Marlee Matlin, 58, was the first deaf person to win an Oscar in 1987, however, her late ex, William Hurt, was reportedly not impressed. Marlee Matlin, CODA-, opened up in Dave Karger’s new book50 Oscar Nights which will be released on January 23, about the remarks made by her ex-partner. In an excerpt obtained by PEOPLE, Marlee claimed that she “was afraid” of what the late Body Heat star would say to her after he lost that evening and she won.“Bill congratulated me when I got the award. “I stopped looking at the screen after I won to see if Bill had won the Oscar the night before,” said the now-58-year-old in the book. When I learned that he had not won, my heart sank. He lost to Paul Newman who won the Oscar for his role in The Color of Money. Although William presented his then-girlfriend with the Academy Award that night, he allegedly questioned if she deserved it during their car ride home. He lost to Paul Newman, who took home the Oscar for his work in. Although William presented his then-girlfriend with the Academy Award that night, he allegedly questioned if she deserved it during their car ride home. Bill held my hands and guided me to our limo after the ceremony. He was staring me down as we sat in the limo. I could see what he was thinking. Marlee explains in the book that he was very quiet. “And then he said: “So, you have this little man next to you. What makes you believe you deserve it?” I asked him, looking at him as if to say
What are you saying? He said: ”A lot of people have worked for years, especially those you were nominated alongside, to achieve what you achieved with just one film. “After her now-ex made this remark, the starlet was left to question herself. I didn’t dare argue with him. I asked myself Is this man right? I mean, he was. “But was he unhappy for me?” she asked. Marlee revealed that they ended their relationship soon after the Oscars in that particular year. “I was too shocked to speak,” she said. “But it made stronger me. “It just bounced off of my back. It was my night. It was my time. It was my night. I left him a few months later, on July Fourth.” I left him a few months afterward, on July Fourth.”
William died decades later, in March 2022. At the time of his passing, Marlee opened up to Entertainment Tonight about his death. She said, “We have lost a great actor. Working with him on the set of Children Of A Lesser God is something I will always remember fondly.” “He taught me a great deal as an actor and he was one-of-a-kind.” Most recently, in 2022, Marlee took home the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for her work in CODA, alongside her castmates at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
