Phyllis Frelich

Phyllis Frelich (born February 29, 1944) is an American actress, and, with Marlee Matlin, one of the two pre-eminent deaf actresses in the United States. Frelich was born in Devils Lake, North Dakota to deaf parents and is the oldest of 9 children (all of whom are also deaf). She attended North Dakota School for the Deaf, graduating in 1962, and then went on to study at Gallaudet College (now known as Gallaudet University), a school for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Frelich originated the leading female role in the Broadway production of Children of a Lesser God, for which she won the 1980 Best Actress Tony Award. Marlee Matlin played Frelich's role in the film version, and won the Best Actress Academy Award. She has been married to...