Accused

After a young woman suffers a brutal rape in a bar one night, a prosecutor assists in bringing the perpetrators to justice, including the ones who encouraged and cheered on the attack.

“How do you respond when the great Howard Gordon (Homeland, 24) says, ‘We’ve a role for you,’ then describes the character as, ‘A mess who makes terrible decisions with men and is not a funny comedian…?’” So asks comedian Whitney Cummings of the packed theater in West Hollywood at the THR Live event, pausing with perfect timing so the audience’s laughter won’t drown out her next words. The circumstances faced by her character on Fox’s Accused moved the women’s activist deeply.

Golden Globe and Oscar Winner Marlee Matlin made her directorial debut with an episode on Fox’s Accused, which aired earlier this year. At the London Hotel in West Hollywood, the actress addressed some of the myths about directing hearing actors; what surprised her about being behind the camera despite her years in front of one as an actress; and why, although she is tired of talking about being deaf, she continues to do so.