Katie Leclerc is a actress and producer best known for roles in Switched at Birth and The Big Bang Theory.
She was born in San Antonio, Texas, on November 6, 1986 and raised in Lakewood, Colorado, as the youngest of three siblings.
Regrettably, Lecrlec was bullied as a teenager and her family would eventually relocate to San Diego, California, in response to the bullying.
Leclerc also has Ménière’s disease, which affects the inner ear and can result in vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss, among other symptoms.
Ménière’s disease ran in her family, as her father and an older sister have it. As such, Katie Leclerc learned American Sign Language before her diagnosis.
The relocation to San Diego also put Leclerc in the right place to pursue acting as a career.
Acting Career
Leclerc became interested in acting as a potential career in seventh grade. She was cast as the lead in a production of Annie. From there, she pursued theatre at Valley Center High School and found work in television commercials.
Her first television acting job would come in 2005 when she appeared in an episode of the cult show Veronica Mars. She appeared in an episode titled “Silence of the Lamb,” which shared plot elements with a future project she would be known for, Switched at Birth.
Like many actors, her early career was filled with more minor roles in television series and films. For example, in 2006, she appeared in four episodes of the television series Fashion House.
She would play a character named Sara. Except for those four episodes, however, most of her appearances were single-episode appearances or minor film roles.
For example, she appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in a 2012 episode and a 2014 episode of Community.
The Big Bang Theory
One of Katie Leclerc’s most notable roles was a pair of appearances in The Big Bang Theory. She would first appear as the character Emily, in the season 5 episode, The Wiggly Finger Catalyst.
Her character would be introduced as a deaf love interest for Raj, although it would later be revealed that she is a gold digger who only wanted to be showered with gifts.
Her character Emily would return in 2017 for the season 11 episode, The Emotion Detection Automation, where Raj reunites with previous ex-girlfriends.
Coincidentally, she would be one of three actresses on The Big Bang Theory that played the love interests of Raj, who also would appear in the series Switched At Birth. These actresses included Laura Spencer and Tania Raymonde.
Switched At Birth
Switch At Birth was the other series for which Katie Leclerc is most notable. The show began in 2011 and ran until 2017 on ABC Family.
The series follows the lives of two children who were switched at birth and their reactions to the revelation of this truth. The show was well-liked and would win a Peabody award. Leclerc would play Daphne.
Is Katie Leclerc deaf in real life?
While Katie Leclerc is not deaf, she has a hearing disability and has gone to great lengths to accurately portray the lives of those who are deaf in various shows she has been in. As for deaf audiences, they have responded positively to her work.
What is Katie Leclerc doing now?
Katie Leclerc is still very active as an actress and has several films on the way, including Mesmerized, Sentinel, and The Ones.
She is also a podcaster, working with actor Brett Davern on The Brett Davern Show.
Personal Life
Katie Leclerc was married to Brian Habecost from September 2014 to July 2017. However, they would divorce. Habecost was a real estate salesman. It is unknown if she is currently in a relationship.
She is also very active on social media and can be found on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.