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Millicent Simmonds

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Millicent Simmonds
Simmonds in 2021
Born (2003-03-06) March 6, 2003 (age 21)[1]
NationalityAmerican
Other namesMillie Simmonds
OccupationActress
Years active2017–present

Millicent Simmonds (born March 6, 2003) is a deaf American actress who starred in the 2018 horror film A Quiet Place and its 2020 sequel A Quiet Place Part II. Her breakout role was in the 2017 drama film Wonderstruck. For Wonderstruck and A Quiet Place, she was nominated for several awards for best youth performance.

In addition to her film roles, Simmonds has had television appearances in Andi Mack (2018) and This Close (2019). She made her Broadway debut in 2023 with the play Grey House. She is an advocate for better deaf representation in entertainment. She also advocates improving accessibility for the deaf, including designing a lip-reading face mask.

Background

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Simmonds grew up in Bountiful, Utah in the United States.[2] She has four siblings; two older and two younger than her.[3] When Simmonds was two months old, an accidental medication overdose caused permanent hearing loss for her.[4] Her mother learned American Sign Language and taught the family so they could communicate with her.[5] Simmonds said without her family using ASL, "I wouldn't have a relationship with my own family, I wouldn't have communication."[6] Simmonds also has a cochlear implant.[7]

Simmonds's mother also encouraged her to read books extensively.[8] When Simmonds was three years old, she started attending the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf,[2] and around third grade, she started its drama club.[9] Her first play was in A Midsummer Night's Dream as Puck.[8] After completing sixth grade, she mainstreamed at the Mueller Park Junior High School in the fall of 2015. She has performed at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, Utah, and her primary film experience before Wonderstruck was a deaf student's short, "Color the World".[2]

In the third quarter of 2020, Simmonds's step-father got a job promotion, and Simmonds and her family moved from Bountiful, Utah to a neighborhood north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[4]

Acting career

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Wonderstruck and A Quiet Place

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A teenage girl in formal dress posing for a picture
14-year-old Millicent Simmonds at Cannes Film Festival in 2017

Simmonds was 12 years old when she was cast for the film Wonderstruck, which was then released in 2017.[8] She had read the deaf-themed juvenile novel Wonderstruck when it was published in 2011. When open casting for the film began, her former drama teacher shared the news with her, and she auditioned for a role in the film.[2] She competed with over 250 others. When she won the role, she moved to New York City with her mother and her younger siblings to film Wonderstruck. She used American Sign Language interpreters to communicate on set and also received a tutor to continue schoolwork while filming.[2] Vanity Fair's Charles Bramesco said of her casting, "A Utah native without any major film credits to her name, young Simmonds is expected to make quite a splash both as a new face in the industry as well as an icon for deaf and otherwise sensory-disabled actors."[10] When Wonderstruck premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, the Associated Press's Jake Coyle said Simmonds's screen debut was "hailed as a breakthrough".[11] Simmonds was subsequently nominated for several awards for best youth performance (see accolades). The Associated Press also recognized Simmonds as one of eight actors who were Breakthrough Entertainers of 2017.[12]

In 2018, Simmonds starred in the horror film A Quiet Place as the deaf daughter of a hearing couple, played by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. While the producers did not specifically plan to cast a deaf actress to play the deaf daughter, Krasinski, who was also the director, pushed to have a deaf actress.[13] Simmonds and her family answered Krasinski's questions for writing a screenplay about a family with a deaf child.[14] The filmmakers hired an ASL interpreter for Simmonds, so that signed and spoken language could be interpreted fluently on set.[15] Simmonds helped teach her fellow actors to sign.[16]

TV roles and return to A Quiet Place

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In 2018, Simmonds appeared in a two-episode arc in the third season of the Disney Channel television series Andi Mack. She had first appeared as an extra in the first season, and the series creators invited her back for a recurring role. For her arc, Simmonds taught the other actors how to use ASL, and the showrunners decided to show her scenes involving ASL without providing subtitles so viewers could focus on figuring out the sign language.[17] In one of the episodes, Simmonds also spoke for the first time ever on-camera, responding audibly "I like you" in response to Asher Angel's character Jonah signing "I like you" to her character. Simmonds said of the spoken dialogue, "I can't even remember how it was brought up or who had the idea, but I remember my mom asking me how I felt about it, and I told her I thought I could try. I was actually pretty nervous about it. I don't use my voice a lot in public."[18]

