Acting
Shoshannah Stern
Born 1980-07-03 · Walnut Creek, California, USA
Shoshannah Stern is an American actress and writer. She was born in Walnut Creek, California, into an observant Jewish and fourth-generation deaf family, the daughter of Ron Stern and Hedy Marilyn Stern (née Udkovich), and the sister of writer and artist Louise Stern and former Gallaudet Men's Basketball Coach and current political scientist Brendan Stern. Both of her grandmothers are Holocaust survivors. Her hometown is Fremont, California, where she attended the California School for the Deaf, Fremont. Stern's first language is American Sign Language. She is also able to read lips and speak English without an interpreter. She attended Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts college for the deaf in the world. She married her husband, Ricky Mitchell, on June 3, 2012, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their daughter was born in February 2015. She currently resides with him in Hollywood, California. Stern got her first regular series role as Holly Brodeen, a member of an elite government anti-terrorist task force in ABC's Threat Matrix. The role was created for her by the show's producers after a director who had worked with her on The Division recommended her. She had a recurring role as Megan Beals-Botwin in Showtime's Weeds and was also on ER, Providence, and Cold Case. She played Bonnie Richmond in the CBS post-apocalyptic drama Jericho, Eileen Leahy on the CW show Supernatural, and had a recurring role in Fox's Lie to Me. Her 2020 role on Grey's Anatomy is the first recurring deaf doctor role on a prime time television network show. In 2025, Stern made her directorial debut with Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, a documentary revolving around actress Marlee Matlin, which will have its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Acting credits
7.3Two crabs embark on an epic journey to get home after a storm sweeps them away. Their courage soon unites their families, paving the way for great summers to come.
Under the Boardwalk
2023
5.7A movie director-screenwriter finds a man to finance his latest project but soon discovers that the producer is actually an undercover FBI agent working on a mob sting operation.
The Last Shot
2004
4.3A complicated New York City family as they discover on one extraordinary day that although life-and family-can sometimes shock you - it can also lead to miraculous new places.
The Magnificent Meyersons
2023
4.6At an absurdly self-indulgent student film festival, the directors of the (mostly terrible) short films start getting killed off one by one and a budding British documentary filmmaker decides to investigate.
The Auteur Theory
1999
A telepathic intelligence operative is interrogated by her handler for connecting with the minds of unsanctioned targets.
Voices
2021
6.8A coming of age drama following the life of Matt Hamill, the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Wrestling Championship.
The Hammer
2010
4.9In his quest to become the world's greatest air-drummer, a small-town dreamer must overcome obstacles and ridicule to save the day.
Adventures of Power
2008
7.0This inspirational documentary follows four deaf entertainers: a comic, drummer, actor and a singer as they attempt to cross over to mainstream audiences. These uniquely talented entertainers overcome great challenges to celebrate success.
See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary
2010
Behind the camera
7.3In 1987, Marlee Matlin became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award and was thrust into the spotlight at 21 years old. Reflecting on her life in her primary language of American Sign Language, Marlee explores the complexities of what it means to be a trailblazer.
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
2025
7.3In 1987, Marlee Matlin became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award and was thrust into the spotlight at 21 years old. Reflecting on her life in her primary language of American Sign Language, Marlee explores the complexities of what it means to be a trailblazer.
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore
2025