Like Nicolas Cage, Wesley Snipes and so many famous folks before her, Marlee Matlin has felt the vindictive financial sting of the Internal Revenue Service.
The former "West Wing" actress and "Dancing With the Stars" contestant tells People magazine that she's been hit with a $50,000 bill by Uncle Sam over her 2009 taxes — and the financial burden is forcing her and her family to downgrade their already modest lifestyle.
According to Matlin — who's working out a deal with the government to repay the debt — she and her husband, a Los Angeles-area policeman, have put their home up for sale, in hopes of finding a new location where they can place their children in a good public school, rather than the private institution they're currently attending.
Matlin denies that she and her family have been living beyond her means, instead asserting that the touch-and-go nature of acting has contributed to her current situation. (Matlin's most recent TV gig was a guest spot on a "CSI" episode; prior to that, she had a role on "The L Word'" from 2007-2009.)
"Living modestly in a suburban neighborhood while trying to support four children through private school is not extravagant or living large," Matlin said.
The actress remains upbeat about her situation, however, and says that the circumstances she's facing aren't unique.
"It doesn't mean I'm a bad person," Matlin said. "It's reality. It's the reality that a lot of people in America are facing."
