Lauren Ridloff

Tony award-nominated actress and Hunter College alumna Lauren Ridloff holds the distinction of being the first Deaf superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although performing had been a passion, it had not been her career plan. Having graduated from Hunter’s School of Education in 2005, she intended to write children’s books and teach in a classroom. Ridloff’s acting career didn’t begin until more than a decade later, when a series of small roles and a job as a sign language consultant led to an unexpected leading role on the 2018 Broadway production of Children of a Lesser God—earning her a Tony Award nomination.

From there, Ridloff was cast in the ninth season of The Walking Dead, followed by her role as Makkari in the Marvel superhero film Eternals. Ridloff returned to Hunter in 2021 for a “Hunter@Home” public program discussion with another Hunter graduate, Garrett Zuercher (MFA 2022). During the discussion she credited her ability to perform on a stage with the years she spent as a classroom teacher. “My work as a teacher truly helped me prepare for my acting career,” Ridloff said.