According to the co-screenwriters of John Krasinski’s horror thriller A Quiet Place, the actor/director insisted on hiring a deaf woman in a major part in the picture. A Quiet Place is making a lot of noise in its debut weekend at the domestic box office, earning $19 million on its route to a $46 million opening in its first three days. As the film’s attention switches to moviegoers, it has already won over critics, with a 97 percent “fresh” rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes.

Millicent Simmonds (Wonderstruck) gives a strong performance as a member of a family attempting to survive in complete silence. In real life, the actress is deaf, just like her character Regan Abbott.

“We always had a deaf character in the script, but John really pushed for them to hire Millicent,” screenwriter Scott Beck told The Hollywood Reporter. “She came to set and taught everyone sign language. It was really amazing and brought an extra depth to the film.”

Simmonds, who lost her hearing as a newborn, is a passionate advocate for the deaf community.

“I don’t know that hearing people have ever felt that experience of truly being left out,” Simmonds told People via interpreter Lynette Taylor. “They have easy communication, while deaf people can’t join in. It takes more time to communicate with us.”

Blind, sound-hunting creatures compel the Abbott family to live in complete silence in the world of “A Quiet Place.” The parents, played by real-life couple Krasinski and Emily Blunt, strive to keep their son and daughter safe from these creatures while simultaneously preparing for the birth of another kid, which they must accomplish in silence!

Simmonds was unquestionably a vital addition to the ensemble, and Krasinski should be applauded for working hard to get her role in the picture. In addition to adding realism to the film – which not only uses signing throughout (and subtitles) also makes her character’s deafness a significant aspect of the story — the actress’s involvement calls attention to the hardships of the deaf, even in a world that is at its safest without sound.

Beck collaborated on the script with longtime buddy Bryan Woods, and the two are co-writers alongside Krasinski.

“The kernel of the idea came to us when we were in college. We were making microbudget films and studying film history,” recalls Woods, who has been best friends with Beck since sixth grade. “We fell in love with Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and all the things that can be accomplished without sound. We wanted to do a modern-day silent film that lived in the suspense genre.”

Since Krasinski, Beck, and Woods created a meaningful and original storyline with A Quiet Place – which gave a gifted actress like Simmonds a chance to shine – perhaps Hollywood will take a closer look at creating films that will incorporate more deaf performers, as well as more scripts with deafness narratives. It’s been far too long since Oscar-winning deaf actress Marlee Matlin delivered her moving act in Children of a Lesser God, and perhaps Simmonds’ part in A Quiet Place will serve as a wake-up call for the entertainment industry.