Katie Leclerc

Katie Lynn Leclerc (born November 6, 1986) is an American actress. She has appeared on several television series, including Veronica Mars and Fashion House. In 2011, she received a lead role on the show Switched at Birth, starring as Daphne Vasquez, a poor deaf girl who's biological parents are wealthy.

Personal life
Katie Leclerc was born in San Antonio, Texas and grew up in Lakewood, Colorado. She is the youngest of three siblings in a close-knit family. She is hard-of-hearing and at age 20 was diagnosed as having Ménière's disease, a degenerative inner ear dick disorder whose symptoms include fluctuating hearing loss and vertigo; both her father and older sister have Ménière's disease as well. Although she is hard of hearing, she is able to use speech.

Career
Katie Leclerc discovered her passion for acting in grade school when she got the lead role in a production of Annie. When she moved to San Diego, Katie continued to pursue theatre at Valley Center High. She took part in commercials for Pepsi, Cingular, Comcast, and GE. In 2006, she was in the Rascal Flatts video "What Hurts the Most" as a student in the classroom. She started her television career when she guest-starred on Veronica Mars. Since, she has acted in many other television shows. Her first main actress role was in the show Switched at Birth, where she plays Daphne Vasquez, a girl who is deaf and was given to the wrong family at the hospital after she was born. In 2011, she appeared as a girlfriend of Rajesh Koothrappali on The Big Bang Theory.

Filmography
Film: Television:
 * Gravy Train (2006) as Lydia Fayle
 * Flying By (2009) as Ally
 * The Inner Circle (2009) as Claire
 * Seven Lanterns (2011) as Rachel Hawthorne
 * The Ones (2011) as Katie
 * Veronica Mars (2005) as Crystal (Episode: "Silence of the Lamb")
 * Fashion House (2006) as Sara (4 episodes)
 * The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show (2007) as Tokersville Queen (Episode: "Salute to America)
 * Saints & Sinners (2007) as Bride (Episode: "Dance, Dance Revolution")
 * The Riches (2008) as Teen Girl (Episode: Friday Night Lights)
 * The Ex List (2008) as Mila (Episode: Protect and Serve)
 * The Hard Times of RJ Berger (2010) Deaf Girl (Episode: Lily Pad)
 * Switched at Birth (2011) as Daphne Vasquez (Main Character)
 * The Big Bang Theory (2011) as Emily (Episode: "The Wiggly Finger Catalyst")