Exclusive: Emilia Jones talks CODA and singing and signing together
Coming out this week on Apple TV+ is CODA, written and directed by Siân Heder and starring Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez, Troy Kotsur, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Daniel Durant, Amy Forsyth and Kevin Chapman.
Seventeen-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family – a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family's struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant). But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.
Written and directed by Siân Heder, “CODA” was presented in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and became the first film to be honored with an unprecedented four awards at the festival: the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, the Directing Award, the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize. “CODA” is produced by Vendome Pictures and Pathé.
BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales spoke with Emilia Jones about her role and the challenges of singing and signing at the same time. Jones is best known for playing Kinsey Locke in the Netflix series Locke & Key. She has also had roles in Doctor Who and several theatrical productions in the West End in London.