Emilio Insolera

Emilio Insolera is a Deaf actor, one of the few in international cinema who has built a culturally and linguistically diverse career. From independent beginnings to major studio productions, Insolera has consistently expanded the visibility of Deaf talent in film. He first gained global recognition for writing, producing, directing, and starring in Sign Gene (2017), a groundbreaking film that introduced Deaf superheroes using sign language as a source of power. What began as a bold independent vision evolved into a career that would take him to Hollywood productions and collaborations with some of the industry's most respected names. Emilio Insolera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian Deaf parents and grew up in a large Deaf family alongside his older brother. Raised between Argentina, Italy, and the United States, he developed a deeply multicultural identity from an early age. He is fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English, as well as American Sign Language (ASL), Italian Sign Language (LIS), and Argentine Sign Language (LSA). Later in life, he lived and worked in Japan, where he acquired basic Japanese language skills and proficiency in Japanese Sign Language (JSL). In addition to his signing abilities, Emilio is fluent in lipreading and speech-skills that have often been described as reminiscent of a real spy agent. After the success of Sign Gene, Insolera began attracting attention from major studios. In 2022, he joined the cast of Universal Pictures' spy thriller The 355 (2022), directed by Simon Kinberg, starring alongside Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Édgar Ramírez, and Sebastian Stan. The role marked a significant step forward for Deaf representation within mainstream action cinema. That same year, he lent his voice to Disney's Limbo (2022), further expanding his artistic range. Beyond acting, Emilio has contributed behind the scenes as well. He worked as an ASL consultant on Robert Salerno's thriller Here After (2024), ensuring authentic representation of sign language on screen. Most recently, he collaborated with Ridley Scott on 20th Century Studios' The Dog Stars (2026) and starred as one of the lead characters in Netflix's Non abbiam bisogno di parole (2026), continuing to bridge Deaf and hearing audiences through international storytelling. In addition to his achievements on screen, Insolera is deeply committed to humanitarian and cultural causes. He founded the DMDb (Deaf Movie Database), the world's first and only database dedicated to Deaf cinema and Deaf professionals in the film industry. Through this initiative, he continues to advocate for visibility, accessibility, and equal opportunities for Deaf creators worldwide. From pioneering Deaf superheroes to collaborating on major international productions, Emilio Insolera's career reflects not only artistic innovation but also a lasting commitment to empowering the global Deaf community.