Oscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur has been named the 2025 Commencement speaker for Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, the No. 4-ranked film school in the nation. The ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 24 at Chapman University’s Wilson Field.

Deaf since birth, Kotsur, who gained international fame with 2022’s Best Picture Oscar winner CODA, has been acting and directing for more than 20 years on both stage and screen. In 2022, he became the first Deaf male actor to win an Academy Award for his supporting role in CODA, which also won him BAFTA, SAG, Indie Spirit, Critics’ Choice and Gotham awards.

“Troy is not only a remarkable actor but also a remarkable human being,” said Stephen Galloway, the dean of Dodge College. “He’s fought against enormous odds to create a path as unique and original as himself.”

Much of Kotsur’s reputation stems from his work onstage. His prolific career includes multiple roles in the Tony Award-winning Broadway run of Big River, acclaimed performances at the Mark Taper Forum, and the 2015 production of Spring Awakening, an L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award nominee. He has also performed with the National Theatre of the Deaf, Deaf West Theatre and the Roundabout Theater Company.

Kotsur made headlines in 2019 for his performance in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. In addition to his acting work, he created an adapted form of sign language for both that series and The Book of Boba Fett. Other notable TV credits include guest appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Criminal Minds, Scrubs and CSI: NY. He was also a fan favorite recurring character on the early 2000s PAX series Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye.

A native of Mesa, Ariz., Kotsur became interested in acting when he was a student at the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf. He later studied theater, film and television at Gallaudet University.

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Photo credit: Matt Stasi