Gary Busey - Marlee Matlin Aids Gary Busey's Deafness

The deaf star could tell there was something wrong with Busey when they first met and it didn't take her long to realise what it was.

She explains, "My interpreter kept signing that someone kept yelling, 'What? What?'... It took me five seconds to realise he must be partially deaf. I've seen it too many times not to figure it out just like that."

Busey, who is famous for his eccentric behaviour and his mumbling, was happy to let Matlin's hearing experts check out his ears.

He says, "(The doctor) told me I was only using 40 per cent of my ear canals. He fit me with a hearing aid I can actually plug into my iPod. Things are much better now."