Actress Marlee Beth Matlin became deaf at four months old due to a viral illness but that didn't prevent her from pursuing a career in show business. A graduate of John Hersey High School, she also took up criminal justice at Harper College while simultaneously honing her acting skills in theater.
As an actress, Matlin became famous for her role in Children of a Lesser God, where she won several awards. She also had the opportunity to shine as the female lead of the TV series Reasonable Doubts, playing Asst. Dist. Atty. Tess Kaufman. After the show concluded, she starred in Picket Fences for 13 episodes before focusing briefly on the big screen. Some of her movie credits include In Her Defense, Two Shades of Blue, and When Justice Fails.
In 2000, Matlin appeared as Joey Lucas on The West Wing, a recurring character who appeared until 2006. She also made notable appearances on My Name is Earl, Nip/Tuck, The L Word and CSI. Most recently, she was cast as one of the contenders on The Celebrity Apprentice season 4.