Marlee Matlin Talks Performing with Lady Gaga at Super Bowl, Return to Theater & More

Oscar winner and recent star of Broadway's SPRING AWAKENING Marlee Matlin, performed the National Anthem in American Sign Language on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf during SUPER BOWL 50's pre-game events. The actress performed alongside recent Golden Globe Award winner Lady Gaga during the pregame ceremony, which was televised live on CBS this past Sunday, February 7th.

Today, Matlin speaks with ET about the thrilling pre-Super Bowl experience and her recent starring role in Broadway's SPRING AWAKENING.

Speaking on her performance alongside Lady Gaga, Matlin shares, "It was spectacular and an honor to be part of the festivities celebrating SUPER BOWL 50. I could feel the electricity when Gaga entered, even during rehearsal, and it's not often you get the chance to perform in front of an audience of over 100 million people. I was very excited."

Following the performance, the actress reveals that she turned to Gaga and signed "I love you," and to her surprise, she signed it right back. "I told her my kids were big fans of hers. She couldn't have been nicer," she says, "I told her anytime she wanted to learn to sign to give a call, and she said, "Yes!"

The recent history-making production of SPRING AWAKENING was performed simultaneously in American Sign Language and spoken English by a cast of 28. Matlin says the biggest challenge in making the show a success was "getting accustomed to realizing that every night was like one take in a movie or TV show. I had to get over the fear of forgetting my lines. But thank goodness the cast and crew were supportive, and they kept telling me it's true for everyone. I loved how each night was different -- the audience, the energy. It ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made."

Her character, Frau Gabor, gets the opportunity to play a mean air guitar in the show. "[I] loved that scene where I went crazy, dressed like a German woman of 1891 but rocking the house like Eddie Van Halen," she comments, "and I loved breaking down preconceived notions of what people think a deaf person could and couldn't do! That's my style."

Asked if she would like to return to theater in the near future, the actress offers, "For now, I'm happy to return to acting in front of the camera and producing. Maybe sometime down the line, but it has to be the right time, right project, just like it was for Spring Awakening."

Matlin won an Academy and Golden Globe Award for her role in CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD. She has appeared on television in such shows as "The West Wing," "Switched at Birth" and "Seinfeld." She made her Broadway debut last fall in Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's Spring Awakening, directed by Michael Arden.

The actress has written four books, competed on the sixth season of "Dancing with the Stars," and has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. An active advocate for the Deaf community, she is to date the only deaf performer to win an Academy Award, for her debut film performance in Children of a Lesser God (1986), the first film since the 1926 silent film You'd Be Surprised to feature a deaf actor in a major role.

The recent history-making production of SPRING AWAKENING was performed simultaneously in American Sign Language and spoken English by a cast of 28. It began previews on September 8 and officially opened on September 27th. The limited engagement ended on Broadway January 24. The show recently announced plans for a national tour to begin in 2017.

Image: Marlee Matlin/Twitter

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