Foundation Season 3: Troy Kotsur expands disability representation through sign language

With Foundation returning for season 3, it welcomes a new force of nature: Troy Kotsur. As Preem Palver, Kotsur appears with a presence that feels entirely visual and magnetic. His character communicates in American Sign Language (ASL), turning each moment into an intimate and mesmerizing exchange.

Viewers who embrace every gesture and every subtle movement discover layers of meaning beyond spoken words. Each flicker of his fingers and each expression on his face reveals a deeper story waiting to be felt rather than merely heard.

Gaal Dornick actress Lou Llobell described the experience as transformative:

“I learnt how to sign for the show … Troy is incredible. It was such a different experience.”

She also called their shared moments “some of my favorite scenes,” highlighting the emotional power of ASL woven into the narrative.

Kotsur’s performance redefines communication onscreen. His presence celebrates movement, presence, and a pure form of human connection.

A new emotional language on screen

Troy Kotsur brings emotional depth to Foundation through visual storytelling. Every scene with Preem Palver feels like entering a different sensory realm. His mastery of ASL shapes interactions into something tactile and immediate, creating energy that grows from each gesture.

The production shaped a new rhythm and vulnerability. Responding to visual cues rather than spoken dialogue amplifies authenticity and emotional resonance, carried through hands, eyes, and facial expression.

This cinematic choice transforms the series into an experience where communication lives and breathes. Emotional peaks come from presence as much as movement, creating intimacy that enriches the narrative.

Troy Kotsur’s journey and legacy

Troy Kotsur carries decades of storytelling through movement. He honed his craft at Deaf West Theater and became a performer whose richness expands beyond any label.

His early education in ASL opened doors to explore every creative possibility. In his words:

“I am fully aware that almost everything coming from my heart and my mind will be fully communicated with my hands.”

He often shared that sign language gave him access to reading, writing, and all subjects in school, shaping his entire path.

His Oscar-winning turn in CODA set a milestone for authentic casting. Kotsur described that moment as a blessing, a feeling of dust lifting from his shoulders, and a chance to inspire young deaf children everywhere.

“I really wanted to show that we have diversity and that we are talented deaf actors. We are actors who just happen to be deaf.”

His faith in authentic representation fueled each step of his career.

He also shared,

“There’s a lot of great benefits to learning sign language… As Deaf people, we communicate visually. I hope that we can start to bridge the gap and collaborate and work together.”

His dream remains vivid:

“I dream of a world in which all people sign.”

Centering authentic representation

Troy Kotsur stands as an advocate for authentic representation in every sense. His work proves that deaf characters hold the same complexity, humor, love, and pain as any other. He insists that true presence on screen emerges from lived experience rather than imitation.

ASL becomes a shared space that invites viewers to feel new dimensions of expression. His belief in “bridging the gap” echoes a commitment to collaboration and cultural exchange.

Kotsur embodies “nothing about us without us,” encouraging full inclusion of deaf professionals at every stage of production. Foundation season 3 honors this principle, placing visual language at its center and inviting audiences to connect on a deeper level.

A cultural shift beyond Foundation

Troy Kotsur’s role in Foundation season 3 highlights a larger shift in global storytelling. The rise of authentic deaf characters shows an industry ready to celebrate language, movement, and embodied emotion.

ASL gains presence in classrooms and public life, encouraging new generations to appreciate deaf culture. Stories like CODA, Echo, and Foundation resonate because they honor truth and authenticity.

Watching this season becomes an act of full engagement. Each sign and each movement invites us to participate with openness and curiosity. Foundation season 3 celebrates stories created with care and integrity, showing that true representation strengthens every layer of connection.

Final takeaway

Foundation season 3 proves that every story shines brighter when told with care for all its human layers. Troy Kotsur embodies this vision through each sign and each glance. His work invites viewers to feel every moment fully and to embrace new ways of understanding each other.

His presence suggests a future where stories center human connection in every form. Audiences see language as movement, emotion as energy, and silence as a powerful narrative space. By embracing ASL and authentic representation, Foundation opens doors for more layered and inclusive storytelling across the industry.

This season stands as an invitation to experience stories beyond sound, to see communication as a dance of hands and expressions that carry entire worlds. Watching Kotsur on screen becomes a reminder that true storytelling lives in every detail of the body and spirit, and that every viewer can share this deeper, universal language.