In the following year, Simmonds appeared in an episode of the second season of This Close.[19] In October, Simmonds was cast in a lead role in the pilot for the TV series Close Up on Freeform,[20] and production took place later in the year in Vancouver. By May 2020, Freeform passed on the pilot.[21]

Simmonds also reprised her role in the sequel film A Quiet Place Part II, which filmed in the middle of 2019.[22] John Krasinski, who also directed the sequel, said, "I had this small idea, which was to make Millie [Simmonds] the lead of the movie... her character opens the door to all the themes I was dealing with in the first movie."[23] The film had its world premiere in March 2020,[24] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its commercial release was postponed to May 2021.[25] In the following August, Variety named Simmonds among over 50 other 25-and-under talent in its 2021 Power of Young Hollywood Impact List.[26]

Grey House and projects in development

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Simmonds starred in the short film Bumblebees which premiered on June 11, 2022, at Tribeca Film Festival.[27] She also had her Broadway debut in the Broadway adaptation of Levi Holloway's play Grey House,[9] which premiered on May 30, 2023.[28] Simmonds said that acting on Broadway demands more exaggerated expressions than in film or TV, due to the need for audience visibility. She also contrasted the repetitive nature of stage performances with the varying day-to-day scenes in film and TV.[9] Entertainment Weekly's Emlyn Travis wrote, "Simmonds, who is deaf, performs the tunes in American Sign Language alongside her costars, who... also sign with and interpret for her character throughout the performance in an excellent display of representation and accessibility on stage."[29] Grey House closed on July 30, 2023 due to low ticket sales.[30]

In July 2021, Simmonds partnered with Circle of Confusion Television Studios to star in and executive produce a TV adaptation of the 2022 deaf-themed book True Biz by Sara Nović.[31] In the following October, Simmonds was cast as the deafblind historical figure Helen Keller for the film Helen & Teacher with principal photography planned at the time to start in mid-2022.[32] Neither project has yet moved past the development stage.

In February 2023, Simmonds was cast in the action-thriller film Ballerina Overdrive.[33]

Deaf advocacy

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Following Simmonds's 2017 debut in Wonderstruck, a Utah-based news outlet reported, "Millie plans to continue both acting and advocating for the deaf community."[34] In 2019, after starring in A Quiet Place, Simmonds received the Greenwich International Film Festival's Make An Impact Award and participated in the festival's panel to discuss cinematic representation of people with disabilities.[35]

In 2020, with the commercial release of A Quiet Place Part II being postponed to the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[36] Simmonds and a speech-language pathology clinical fellow designed a face mask that includes a transparent panel to allow lip-reading and facial expressions to be seen. Simmonds partnered with fair-trade fashion brand Rafi Nova to make the masks and to have net proceeds go to deaf and hard-of-hearing organizations.[37] She also participated in a virtual panel hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences about representation of creative figures with disabilities, as part of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[38] Toward the end of the year, the teenage magazine Seventeen recognized Simmonds among 15 recipients of Voices of the Year 2020 for their vision and activism.[39]

With deaf characters historically played by hearing actors, or sign language obscured by the editing process, Simmonds said in 2021 that she considers her films Wonderstruck, A Quiet Place, and A Quiet Place Part II as "a corrective" to that history.[6] In 2022, Simmonds partnered with Cut + Clarity to create the "Millie ASL Mama" necklace, which features the ASL sign for "mother", to benefit the Deaf Mentor Program at Ski-Hi Institute.[40] In a 2023 interview, she advised young deaf individuals aspiring to enter the entertainment industry to advocate for themselves and clearly communicate their needs.[9]

In March 2024, Simmonds was among eight honorees at the New York Women in Film & Television's 44th annual Muse Awards.[41]

Credits

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Simmonds's credits
Year(s) Title Medium Role Notes Ref.
2017 Wonderstruck Film Rose [42]
2018 A Quiet Place Film Regan Abbott [42]
2018–2019 Andi Mack Television Libby Season 3; two-episode arc [17]
2019 "Wanted a Name" Music video Self Music video by Frenship [43]
2019 This Close Television Emmaline Season 2; Episode: "No Place Like Home" [44]
2020 "I Dare You" Music video Self Music video by Kelly Clarkson [45]
2020 A Quiet Place Part II Film Regan Abbott Commercial release in 2021 [22]
2022 Bumblebees Short film Athena [27]
2023 Grey House Stage Bernie Broadway adaptation [28]
TBA Ballerina Overdrive[46] Film Filming

