Troy Kotsur dives into the mob world for Netflix’s Black Rabbit

Troy Kotsur reveals how he prepared to play Joe Mancuso, a mobster in Netflix's Black Rabbit, drawing on stories from the deaf community. The eight-episode crime drama stars Jude Law as a restaurateur drawn into illegal schemes when his brother, played by Jason Bateman, returns to town. The New York premiere took place Sept. 16, 2025, giving fans their first full look at Kotsur’s new persona.

Kotsur explained that the role required him to inhabit a villain who happens to be deaf. He said much of his preparation drew from historical threads within the deaf community, including accounts from the 1960s and 1970s when unemployment among deaf people was widespread before the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those stories, he noted, highlighted circumstances that sometimes pushed people toward the black market as a means of survival. He added that many hearing people remain unaware of that history, a gap he sought to bridge in the performance. The ADA, enacted in 1990, prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and ensures access to relay services for communication.

Kotsur, whose breakthrough came with his Oscar-winning performance in CODA in 2022, is the first deaf man to win an Academy Award for acting. He is also the second deaf actor to win an Oscar, following Marlee Matlin, who played his wife in CODA. The actor stressed that the real-world life of the criminal underworld remains far from his own experiences, joking that he has never dealt with bookies and credits his wife for keeping him grounded amid the spectacle.

The series brings together a star-studded cast, with Law portraying a restaurateur forced into darker work and Bateman playing the brother who triggers the drama. Kotsur noted the challenge and fun of taking on a villainous role who communicates without relying on the conventional sign of power, underscoring the character's depth rather than his menace. All eight episodes are available to stream on Netflix.

Kotsur spoke about the importance of representation in mainstream storytelling. He said his performance aims to show that deaf actors can carry complex, morally gray roles in major crime dramas, a point he hopes will encourage more diverse casting and more nuanced portrayals of deaf characters on screen.

The premiere also highlighted the ongoing collaboration between streaming platforms and performers who bring authentic experience to complex characters. As Black Rabbit lands on Netflix, it adds to a growing slate of projects that center deaf actors in high-profile roles, reflecting broader conversations about inclusion in entertainment. Kotsur’s preparation process and his willingness to lean into historical context offer a window into a performance that sits at the intersection of culture, representation and crime drama, a hallmark of contemporary entertainment coverage in Culture & Entertainment.