Katie Leclerc was born on November 6, 1986, in San Antonio, Texas. She was raised in Lakewood, Colorado. At the age of 20, she was diagnosed with Ménière’s disease, an inner ear disorder that affects hearing and balance. This condition is hereditary; her father also suffers from it.
Leclerc began her acting career with roles in television commercials for Pepsi, Cingular, and Comcast. She then moved into television, appearing in guest roles on shows like Veronica Mars, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, and Fashion House. Her early work also included independent films.
Leclerc achieved significant recognition for her lead role as Daphne Vasquez in the ABC Family (now Freeform) series Switched at Birth. The show, which premiered in 2011, explored themes of identity, family, and disability. Leclerc’s portrayal of a deaf teenager who was switched at birth with a hearing teenager garnered critical acclaim and a large fan base. The series ran for five seasons, concluding in 2017.
Beyond Switched at Birth, Leclerc has continued to work in television. She has appeared in episodes of shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Big Bang Theory, and Confess. She also starred in the Hallmark Channel movie Holiday Breakup.