Accolades

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Simmonds's accolades
Year Film Award Ceremony Result Ref.
2017 Wonderstruck Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer 23rd ceremony Nominated [47]
Florida Film Critics Circle's Pauline Kael Breakout Award 2017 ceremony Nominated [48]
Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor 44th ceremony Nominated [49]
Seattle Film Critics Society Award for Best Youth Performance 2017 ceremony Nominated [50]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Youth Performance 2017 ceremony Nominated [51]
Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Young Actress 2017 ceremony Nominated [52]
2018 A Quiet Place Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer 24th ceremony Nominated [53]
Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Actress 23 and Under 2nd ceremony Nominated [54]
Seattle Film Critics Society Award for Best Youth Performance 2018 ceremony Nominated [55]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Youth Performance 2018 ceremony Nominated [56]
2020 A Quiet Place Part II Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Horror Movie 2nd ceremony Nominated [57]
Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Supporting Performance 2022 ceremony Won [58]
Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Award for Best Actress 4th ceremony Won [59]
MTV Movie Award for Most Frightened Performance 2022 ceremony Nominated [60]
Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor 47th ceremony Nominated [61]
2022 BAFTA Rising Star Award 75th ceremony Nominated [62]

References

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  1. ^ Rose, Mike (March 6, 2018). "Today's top celebrity birthdays list (March 6, 2018)". Cleveland.com. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e Crofts, Natalie (April 15, 2016). "Bountiful girl cast in lead role for upcoming movie 'Wonderstruck'". ksl.com. KSL-TV. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  3. ^ Votaw, Ann (April 10, 2018). "Millicent Simmonds on How the Plot of 'A Quiet Place' Relates to Real Life". Observer. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Axelrod, Joshua (June 4, 2021). "'A Quiet Place Part II' star Millicent Simmonds now calls Pittsburgh home". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Harris, Sarah (November 6, 2017). "Young Utah 'Wonderstruck' actress speaks of 'frustration' that deaf people feel". Deseret News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Nevins, Jake (March 25, 2021). "American Sign Language Finds Its Spotlight". T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  7. ^ Weiss, Haley (November 1, 2017). "Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds has a message for those who are different". Interview. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Williams, Michelle (February 5, 2020). "Millicent Simmonds Is a Force to Be Reckoned With". Teen Vogue. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d Apostolatos, Mariana (September 7, 2023). "Millicent Simmonds". Photobook Magazine. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  10. ^ Bramesco, Charles (April 30, 2016). "Carol Director Todd Haynes Breaks New Ground in Casting His Next Film". Vanity Fair. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  11. ^ Coyle, Jake (May 18, 2017). "'Wonderstruck', with deaf newcomer Simmonds, lands at Cannes". ap.org. Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
  12. ^ Staff (December 12, 2017). "The AP names its Breakthrough Entertainers of 2017". ap.org. Associated Press. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  13. ^ Burton, Bryan (April 7, 2018). "John Krasinski Pushed to Cast a Deaf Actress for 'A Quiet Place'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
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  19. ^ Lambe, Stacy (August 12, 2019). "'This Close' Returns With Season 2: Watch Shoshannah Stern and Josh Feldman in an Exclusive New Teaser". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  20. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (October 3, 2019). "'A Quiet Place' Actress Millicent Simmonds Set To Star In 'Close Up' Pilot At Freeform". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  21. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (May 14, 2020). "'Close Up' Mystery Drama Not Moving Forward At Freeform". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  22. ^ a b Collis, Clark (July 15, 2019). "John Krasinski announces A Quiet Place 2 has started shooting". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
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  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 4, 2021). "'A Quiet Place Part II' Takes Over Memorial Day Weekend Vacated By 'F9'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
