of Kentucky (1995–2001), and the first female president of the University of Idaho, serving from 1989–95 in Moscow, Idaho.
Amanda Fuller is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for being the second actress to portray Kristin Baxter on the ABC/FOX sitcom Last Man Standing.
Louise Stern is an American writer and artist, and works around ideas of language, communication and isolation.
This article lists the film, television, and theater appearances of American actress Marlee Matlin. Matlin, who had previously acted in stage productions, made her screen debut as the female lead in the 1986 film Children of a Lesser God, for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the youngest Best Actress winner and the first deaf performer to have won an Academy Award.
Nyle DiMarco is an American model, actor, and Deaf activist. In 2015, DiMarco was the winner of The CW's reality television series America's Next Top Model in season 22, becoming the second male winner and the first Deaf winner. In the following year, he and professional dance partner Peta Murgatroyd were the winners of the ABC televised dance competition Dancing with the Stars in season 22.
No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie is a 2013 American drama film directed by Troy Kotsur and produced by Douglas Matejka and Hilari Scarl, with music score by H. Scott Salinas. The film stars John Maucere as Tony Kane/SuperDeafy and Zane Hencker as Jacob Lang. The film tells the story of a deaf actor who portrays a superhero on a children's television show and wants to help a young deaf boy who gets bullied at school. The film is open captioned in English.
Lauren Ridloff is a deaf American actress known for her roles in the TV series The Walking Dead and the film Eternals. She gained prominence in 2018 with a lead role in the Broadway revival of Children of a Lesser God, earning her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play. Ridloff was born in Chicago, Illinois. She attended California State University, Northridge and later earned a master's degree in education from Hunter College. She initially worked as a teacher before pursuing acting, and she was also crowned Miss Deaf America.
This Close is a dramedy television series written by and starring deaf creators Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman that premiered on Sundance Now on February 14, 2018.
CODA is a 2021 coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Sian Heder. An English-language remake of the 2014 French-Belgian film La Famille Bélier, it stars Emilia Jones as Ruby Rossi, the child of deaf adults (CODA) and only hearing member of her family, who attempts to help her family's struggling fishing business while pursuing her aspirations to become a singer.
Nellie Jane Norman was a deaf performer, director, professor, and curator, recognized for her work on the faculty of Gallaudet University. She actively promoted deaf culture, language, and art through her contributions to teaching, TV programs, and film festivals. In 2007, she founded the National Deaf Life Museum at Gallaudet.
Troy Michael Kotsur is an American actor. Born deaf, Kotsur made his acting debut in the late 1980s working with the National Theatre of the Deaf. His television debut was in a 2001 episode of Strong Medicine and his film debut was in the 2007 thriller The Number 23.
Sandra Mae Frank is an American actress. She is known for performances in theatre, films and TV series.
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore is an upcoming 2025 American documentary film, directed and produced by Shoshannah Stern. It follows the life and career of Marlee Matlin.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
