It was ability that mattered, not disability, which is a word I'm not crazy about using.

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

I am writing my second novel for children for Simon and Schuster.

Hollywood embraced me in the late '80s because there was a good project I was in and it was different. Nowadays, it's about corporate mentality, box office, youth.

I was the youngest and only girl in a family of two older brothers.

There are many deaf people who couldn't imagine living in a marriage without someone who doesn't speak their language. For me, I believe that hearing or deaf is fine as long as both parties are willing to communicate in each other's language. But if there's no communication, then the marriage, I believe, will be difficult if not doomed.

The only thing I can't do is hear. I can drive, I have a life with four kids, I work on TV, I do movies, so the deafness question, is it that they want to know because, what? Not sure.