Daphne Vasquez is having a very intriguing storyline this season on Switched at Birth, and actress Katie Leclerc was willing to share the inside scoop. Through a conference call, TV Equals was able to learn more about the challenges of playing Daphne, Daphne’s slightly risque relationship and more.
Daphne’s love life
Leclerc said she was glad to share screentime with Justin Bruening, who plays Daphne’s love interest, Chef Jeff.
“I couldn’t have been more happy to enjoy scenes with Justin Bruening. He’s an excellent actor,” she said. “He is such a doll and so much fun off screen, and it’s a little bit odd to go from talking about family and everyday life to making out with him, but I was excited for the opportunity to share some screen time with him.”
Leclerc said she was actually nervous about the storyline involving Daphne and Jeff, but was okay as long as the issues surrounding the relationship were explored. “…[T]his relationship could be considered promiscuous. So as the finale episode comes, there are some things that are exposed, and there are always repercussions,” she said.
Overall, Leclerc thinks Daphne is gung-ho about the relationship with Jeff. “I think Daphne has really high hopes for it. Daphne wants to continue,” she said. “Chef Jeff is kind of on the same page. So as long as no obstacles get in their way, I think they would be optimistic about it.”
Connecting communities
One aspect of playing Daphne that Leclerc loves is the ability to bring both the hearing and deaf communities together.
“I think…the part has this incredible opportunity to bring a deaf character into an audience’s home on a weekly basis. I think we have a tendency to be afraid of something we’re unfamiliar with, and the hearing world and the deaf world are so separate right now,” she said. “I think Switched at Birth does an incredible job of bridging the gap between the two worlds, and Daphne is this light embodiment of happiness and whatever obstacle gets thrown her way, she handles it with grace and tries to always do the right thing and…I’m really proud that Switched at Birth is a family show…we try to do the right thing, for the most part…It really is a dream come true.”
Daphne’s accent
Leclerc, who suffers from Meniere’s disease, is highly familiar with the deaf community. Because of her involvement, she had a rough idea of what Daphne’s accent would sound like. However it was “quite difficult” to master.
“I was lucky enough to learn sign language when I was in high school, so the sign language part was tucked under my belt and I was pretty confident there, but I went into the first audition without an accent,” she said. “We talked about putting an accent on and…I did a lot of research. I’ve been involved with the deaf community for many years and [I was] familiar with how it would perhaps sound. I watched a lot of documentaries and my sister…also has Meniere’s disease and she’s also an ESL teacher so she’s involved in the deaf culture for quite some time. We set down with an audiogram and mapped out Daphne’s specific hearing loss and sounds based on that hearing loss that she might be able to say or not say. A lot of sounds become ‘b’s and I made my family crazy because I always spoke in the accent and I had to get it perfect. I think it paid off.”
Representing the deaf community
“I think that in the past when we saw a deaf character in a mainstream way, it could be a one-off character like a one episode thing. Marlee Matlin [who plays Melody on Switched at Birth] paved the way for deaf audiences and actors in a lot of ways…And also that show [ Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye] years’ past,” said Leclerc when talking about how Hollywood represents the deaf community. “I think the actors who worked on Switched at Birth and the people who worked on Switched at Birth are really excited at the opportunity to really pave the way in showing the deaf community in a large way and I think Switched at Birth does it right. They do it with tact, the do it with honesty and they are really good about their facts. I think the deaf community is just really appreciative to have a show that represents them accurately and well.”
Fan reaction to Switched at Birth
Leclerc said the fan response to Switched at Birth was”Overwhelmingly positive.” “I knew that when I read the pilot of Switched that we had something special, but it has blossomed…I’m really proud of it,” she said. ”The fans are so appreciative and so positive. It’s just been really really cool to have Twitter for example, and stay connected with fans and I love seeing things on Twitter like, ‘My husband is deaf and because of switched at birth, I’ve learned some sign language and now I have a relationship with him.’ That is so cool to me. Or people who say, ‘Because of Switched at Birth, I want to master in sign language and get psychology so I can be a deaf psychologist or interpreter or ESL teacher.’ We are opening people’s eyes in a large way and it’s really cool. ”
Switched at Birth airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC Family.
