MESA, Ariz. – Troy Kotsur, who made history as the first deaf man to win an Academy Award, has been honored with a key to his Arizona hometown.
Kotsur, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in March, was given the key Thursday in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, the city said in a statement.
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"It is such a special honor to receive the key to the City of Mesa, the place where I was born and raised, and will always consider home," Kotsur said during a ceremony.
Mesa Mayor John Giles called Kotsur a “remarkable example of dedication and commitment.”
Kotsur won just about every major acting prize for his role as a father and fisherman in “CODA." He still resides in Mesa and gave a shoutout to the city in his Oscars acceptance speech.
Kotsur's family has deep roots in the city. His father was the police chief. One of his two brothers is a deputy fire chief. His grandfather was also a police officer.
For his next project, the actor will play the coach of a football team from the California School for the Deaf for a Disney+ series. Kotsur will be an executive producer.