Millicent Simmonds

Millicent Simmonds at the premiere for the film Wonderstruck in Cannes in May 2017

Millicent Simmonds (born March 1, 2003 in Bountiful , Utah ) is an American child actress . The deaf actress had her first film roles in the films Wonderstruck and A Quiet Place .

Life

Simmonds comes from the US state Utah. At the age of 12 months, Simmonds lost her hearing from a medication overdose. Her mother learned US Sign Language and taught it to the family so they could communicate with their daughter. When Simmonds was three years old, she attended the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf, where she became a member of the drama group. After graduating from sixth grade, she performed at Mueller Park Junior High School in the fall of 2015. She performed at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah. Simmonds has a cochlear implant that helps her hear.

In 2011 Simmonds had read the youth novel Wonderstruck , in which there is a deaf protagonist. She found out about a casting for the film adaptation of the novel from her acting teacher. She competed with over 250 other applicants on audition and eventually got the role of Rose. She then moved to New York with her mother and younger siblings, where Wonderstruck was filmed. She received assistance from US sign language interpreters to communicate on the film set, and also received a tutor to help her continue schoolwork while filming. Wonderstruck celebrated its premiere in February 2017 as part of the Cannes International Film Festival .

In the film, A Quiet Place by John Krasinski she played his daughter Regan while her mother of Emily Blunt , Krasinski's wife in real life, was played. It was important for the makers of the film not to use an actress who just pretended to be deaf. Simmonds also made it so much easier to learn US sign language, says Krasinski.

The young actress said A Quiet Place is a win for the Deaf community: “I think it's important in the Deaf community to stand up for this story and be an advocate. A story that could inspire directors and other screenwriters to involve more deaf talent and be more creative when using deaf talent. ”The same goes for other disabled actors. Simmonds hoped to have proven through her role in the film that you can do anything despite limitations, be it an activity as an actor or as a writer, teacher or pilot. In an interview with Christoph Petersen von Filmstarts, when asked if there was anything about her character that she absolutely wanted to be portrayed correctly in terms of her deafness, Simmonds said she had never had a role model in Hollywood, and there was no deaf star to look up to: “So I hope that deaf children who go to A Quiet Place will be inspired and realize that they can do the same thing. There is a lot of discussion going on about representing different groups in Hollywood right now - and the same should be true for people with disabilities. "

She will take on the role of Regan Abbott again in the sequel, A Quiet Place 2 , due to hit theaters in early 2020 .

Simmonds lives in Bountiful, Utah.