Marlee Matlin is an American actress best known for her role as 'Alice Pieszecki' in the Showtime drama series The L Word. She is the only deaf performer to win an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, which she won for her performance in Children of a Lesser God (1986). Matlin has also appeared in numerous television shows and films, including Walker, Texas Ranger, Seinfeld, and Desperate Housewives.