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Megan Clancy    

Deaf Actress, Journalist, Writer & Scientist

Megan Clancy, originally from Boston, is an actress who is fluent in ASL. She was born Deaf into a hearing family and grew up around hearing people and interacted with them by lip-reading and speaking other than sign language. However, she first learned American Sign Language (ASL) at the age of 12 in middle school. She really loved the visual aspect of this unique language.

Growing up, she had a strong passion for journalism, medicine, and acting. She would write articles for her school newspaper at Newton North High School, which is right outside of Boston. In fact, her article was an honorable mention in the Boston Herald. She was featured in the Boston Globe about her high school experience as a Deaf person. She became involved with Gallaudet University’s Youth Scholars Program (YSP) in D.C., where she took acting classes and played a role in the program’s stage production.

Clancy then got two science degrees in science—a B.A. in biology from Gallaudet University in D.C. and an M.S. in genetics from Medical College of Virginia (MCV), which is part of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. While at Gallaudet, she was listed under Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. She graduated summa cum laude at Gallaudet. Then, she became one of the first Deaf women who graduated with a Master’s degree in genetics at MCV. She did a lot of medical literature and laboratory research with various institutions throughout the U.S., including from Boston in genetics, including Gallaudet Research Institute, the Floating Hospital for Children as part of Tufts Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, and the University of California Irvine (UCI), and Massachusetts General Hospital for Children with Harvard Medical School.

Then Clancy moved out of medicine to focus on journalism where it took her to work overseas in Europe, Asia, and also back at Gallaudet University as a photographer and writer for their publications. It was her cochlear implants that brought her to Los Angeles to the House Ear Institute since they were running a project that focused on prelingually deafened adults who are cochlear implant recipients. From that connection, she was invited as a guest on the "Rob Nelson Show" in 2002. That experience inspired Clancy to enter the film/television industry since she realized that her position had a strong impact on hearing parents of Deaf children.

Since arriving in Los Angeles, Clancy has been featured on Amazon Prime, cable TV, national commercials, PSAs, short films, industrial projects, and independent films.

Speech Topics


  • Genetics of deafness
  • American Sign Language (ASL)
  • Cochlear implants
  • Learning how to hear with cochlear implants as a young adult
  • Breaking into Hollywood as a Deaf actress
  • Disability Advocacy
  • Experiences living in South Korea

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