I have a great husband, great parents and in-laws, and I have help with a nanny. It's not easy, but there are others who do it every day and don't have a high-profile job as I do.

I listen to Billy Joel. He is fabulous. I saw him with Elton John when they toured together, it was so great.

Deaf people can do anything, except hear.

I live my life like everyone else; everyone has their own obstacles. Mine is deafness.

I'm not really deaf; I just faked it to win the Oscar KIDDING.

When I was 13, I told Henry Winkler I wanted to act. He said, Do it and don't let anyone stand in your way. His validation just made it all the more true. I haven't stopped thanking him since.

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and in spite of what most people might have expected from a young girl growing up deaf, life for me was like one long episode of The Brady Bunch. Despite whatever barriers were in my way, I imagined myself as Marcia Brady skating down the street saying “hi” to everyone, whether they knew me or not.