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  27. ^ a b Staff. "Bumblebees | 2022 Tribeca Festival | Tribeca". tribecafilm.com. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  28. ^ a b Evans, Greg (February 21, 2023). "Laurie Metcalf & Tatiana Maslany Set For Broadway Thriller 'Grey House'; Joe Mantello Will Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  29. ^ Travis, Emlyn (June 1, 2023). "Grey House review: Laurie Metcalf and Millicent Simmonds delight in a haunting play full of heart". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  30. ^ Huston, Caitlin (July 19, 2023). "Broadway's 'Grey House,' Starring Laurie Metcalf, Tatiana Maslany, Sets July 30 Closing Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  31. ^ White, Peter (July 7, 2021). "Millicent Simmonds To Star In & EP TV Adaptation Of Sara Nović's 'True Biz' With Circle of Confusion Television Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  32. ^ Ritman, Alex (October 14, 2021). "'A Quiet Place' Star Millicent Simmonds Teaming With Rachel Brosnahan for Helen Keller Biopic 'Helen & Teacher'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  33. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 8, 2023). "Lena Headey, Yara Shahidi, Isabela Merced, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds & Iris Apatow Set For Buzzy Action Pic 'Ballerina Overdrive' From David Leitch & Kelly McCormick's 87North: EFM Hot Package". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  34. ^ Nielsen, Liesl (May 11, 2017). "Deaf Bountiful girl films lead role in upcoming movie 'Wonderstruck'". ksl.com. KSL-TV. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  35. ^ Zilko, Christian (June 3, 2019). "The Diversity Movement You're Not Hearing About: Actors With Disabilities — Watch". IndieWire. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
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  37. ^ Smith, Nigel (August 4, 2020). "A Quiet Place's Millicent Simmonds Designs Transparent Masks That Restore Visual Communication". People. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  38. ^ Bahr, Lindsey (October 27, 2020). "Entertainers Discuss Disability Representation In Hollywood". Associated Press. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  39. ^ Staff (December 1, 2020). "Today's Teens Are Saving Tomorrow: Seventeen's 2020 Voices Of the Year". Seventeen. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
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  41. ^ Taylor, Elizabeth (March 28, 2024). "'A Quiet Place' Star Millicent Simmonds Says Hollywood is Becoming More Inclusive and Accessible to the Deaf Community: 'People Seem to Be More Open-Minded'". Variety. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  42. ^ a b "Millicent Simmonds". bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  43. ^ Stivale, Shelly (February 15, 2019). "Up and Coming Actress Millicent Simmonds Stars In FRENSHIP's 'Wanted A Name' Music Video". Tiger Beat. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  44. ^ Staff (October 15, 2018). "Sundance Now's THIS CLOSE Unveils Season Two Guest Star Lineup". Broadway World. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  45. ^ Derrington, Ashley (May 4, 2020). "Kelly Clarkson releases new ASL video for song 'I Dare You". Kelly Clarkson. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  46. ^ Maddie Ziegler & Avantika Cast In ‘Ballerina Overdrive’ From 87North & Gulfstream Pictures
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  51. ^ "'Get Out' Is In with D.C. Film Critics". wafca.com. Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  52. ^ Benardello, Karen (December 23, 2017). "The Women Film Critics Circle Awards 2017's Best Movies". Shock Ya!. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
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  54. ^ "Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society Award Winners Announced!". laofcs.org. Los Angeles Online Film Critics Society. December 7, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  55. ^ "'Roma' Named Best Picture of 2018 by Seattle Film Critics Society". seattlefilmcritics.com. Seattle Film Critics Society. December 17, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  56. ^ "'Roma' Feels the Love with D.C. Film Critics". dcfilmcritics.com. Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. December 3, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  57. ^ Couch, Aaron (February 22, 2022). "'Spider-Man,' 'Shang-Chi' Lead Critics Choice Super Awards Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  58. ^ Melanson, Angel (May 16, 2022). "A Full List Of The 2022 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Winners!". Fangoria. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  59. ^ Menzel, Scott (July 2, 2021). "'In The Heights' wins Best Picture at the HCA Midseason Awards". Hollywood Critics Association. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  60. ^ Choe, Brandon (June 5, 2022). "MTV Movie & TV Awards 2022: 'Spider-Man: No Way Home,' 'Euphoria' Lead Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
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  62. ^ Khomami, Nadia (February 1, 2022). "Bond actor Lashana Lynch nominated for Bafta rising star award". The Guardian. Retrieved February 2, 2022.

Further reading

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