Photo: David Livingston/Getty
Daniel Durantreceived some practical advice from hisCODAcostarMarlee Matlinbefore hitting the dance floor onDancing with the Stars.
Durant, 32, tells PEOPLE exclusively that he immediately texted his former costar — who competed on season 6 ofDWTS —after finding outhe was caston the Disney+ dance competition show.
“I let her know that I was inDancing with the Starsand she called me instantly, FaceTimed me … and she was like, ‘You have to take my advice. You need to go work out. You need to take secret dance classes, find whatever training you can get before you go,'” he says.
“I started doing everything,” he continues. “I took some dance classes. I worked out before I moved to L.A.”
Eric McCandless/ABC
Durant is the third Deaf person to compete onDWTSafter Matlin, 57, and modelNyle DiMarco, 33, whowon season 22. The actor says his former onscreen mom is “a Deaf queen in Hollywood” who has become “an advisor” to him.
“She looks at me like the next generation. I’m like her kid and she knows that,” he says. “She has faith in me and she knew I’d be successful. And I take all of that to heart and all of her advice and I’m happy.”
Duringlast week’sDWTSepisode, Durant’scheering sectionincluded Matlin and hisCODAdadTroy Kotsur.
“We’re still connected that way and [they’re] like my parents. Honestly, I feel like that’s my dad and that’s my mom,” he says. “So they were watching us in the audience and it was brilliant, but it was also a big deal because they were the only two Deaf people who have Oscars in the world and they’re sitting right there in the audience for me.”
ABC/Christopher Willard
Durant says the trio shared an emotional moment following his performance that brought Kotsur, 54, to tears.
“It’s nice because we’re Deaf, so I’m on the balcony … and I can have full conversations with Marlee and Troy during the show that we were signing to each other,” he explains. “And Troy was like, ‘Man, you made me cry when you started dancing.’ Troy was touched and Troy started crying.”
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In addition to support from Matlin and Kotsur, Durant also attributes his success so far to dance proBritt Stewart, 33, who is learning sign language as part of their partnership.
“She’s so friendly and she’s ready to work with me from that first day. And she started teaching me her dance and I started teaching her sign language right away,” he says of their partnership. “And I’m not joking, after maybe two weeks we communicate with ourselves.”
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Dancing with the Starsairs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Disney+.
source: people.com
