Oscar-Winning CODA Star Troy Kotsur Is Performing The National Anthem In Sign Language At The 2023 Super Bowl

When Troy Kotsur won Best Supporting Actor at the 94th Academy Awards for his role in "CODA," he was only the second deaf actor ever to win an Oscar. His win also marked the first time a deaf actor won an award at the ceremony in 36 years, after his "CODA" co-star Marlee Matlin's historic win for "Children of a Lesser God." Needless to say, he's made his mark.

Kotsur is about to make history in a brand new way tonight, as he is slated to perform a major part of the 2023 Super Bowl. Country singer Chris Stapleton will perform the National Anthem before the football game begins, while Kotsur will perform his own interpretation of the song via American Sign Language (ASL). Even though it has been customary for an ASL interpreter to perform the anthem alongside the central performer, this will certainly be the first time it has ever been done with an Oscar-winning actor.

Super Bowl LVII, which will see the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles, takes place in Kotsur's home state of Glendale, Arizona. In an interview with Variety, the actor revealed that the National Association for the Deaf personally asked him to perform at the event.

"I was on the fence for about two weeks and then I learned that it was my hometown that was hosting the Super Bowl," Kotsur explained. "So I said, 'Hell yes, I'm in.'"

According to Kotsur, he's aiming to put his own unique spin on the National Anthem. Live ASL musical interpretation may not be something he's familiar with, but he researched the original poem written by Francis Scott Key and constructed a performance that brings those feelings to the modern age. It's not Kotsur's first time getting creative like this; he also came up with the Tusken sign language for "The Mandalorian." The actor viewed this latest opportunity as a chance to incorporate the lyricism of sign interpretation with his acting prowess.

"I'm adding a little salt and pepper that will make it even more poetic, even more delicious," he told Variety. "It's a visual art. That's my personal art form, as a visual performer, so I'm putting it all out there."

However, this challenge did come with some worries. During the main telecast, the cameras typically focus on the primary performer and not the ASL interpreter. Kotsur had concerns that the angles and framing shown to depict his performance would end up cheapening the performance. Thankfully, he worked with the NFL to ensure that his entire interpretation will be available for viewing for any hard-of-hearing Super Bowl viewers.

"There's one camera, a close-up on me, which they'll be streaming on Fox's YouTube channel," he explained. "Then there'll be more of a wide shot with various cuts ... I'll try and let technology take care of itself. I'm just going to focus and do my part."

Super Bowl LVII kicks off at 3:30p.m. PT/6:30p.m. ET tonight, February 12.