It's A "Go" for Marlee Matlin

Deaf Matlin dances in Mills' footsteps on next round of 'Dancing'

by Gary Strauss, USA TODAY

Heather Mills competed with a prosthetic leg on Dancing With the Stars. Next up: a woman who can't hear the music.

Marlee Matlin says she's not worried. The Oscar-winning actress (Children of a Lesser God) is one of 12 celebrities announced Monday for the latest round of ABC's hit ballroom dance show, premiering March 17 (8 ET/PT).

Mills, who wowed Season 4 viewers and Dancing's judges with gutsy performances, "really made an impression," says Matlin, who has severely limited hearing. "She really raised awareness of what someone with a physical disability can do."

Matlin hopes she'll boost the image for the nation's 26 million deaf and hearing-impaired. "Deaf people can do anything except hear. My deafness will limit my ability only if I let it," says Matlin, 42.

Matlin's career has largely been defined by dramatic roles, including her current run on Showtime's The L Word. She hopes Dancing viewers will see her lighter side.

Learning ballroom dance might not be as hard as some would believe, she says. "Seeing as I haven't let my it affect my acting, I don't think I'll have more difficulty than other cast members," she says. "You try to imagine what it's like when you can't hear the music. I'll let my partner be my music."

Digital hearing aids help her distinguish some sounds. "Imagine yourself in the shower with the door closed and you can kind of hear the stereo in the next room at a reduced volume," says Jack Jason, her producing partner and interpreter.

Matlin's husband, Kevin, and four preteen children are big fans of Dancing With the Stars and were excited she had been asked to appear. She also consulted her friend, director/choreographer Anne Fletcher (Hairspray, 27 Dresses). "Anne said, 'You've got the moves,' " Matlin says. "Then it was me telling the producers, 'OK, you've got me.' "
Matlin says she's more worried about a pratfall than her limited hearing. "The stairs at the front of the stage — I'm thinking heels, stairs, and I start to sweat."

Matlin and other celebrity competitors are in Chicago today to meet and tape The Oprah Winfrey Show episode airing Thursday.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-02-18-dancing-with-the-stars_N.htm