Model, actor, and activist Nyle DiMarco, born in Queens, New York City, USA, has been breaking down barriers and winning over audiences since he burst onto the scene in 2014. As a fan favorite on cycle 22 of “America’s Next Top Model,” DiMarco became the second male winner and first Deaf contestant on the hit CW series.
In 2016, DiMarco won season 22 of ABC’s dance competition “Dancing with the Stars.” With the guidance of professional partner Peta Murgatroyd, he became the first deaf contestant to take home the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy. Following his DWTS win, DiMarco jumped back in front of the camera, expanding his acting credits with a role on Hulu’s “Difficult People” starring opposite Billy Eichner and John Early. Previously, he recurred as “Garrett Banducci” on “Switched at Birth” for Freeform, and has a recurring role on Sundance TV’s “This Close.”
DiMarco became a producing member of the 2018 Broadway revival of Mark Medoff’s groundbreaking play “Children of a Lesser God.” The show, which opened April 11th at Studio 54, was directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon (“A Raisin in the Sun,” “Fences”) and stars Joshua Jackson (“The Affair”), Lauren Ridloff (“Wonderstruck”), and Anthony Edwards (ER). This was DiMarco’s first producing credit, bringing a unique perspective as a Deaf artist and invaluable insight to telling such a meaningful story.
Activism and philanthropy play extremely large roles in DiMarco’s life. He has quickly become the face of not only the Deaf community but disabled people worldwide. As the founder of The Nyle DiMarco Foundation, he works tirelessly on bilingual education initiatives and aims to improve access to accurate information about early language acquisition. DiMarco is an inspiration to many and speaks all over the world, spreading the word of inclusion and acceptance. He recently spoke to a room of influencers at the NGLCC about the Deaf community and the work that The Nyle DiMarco Foundation is doing. He is also an ally and influencer with the United Nations, further propelling his advocacy and tackling both education and accessibility under their 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
