"Look What You Did!" Kumail Nanjiani Ecstatic As He Congratulates "Eternals" Co-Star Lauren Ridloff On Inspiring People Around the World to Learn Sign Language
Earlier today, Kumail Nanjiani, one of the stars of the latest Marvel film "Eternals," congratulated his co-star Lauren Ridloff on galvanizing a global interest in sign language due to her role as the first deaf superhero portrayed on the big screen. The two are part of a star-studded ensemble cast that includes the likes of Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, and Barry Keoghan.
In Nanjian's tweet, he praises Ridloff and links to an article about how "Eternals" has inspired viewers to learn sign language. He writes, "This is amazing. Look what you did @LaurenRidloff!"
In "Eternals," Ridloff, who is a deaf actress born to hearing parents, takes on the role of Makkari and uses sign language to communicate with her superhero teammates. The representation onscreen of a deaf superhero has caused a boom in Google searches for the term "first deaf superhero" and spurred conversations between parents and their children regarding deafness. Ultimately, the increased attention on deafness by Marvel's first deaf superhero's debut has resulted in a 250 percent upsurge in searches for "learn sign language for beginners," according to research by Preply, an online platform that connects students with independent tutors via video chat.
However, the recognition of her character in "Eternals" is receiving has also had a personal significance to Ridloff. In a New York Times article, the actress was quoted as saying, "It means my two boys, who are also deaf, will grow up in a world where there are superheroes who are deaf. It means they'll be able to dream a bit more wildly." We hope that with the positive attention Ridloff and her character are getting, we will see an increased diversity in representation of what a hero can be on screen.
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