Troy Kotsur’s stolen Oscar–and Jeep–returned

Troy Kotsur’s feel-good Best Supporting Actor win was one of the most notable moments at the 94th Academy Awards, becoming just the second deaf actor to win the statue (after Marlee Matlin, who co-stars in CODA). But Oscar himself has had a little fun, too, being taken for a brief joy ride recently.

Over the weekend, Kotsur’s Jeep was stolen by two juveniles–with the Oscar inside. Why it was in his car five months after winning is a mystery. Maybe he dressed him in a hula skirt and displayed him on the dashboard? Maybe Oscar was his co-pilot? According to Entertainment Weekly, the incident occurred while Kotsur was visiting his hometown of Mesa, AZ, to receive the key to the city.

Fortunately, the Jeep and the Oscar were both returned, both with a few more miles on them than intended. While winning the award likely meant more, it must have been a sweet relief when police recovered the award. Interestingly, Kotsur’s father once served as Mesa’s police chief.

Kotsur’s performance as a struggling Massachusetts fisherman was one of the most praised of 2021. He might consider himself lucky that any of the slew of awards he won–a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild and an Independent Spirit Award among them–weren’t also in jeopardy.

Kotsur joins other notable Oscar winners who have lost their little gold guy. But unlike Kotsur, the likes of Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges and Angelina Jolie haven’t seen their statues in years.

Kotsur will next appear in Flash Before the Bang, a true story about an all-deaf track team in Oregon. The