How Troy Kotsur Reached 'Curb' Cameo Greatness
Troy Kotsur is the latest victim of Larry David's carnival of torment in Curb Your Enthusiasm's final season, but "victim" isn't a word that the Academy Award Oscar-winning actor throws around lightly. The CODA star's mission to show that deaf people don't have limits—and his 2022 sweep at the Oscars, SAG Awards, BAFTAs, and the Critics Choice Awards certainly went a long way to prove that mantra. "I always try to emphasize that I want to avoid portraying a victim, or a character of sympathy," Kotsur tells me over Zoom. "What, because we can’t hear? Throw that out the window. Deaf people can play the hero. Deaf people have a sense of humor."
Kotsur flexed those comedy chops in Sunday night's Curb episode, titled "Vertical Drop, Horizontal Tug," when David's incoming golf ball hits him in the back, because he couldn't hear him scream, "Fore!" Kotsur appears as himself in the episode, which he views as an honor. "This is who I am," the 55-year-old says of the role. "I’m not a character. They’ve had so many different celebrities throughout the years of Curb. I’m so honored to be able to play myself and be in this messed-up situation with Larry."
As an added bonus, even Kotsur's gracious interpreter, Justin Maurer—who was also present for this interview—took a few jabs at David during the episode. "I was like, 'Why is he talking to me?' Maurer tells me, recalling how surprised he was by David's improv skills. "I had the basic plot, but I wasn’t fully aware of what would happen," Kotsur adds. "Our director, Jeff Schaffer, told me, 'Don’t go through any of your lines until we shoot it.'" This, of course, is how Curb magic has been brewed for the past 23 years. "And it was brilliant," Kotsur says.
Below, Kotsur shares more about working with David, seeing opportunities grow for deaf actors since CODA's Best Picture win, and chasing down some crazy kids after they (briefly!) stole his Oscar.
ESQUIRE: What's it like to work with Larry David?
KOTSUR: Larry is mischievous. He’s like a clown on and off set, because when he’s not on set, he’s still fooling around. Humor is the best medicine. It’s priceless. In one scene, he’s throwing bagels at me. When we were shooting, he was like, “Can I throw another one? How about another one?” He had this huge bag of bagels. If he missed, we would have take after take. And he really seemed to enjoy it. That’s just part of his personality—he’s a little kid inside.
Were you a Curb fan before your appearance in this episode?
Oh yeah. I used to collect DVDs of Curb. My wife, Deanne Brey, was actually the deaf woman in the episode “The Rat Dog” in 2007. Finally, in 2024, I can check it off my bucket list for the final season.
No one seems to believe Larry when he says that this is the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Do you think he’ll ever write more episodes?
I can’t imagine him really being finished. I feel like there would be something missing without Curb. How could Larry surpass Curb? If you have the answer, let me know.
Since CODA’s Best Picture win, have you found that there are more opportunities for deaf actors?
Yes! For example, on Disney+, there’s this new Marvel show called Echo. [It's] about an authentic, indigenous deaf amputee starring actress Alaqua Cox. So, I’m beginning to see Hollywood open its mind. I’ve heard from a little bird that there’s a new sports film based on a school for the deaf coming out with a huge ensemble cast full of deaf roles. We only had three [deaf roles] on CODA. So, I’m interested in seeing more TV shows and films pop up like that. I’ve been having a lot of meetings with some producers who are willing to develop a character who maybe was originally hearing into a deaf role. It doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time. But the important thing is to work together and share our stories. A lot of folks aren’t aware about how to work with deaf talent. We can make that happen.
Where do you keep your Oscar?
Oscar is upstairs, standing there with many of his friends, like the SAG Award and the BAFTA Award. Then, he doesn’t feel lonely. He can have a party with his friends all on the same shelf. I’ve been thinking about setting it up like a museum. I need to get a glass case.
See, I figured you would have had it locked behind glass with laser tripwires after it was stolen.
Oh, yeah. I went to this event where the mayor of my hometown of Mesa, Arizona, was presenting me with the key to the city. He asked me to bring the Oscar along with me so that folks could take pictures, so I was carrying it around for hours. I got so tired of holding it, because it’s like eight pounds. It’s a similar weight to a newborn baby. So, I decided to put it in the back of my Jeep—and I must’ve left it running or something because somebody stole the car. I was like, “Oh my god! The Oscar is in the back of my Jeep!” I was so scared. Thankfully, with GPS, this police helicopter was about to target and find my Jeep and bust these four young kids. They were like 14-16 years old. They checked in the back seat and the Oscar was still there. So, at least I have a good story to tell. But thank God it’s safe and back on the shelf with his friends.
You recently released a short film titled To My Father. It follows you journey to the Academy Awards and how your father inspired you, even after his tragic car accident. What does it mean to you to have a platform to tell stories for the deaf community?
It was really important for parents out there—who have a child who is born deaf—to just make sure that they’re involved in their children’s lives. Back In the '70s, there wasn’t much access of even educational design for deaf programs. About 90 percent of caring parents for deaf children never learned sign language at all, tragically. So, ASL helped me play sports and learn all the subjects in school and stay active. When my dad got in a car accident and was paralyzed from the neck down, he wasn’t able to sign. But we didn’t let that stop us from being able to communicate and love each other.
What's next for you?
I’m involved in a television series that’s still filming, so I’m not allowed to announce it yet. I’m also in an independent film, In Cold Light, that should premiere at Cannes. There’s a lot more that I’m excited about, but I’m not in a rush. I want to be really discerning and wait for a script that’s good for me. A strong script is really important.
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