Deaf Actor John Autry II: Dream without Limits

Autry was born with profound hearing loss, and he and his parents had to learn to navigate a world designed for the hearing. School was frustrating for John, as he shared the struggle he faced as he tried to communicate with the other children only to be misunderstood and feel isolated in his own world. John’s teacher noticed the difficulties he was experiencing and worked with him to build his communication skills and, most importantly, his confidence. These efforts would not only change John’s life, but would also empower countless other deaf and hard of hearing children through the founding of the program, No Limits. No Limits offers resources to deaf children and their families, with programs to assist with literacy and academics, a nationwide theater program, classes for parents on how to help their hard of hearing child succeed, and more. John’s positivity and determination have made his dreams of acting come true and he hopes to inspire kids like him to do the same, as he works to increase representation of the deaf and hard of hearing community on the screen.

Most recently, Autry made history as the first deaf voice-actor to be cast on "The Simpsons." The episode “The Sound of Bleeding Gums” crossed another first off for "The Simpsons," using American Sign Language in the show by the character Monk. Monk, voiced by Autry, is the deaf son of saxophone player Bleeding Gums Murphy. In the episode, Monk is helped by Lisa as he takes steps towards receiving a cochlear implant to improve his communication and speech understanding. Having a cochlear implant himself and understanding the journey many take to find the assistive device that works for them, Autry brought an invaluable perspective and authenticity to Monk’s character. Making history serves a larger goal for Autry; for representation of the deaf and hard of hearing to one day be the norm rather than novel.

Representation benefits everyone; the community it advocates for and the world around it. For those who feel different, seeing someone on the big screen who looks similar or shares the same struggle can be a transformative life moment. It allows individuals to not only feel that they are not alone in their experience, but that the actor’s or character’s achievements are within reach for them too. By depicting the hard of hearing and other communities in media, this also helps to facilitate a kinder, more understanding world by introducing the population to new cultures and other ways of life. Having representation makes it easier to embrace and celebrate our differences. Not only does proper representation give the opportunity to change the narrative, it inspires the courage to write your own story.

As a company dedicated to accessibility and inclusion, the InnoCaption team was honored to have the opportunity to meet John Autry II and were left truly inspired. Seeing John’s work it is hard to believe he had to work at his confidence, as he shines on and off the screen. What drives John most to push through boundaries and past fear is not his own aspirations, but to show children facing similar challenges that they can do it too and no dream is too big. During our team’s visit, we got the chance to ask John about his experiences with accessibility on set as an actor. Some of the answers were surprising, and while people like John are making a positive impact, there is a lot of work still to be done.

Beyond being in front of the camera, Autry is also passionate about the writing and production processes. He hopes that by writing his own script, he can create empowered deaf and hard of hearing characters who inspire viewers to embrace what makes them different, without being defined by it. Deafness is a spectrum and Autry also wants to shed more light on what being hard of hearing is like for various people. Hard of hearing individuals experience deafness differently, and communication and accessibility are not one size fits all. We all have our own stories, and Autry is dedicated to giving voice to more of them. As a deaf actor, Autry knows firsthand the accessibility struggles that can be present on set. Working behind the scenes on his own projects and alongside others, Autry hopes to bring accessibility to each set and make acting more inclusive by providing captions, interpreters, and more resources.

Through his determination and kindness, John Autry II has reignited faith in others to confidently chase their dreams. A champion of positive change, we are sure John’s talents and efforts will make acting more accessible for other deaf and hard of hearing actors to continue making history. There is room for everyone on the stage of life, and no obstacle that cannot be overcome. Representation reminds us that all voices matter and every story is worth being told.