Lauren Ridloff, an American actress, is deaf in real life. Please find out how her parent learned and her path to becoming one of Hollywood’s successful deaf actresses.
She is mostly known for her portrayal of Connie in a critically acclaimed horror series, The Walking Dead, was born deaf on April 6, 1978. Lauren starred as the first deaf superhero in Marvel’s Eternals’ which hit the cinema in 2021.
Is Lauren Ridloff Actually Deaf In Real Life?
The Walking Dead star Lauren Ridloff is deaf in real life. She was born deaf to her hearing parents and grew up in the Hyde Park area in the Chicago community in the 80s.
Two years after her birth, her parents learned their daughter had a hearing impairment and was deaf all along. In the beginning, they thought she had a developmental delay. As a result, Lauren and her parents learned sign language together and had her enrolled in Children of Peace Catholic School for the deaf.
American Actress Lauren Is Married To Douglas Ridloff
The actress is five ft. and 2 inches tall and in a loving relationship with her husband, Douglas Ridloff. The couple married in 2006 after first meeting in early 2000 at California State University. Douglas is a former American Sign Language coach who has worked as a sign language expert in several movies and television series. His film contributions include Hawkeye, Eternals, and A Quiet Place.
The founder of ASL Slam, Douglas, who serves as the ASL Slam director, eventually met Lauren again in New York through their mutual friend, who organized a drink date. In an interview with Theater Mania, the actress mentioned that her now husband was so funny that she couldn’t stop laughing. Ever since the drink date in New York, they eventually felt a strong bond and married in 2006 after dating for two years. Lauren and Douglas have been together for 16 years and counting.
Lauren Ridloff Children, Parents & Ethnicity Explored
Mr. and Mrs. Ridloff had their first son, Levi Ridloff, in late 2012. Lauren was pregnant again in 2014, expecting her second child Wyatt Che Ridloff on February 4, 2014. Levi is now ten, whereas Wyatt is 8. Not so surprisingly, both of her sons have a hearing impairment.
After her CSUN graduation, she taught kindergarten and first grade in a public school based in Manhattan. The mother of two left her teaching profession to raise her sons, who were born deaf too, just like herself. Lauren and her family now reside in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Lauren was born to a Mexican-American father, while her mother was an African-American descendant. So, she belongs to a mixed ethnic group. She’s half Mexican and half-African.
She is an artist who loves painting. She’s physically active at the gym, doing several training sessions, and goes jogging with her husband whenever she has the chance. She enjoys being around nature in her spare time, as seen on numerous Instagram posts. If we talk about her favorite actors and actress, she will name Robert De Niro, Matt Damon, and Anne Hathaway.
Lauren Ridloff As A Deaf American Actress
However, her love for acting and performing didn’t stop, as she landed herself a role in her debut film ‘If You Could Hear My Own Tune’ in 2011. Following her debut, she now has more than 20 acting credits which involve the critically acclaimed thriller series “The Walking Dead”, which gained her immense popularity.
Ridloff made her first television appearance in 2016 as a writer. Her recent film appearance is a sci-fi adventure, Eternals. Furthermore, Lauren played Diane in an American drama film that showcases the life of a drummer who was losing his hearing ability and ultimately confronted a complete silence in his life.
This drama won 89 awards out of 175 nominations, including 2 Oscars and a Golden Globe. In 2022, she appeared in the drama ‘Magnificent Meyersons’, and as for her TV appearances, she starred in the famous fantasy drama Legacies and New Amsterdam in 2019. Her performance on The Walking Dead won her prestigious CinEuphoria Merit – Honorary Award for Performance in the series.
Quick Look At Her Education
After completing her certification for sign language in Catholic School back home, she attended Model Secondary School in Washington DC, where she studied art and got part in her school drama ‘The Wiz’ as Dorothy. At DC, she was on the cheerleading team and became one of the few deaf Americans to participate globally.
Following Model Secondary, she went to California State University for the deaf, where she majored in English and improved her creative writing skills. She aspired to become a Children’s author. Ridloff earned her master’s degree in Education from Hunter College of California State University, Northridge, while she was working for National Center on Deafness to facilitate improving the post-secondary curriculum.
She Won Miss Deaf America In 2000
American actress Lauren embarked on a journey to compete for Miss Deaf America, organized by the National Association of Deaf in 2000. As a second consecutive title winner from CSUN, Lauren Ridloff won Miss Deaf Amerca, becoming the only person to win the pageant title representing African-American or Mexican-American descent.
Lauren has garnered a massive social media following for her acting talent and work for Deaf communities. She now has over 822k followers on her Instagram profile. If you’re looking for inspiration, follow Lauren and her lifestyle. Having a hearing impairment didn’t stop her from doing what she loves.