CODA star spokesman Troy Kotzur denied the actor was involved in what was described as a “drunken mid-air brawl” during an American Airlines flight from London to Los Angeles in February, blaming it as a “misunderstanding.”
The 53-year-old actor, according to a report by The UK Sun, “drank about 10 small bottles of vodka and appeared to be having an increasingly heated conversation in sign language with his wife” Deanne Bray, 50, a passenger on the plane. Flight told the publication.
A spokesman for Kotsura told on Wednesday that “in 2022, no flight attendant will serve a passenger 10 vodkas or any number of drinks even close to that number.”
Last: CODA star spokesman Troy Kotzur, 53, denied the actor was involved in what was described as a “drunken mid-air brawl” during an American Airlines flight from London to Los Angeles in February, writing it off as “a misunderstanding.” He was photographed earlier this month in London.
The deaf actor, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Frank Rossi in KODA, did not bring a sign language interpreter with him on the flight, reports The UK Sun.
Kotsura’s rep confirmed that the actor “and his wife missed their flight, which caused them to fly without an interpreter”, which “led to a misunderstanding that was immediately resolved when someone was contacted for translation upon boarding.”
A passenger told The UK Sun that Kotzur and the deaf Bray were talking when “all of a sudden it started and he was gesticulating wildly as bits of food and cutlery flew around.” One lady was hit and she burst into tears.”
A spokesperson for Kotsur told that “ASL is a whole language, not a ‘gesture'” and that “it is a completely visual language that is conveyed through expressive physical hand movements, hands and facial expressions.”
The actor was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Frank Rossi in KODA.
Kozur has been a hit this awards season, winning Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Supporting Actor, a British Academy Film Award and a Critics’ Choice Movies Awards for his performance in the Apple TV+ series CODA. He was photographed in London earlier this month.
“Apart from Troy and his wife, there was no one on this plane who spoke ASL. It is not uncommon for cups, food or cutlery to be knocked over or knocked over when speaking ASL while eating in small spaces.”
A spokesman for Kotsura told that “airlines in general do not generally support sign language for deaf passengers.”
A rep for the actor told The UK Sun that “as soon as there was someone who could translate over FaceTime, everyone shook hands and left.”
Kozur is “a nervous pilot anyway and he was stressed out because he didn’t have an interpreter with him,” his spokesman told the publication. Kotsur “waving gestures that might be uncomfortable for the listeners”, and “apparently it was a complete accident when someone got hit”, as “something knocked his elbow off the tray”.
Kozur has been a hit this awards season, winning Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Supporting Actor, a British Academy Film Award and a Critics’ Choice Movies Awards for his performance in the Apple TV+ series CODA.
In an interview with NBC News published Tuesday, the actor spoke about the possibility of becoming the first deaf person to win an Oscar for acting. (His CODA co-star Marley Matlin won the Best Actress Oscar in 1987 for Children of a Lesser God.)
“If this happens, I will be delighted,” Kotzur said through an American Sign Language interpreter. “But for young deaf children, it’s really important to feel inspired and hopeful, not only as actors, but also as directors, writers, producers, in front of or behind the camera. I don’t want them to feel limited.
“Thanks to modern technology, the lives of deaf people are getting better. For example, the way we now communicate with a translator… for the deaf, it was an amazing transformation. I feel like I’m part of Generation X and I’m ready to pass this on to the next generation.”