Alaqua Cox interviews ‘People’ about superhero role
Deaf Native American actress Alaqua Cox gave an interview with ‘People’ magazine about her superhero role in Disney+’s upcoming series, “Hawkeye.”
Cox will have the role of Maya Lopez / Echo. That means Cox is going to be the second deaf superhero to come out from Marvel in a month, with the first being Lauren Ridloff in “Eternals.”
Cox said in the interview that she had no acting experience and was working at Amazon a few years ago when her friends told her about a casting call from Disney+ that was looking for a Native American actress and a female deaf actress.
[Video clip from ‘People’ interview:]
Alaqua Cox: My family and friends encouraged me because the casting call said they were looking for a 20’s Native American, female, and deaf person, and they said it fit me perfectly. So I went ahead and applied. Three or four months later I got the role. It’s been a crazy ride.
Alex: She said her life changed because she went from being a college dropout and a factory worker to an actress working alongside Jeremy Renner.
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Alex: ‘People’ magazine explained that Cox grew up on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Wisconsin and that she has a prosthetic lower right leg.
3.3 [video clip from ‘People’ showing Alaqua Cox dead-lifting while wearing a prosthetic leg]
Alaqua Cox: Yes! Yes! I’m so ready because I have two disabilites and I’m also a person of color. I’m excited…
[Video clip showing Alaqua Cox posing in front of a wall with angel wings]
Cox: You know, so I’m excited to show them.
Alex: Cox said she wants to be a role model for others because she’s never seen anyone on the screen that looked like her. Here is a short video clip from the “Hawkeye” trailer.
[3.5 Video clip from “Hawkeye” trailer (see link in transcript for full video)]
Alex: Looks like a lot of action. Cox’s character, Echo, is able to imitate any skill or action from others just by observing them. “Hawkeye” premieres on Disney+ on November 24.
https://people.com/tv/how-hawkeye-star-alaqua-cox-became-next-big-marvel-hero/
https://www.instagram.com/alaquacox/
Hawkeye trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VYb3B1ETlk