# Hearing characters who know sign langauge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916 "2016-02-02T03:28:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/21 "2016-02-02T15:07:53Z")
Which reminds me of this: [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfl6Lu3xQW0&list=PLq4KqqWr_15N2jU69jGhc6KLnTmWVnroL)🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/22 "2016-02-02T16:10:30Z")
[Russell Peters on the racism in ASL](https://youtu.be/Tty7-1hMJdM). NSFW language, and pretty awful if true. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/23 "2016-02-02T16:20:43Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Whenever Marlee Matlin in on a show, the odds are good _someone_ will know sign language. Except _The West Wing_. Her character had an interpreter, and some people tried to learn a few signs to communicate with her, but I don’t remember anyone using the “oh, I have a deaf relative so I’m fluent” gambit. I’m sure if I’m misremembering, someone will correct me. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/24 "2016-02-02T16:48:04Z")
It always bothered me a bit that William Hurt, in **Children of a Lesser God** , translated his dialogue and Marlee Matlin’s (obviously for the audience) during their “conversations.” Subtitles would have been more realistic, wouldn’t it? Or have I missed something? Still, an excellent movie. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/25 "2016-02-02T17:18:38Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > It always bothered me a bit that William Hurt, in **Children of a Lesser God** , translated his dialogue and Marlee Matlin’s (obviously for the audience) during their “conversations.” Subtitles would have been more realistic, wouldn’t it? Or have I missed something? Still, an excellent movie. Perhaps. But I suppose audiences tend to want to be able to look away briefly, to hear instead of constantly looking at the screen. As Lily Tomlin so accurately noted “they call it show business, not show art”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/26 "2016-02-02T17:21:48Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Whenever Marlee Matlin in on a show, the odds are good someone will know sign language. > > Except _The West Wing_. Her character had an interpreter …who knew sign language. 😃 Sam picked up a working knowledge of sign language in QUANTUM LEAP, right? Came up in multiple episodes, if I remember correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/27 "2016-02-02T17:32:58Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > On _ **Who Wants to be a Millionaire** _ last week, one of the questions was (to the best of my recollection) “In ASL, this person is signed by raising your right arm and putting your fingers on your upper lip.” > > Answer: > > Adolf Hitler. :eek: We have an old photo of my dad doing this very thing. To my knowledge, I have no relatives who know ASL. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/28 "2016-02-02T18:00:04Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Except _The West Wing_. Her character had an interpreter, and some people tried to learn a few signs to communicate with her, but I don’t remember anyone using the “oh, I have a deaf relative so I’m fluent” gambit. I’m sure if I’m misremembering, someone will correct me. Yeah, I have a deaf relative, but I’m very far from fluent. It’s much easier to sign than it is to understand signs. If they’re going at deaf speed I can barely recognize any signs, it’s all a blur. On the other hand, my brother and sister in law, who are the parents of my deaf nephew, really are fluent. She works as an interpreter and he works as a special education teacher for deaf kids. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/29 "2016-02-02T18:06:06Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > In season 1 of _Fargo_ Mr. Numbers uses sign language with Mr. Wrench, who is deaf (and played by a deaf actor.) > [In 'Fargo,' A Deaf Actor Gets His Chance To Be Wicked : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2014/06/01/317945736/in-fargo-a-deaf-actor-gets-his-chance-to-be-wicked) They also briefly show up as children in Season 2, and are seen signing with each other, so they go back a long way ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/30 "2016-02-02T18:37:12Z")
Camryn Manheim guest starred in a [1993 episode](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629172/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt) of L&O, where she represented a deaf suspect. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/31 "2016-02-02T19:15:56Z")
Renee Zellweger’s character in Jerry Maguire knew sign language. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/32 "2016-02-02T19:21:46Z")
Going way back, **87th Precinct** was a 1961-62 TV series based on Ed McBain’s novels. I never saw it, but I’ve read the novels, and Detective Steve Carella (Robert Lansing) was married to a deaf woman, Teddy, (Gena Rowlands) and in the book they signed to each other. (He learned it after meeting her.) Teddy was deaf in the series, too. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/33 "2016-02-02T20:56:23Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > In season 1 of _Fargo_ Mr. Numbers uses sign language with Mr. Wrench, who is deaf (and played by a deaf actor.) > [In 'Fargo,' A Deaf Actor Gets His Chance To Be Wicked : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2014/06/01/317945736/in-fargo-a-deaf-actor-gets-his-chance-to-be-wicked) I was going to say “The bad guys in Fargo - both the TV show and the movie” but I didn’t know that the TV actor himself is deaf. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2016, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/34 "2016-02-02T21:56:55Z")
Susie in “Curb Your Enthusiasm” shows knowledge of ASL in at least one episode. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/35 "2016-02-04T20:36:19Z")
It was only brief scene in ER, but Dr “Rocket” Romano signed to Dr Benton’s deaf son. It was never explained how Romano knew sign, but the character had a number of surprising little talents/skills. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/36 "2016-02-04T22:53:21Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Last week’s \*Supernatural \*had Sam try few phrases in ASL with a deaf woman, mainly out of politeness - he had taken a course in college, but was hardly fluent. It was a nice departure from the standard TV trope of hearing characters using ASL perfectly out of the blue. Of course the potential victim they were trying to save DID happen to be completely fluent and had several cutesy conversations (in sign language) with the deaf hunter talking about which of the Winchesters they would rather sexually harass. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/37 "2016-02-04T23:00:08Z")
Silas Botwin in Weeds. I can’t believe I got in this late with him. It’s a great show. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/38 "2016-02-05T00:13:59Z")
Oh! In the _Sherlock_ special, Victorian!Holmes speaks fluent BSL, and Victorian!Watson tries but is amusingly bad at it. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/39 "2016-02-05T00:37:46Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > Oh! In the _Sherlock_ special, Victorian!Holmes speaks fluent BSL, and Victorian!Watson tries but is amusingly bad at it. Watson: (in BSL) “I’m glad you liked my potato,” to someone who praised “The Blue Carbuncle.” ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916/40 "2016-02-05T01:04:59Z")
Deadpool knows ASL and uses it to communicate with Clint Barton (Hawkeye), he also lifts up his mask so that Clint can read his lips. [Cite](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/8c/17/98/8c1798a1fd3839b4049b3628bda8d6d7.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hearing-characters-who-know-sign-langauge/744916.md?page=3)