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Troy Kotsur Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 16, 2026 • 3 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth24 July 1968

Age53 Years

BirthplaceMesa, Arizona, US

ProfessionActor, Film Director, Stage Director

NationalityAmerican

Marital statusMarried

SpouseDeanne Bray

FamilyDaughter - Kyra Monique Kotsur; Parents - Leonard Stephen Kotsur and JoDee Louise True

Troy Kotsur Biography

Troy Kotsur is an American actor and director from Mesa, Arizona. Deaf since infancy, he built a career across stage, television and film, earning wide-acl

Early life and background

Troy Michael Kotsur was born on July 24, 1968, and grew up in Mesa, Arizona. His parents discovered his deafness when he was an infant and learned American Sign Language to communicate with him. He attended Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and Westwood High School in Mesa, where a drama teacher encouraged his first experiences on stage. Kotsur later studied theatre, television and film at Gallaudet University, leaving the program in 1989 to join the National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s touring company.

Family and formative experiences shaped his youth. He was the only deaf member of his immediate family, and he experienced several childhood tragedies that affected the family dynamic. Sports and performance both featured in his early life: he performed in high school variety shows and played varsity basketball.

Career

Kotsur’s professional work spans acting and directing for stage, television and film. After early engagements with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and the National Theatre of the Deaf, he became a longtime company member and director at Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles. There he both acted in and directed many American Sign Language adaptations of classic and contemporary plays, including productions such as Orphans, A Streetcar Named Desire, True West, Of Mice and Men and the ASL staging of Cyrano, which brought him significant attention.

On stage he took on a wide range of roles, from the signing version of Pap in the musical Big River on Broadway to the title role in Deaf West’s Cyrano. He also appeared in multiple Deaf West productions including Our Town, American Buffalo and At Home at the Zoo.

Kotsur expanded into television and film, making early TV appearances in series such as Strong Medicine and later recurring on Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, where he played Troy Myers alongside his future wife. Other television credits include Doc, CSI: NY, Scrubs and an episode of Criminal Minds that was rewritten so a deaf actor could be cast in the role. In 2019 he appeared in The Mandalorian as a Tusken Raider and contributed a fictional sign language for the tribe.

His film debut came in 2007. He directed the feature No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie, which premiered at the Heartland Film Festival in 2013. He appeared in the documentary See What I’m Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary (2009) and continued to take film roles, including a praised performance in the indie Wild Prairie Rose (2016).

Kotsur’s most widely recognized screen work came in the coming-of-age film CODA (2021), where his performance as Frank Rossi brought him international notice and a run of major awards in 2021–2022.

Public profile

Throughout his career Kotsur has been visible as both an actor and a director who works in ASL-focused theatre and in mainstream film and television. He has been honored with a number of industry awards for his performances, and his work on CODA earned him multiple top acting prizes from major organizations and festivals.

Personal life

Kotsur is married to actress Deanne Bray. The couple met in the mid-1990s when Bray visited the National Theatre of the Deaf and later began dating in 1997; they married in September 2001. They have a daughter, Kyra Monique Kotsur. His parents were Leonard Stephen Kotsur, who served as a police chief in Mesa, and JoDee Louise True. He has several brothers, including Kevin and Brian, who have served in municipal public safety roles, and a younger brother, Brett.

Latest updates

Kotsur’s profile rose substantially following CODA in 2021, bringing a wave of awards in 2021 and 2022. He continues to work across stage and screen, bringing ASL-centered performance practices to both theatrical adaptations and mainstream productions.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Troy Kotsur, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

CODA

Played the role of Frank Rossi in the 2021 coming-of-age film; the performance led to multiple major awards in 2021–2022.

2021
No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie

Directorial debut feature film that premiered at the Heartland Film Festival.

2013
Wild Prairie Rose

Indie drama in which he played James Hansen, released in 2016.

2016
The Mandalorian

Appeared as a Tusken Raider in the 2019 live-action series and developed a fictional sign language for the tribe.

2019
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Career Highlights

  1. Won multiple major awards for performance in CODA (2021), including top industry honors in 2021–2022.
  2. Longstanding association with Deaf West Theatre as actor and stage director.
  3. Directed No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie (2013).
  4. Broadway appearance in Big River (2011) in a signing role.
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Troy Kotsur born?

Troy Kotsur was born on 24 July 1968.

What is Troy Kotsur known for?

Troy Kotsur is known for actor, Film Director, Stage Director.

What is Troy Kotsur’s marital status?

Troy Kotsur's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Troy Kotsur married to?

Troy Kotsur is publicly listed as married to Deanne Bray.