Oscars 2021: Sound of Metal star Paul Raci is praised for using sign language on red carpet

Paul Raci has been heaped with praise by fans for signing while he spoke on the red carpet at the 2021 Academy Awards on Sunday night.

The actor, 73, was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his turn as Joe in Sound of Metal, which sees him play the head of a shelter for deaf recovering addicts and use sign language throughout the film.

While speaking to E!, Paul simultaneously signed as he said of director Darius Marder: ‘He worked on it for 14 years, he vetted it with deaf people all across the country, and still had a learning curve as we started filming it, having three deaf advisers on the set to get it right. 

‘The deaf community has a saying, nothing about us without us, so I think he was very inclusive in that way, that’s what he did right.’

Paul added that he was impressed with Darius for ‘showing deaf people in a deaf sober house of all things’ on screen.

The actor is the hearing son of deaf parents and was raised to be fluent in American Sign Language.

Sound of Metal follows metal drummer Ruben (Riz Ahmed), and his struggle after losing his hearing and joins Joe’s shelter. 

Paul lost out to Daniel Kaluuya, who won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role prize for his work on Judas And The Black Messiah, he also beat co-star Lakeith Stanfield, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Leslie Odom, Jr. 

Fans were impressed with the actor for signing during his interviews, praising him for the ‘undramatic’ way he did so.

One person wrote: ‘Paul Raci signing his red carpet interview is EVERYTHING. What a dude.’

Another fan gushed: ‘#paulraci effortlessly and un-dramatically signing on the Red Carpet was beyond cool’

While one person added: ‘Paul Raci signing (ASL) as he’s speaking is so dope… and the black nail polish is such a rockstar touch to his look.’