LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Hearing impaired U.S. actress Marlee Matlin said she plans to use her innate rhythm and powerful digital hearing aids to compete on "Dancing with the Stars."
"So much will depend on me being in synch with my partner with my eyes, with my arms, with my legs," Matlin told People.com. "Plus ... sign language has given me an internal metronome. ... My partner, Fabian Sanchez, is Latin. And as anyone can tell you, Latins speak with their hands, their bodies. He's great."
Matlin said she is using a combination of lip reading, signing and an interpreter to communicate with Sanchez and learn the steps.
The actress -- who won a best actress Oscar in 1986 for "Children of a Lesser God," and who had a recurring role on TV's "The West Wing" -- said her 12-year-old daughter "screamed when she found out" Matlin was going to be on "Dancing with the Stars."
"I'm really doing it for my kids because they want me to be the coolest mom ever," she told People.com. "I don't know if I'm crazy or what, but I'm going to give it my best shot!"
