I have always resisted putting limitations on myself, both professionally and personally.

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

I find the mantle of, she works hard for the money, or, she's overcome so many obstacles a bit overused.

I hope I inspire people who hear. Hearing people have the ability to remove barriers that prevent deaf people from achieving their dreams.

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

Maybe my way of communicating through sign made me more in tune with my body and how it moved. Who knows? I just know when I saw a stage for the first time, I wanted to be on it.

I'm the only one in my family who is deaf, and there are still conversations that go around me that I miss out on. And I ask what's going on, and I have to ask to be included. But I'm not going to be sad about it. I don't live in sad isolation. It's just a situation I'm used to.