The West Wing Cast: Where Are They Now?

One of the most prominent advocates for the rights of deaf people, Marlee Matlin’s hearing loss, which she experienced at the age of 18 months, has been worked into almost all of the roles that she has taken over the course of her 30 year career.

Her West Wing character, polling expert Joey Lucas, accompanied by her ever-faithful sign language interpreter Kenny, is first introduced (like Mandy) as a potential love interest for Josh. Unlike Mandy, she stuck around, with Joey appearing in at least one episode across each of the seven seasons.

After appearing on stage as a child, Matlin’s made her first film appearance in Randa Haines’ Children Of A Lesser God, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress and becoming just the fourth (and most recent) actor to win the gong for their big screen debut, joining Julie Andrews and Barbra Streisand in what is a very prestigious club. A four-time Emmy nominee for guest appearances in four different series on the small screen, all or which pre-dated the West Wing’s conclusion, she has popped up regularly in guest spots, playing both characters and herself

Her most recent part of note was in the third and final season of Quantico, whilst she has two films currently in post-production and remains a leading champion of deaf awareness.