Daniel Durant

Daniel N. Durant (born December 24, 1989) is an American stage and screen actor. Deaf since birth, his breakthrough starring role was as Moritz Stiefel in the 2015 Broadway revival of Spring Awakening. Durant had a major supporting role in the Academy Award-winning film CODA. He and the cast won the Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, along with the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards. On television, he is known for his recurring role in the ABC Family series Switched at Birth (2013–2017).

Early life Durant was born deaf in Detroit, Michigan to deaf parents who struggled with addiction; he was adopted as a toddler by his paternal aunt Lori Durant and later her wife Mary Engels. He grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. He attended the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in Faribault and graduated in 2008. He studied at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York, receiving an associate degree in applied computer technology in 2011. He subsequently attended Gallaudet University, earning a degree in 2014.

He joined the Deaf West Theatre in 2012 for its production of Cyrano de Bergerac.

Career On September 8, 2022, Durant was announced as a contestant on season 31 of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with Britt Stewart. They reached the semifinals and finished in fifth place. Durant performed the National Anthem in ASL at Super Bowl LVIII.

Durant was cast in the October 2024 "ASL-infused" revival of American Idiot, presented by Centre Theatre Group and Deaf West Theater, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of Green Day's original album release.

Personal life Durant entered a romantic relationship with his Dancing with the Stars partner Britt Stewart in November 2022, shortly after his stint on the competition series ended. In order to communicate with him, Stewart made the decision to learn ASL. They got engaged on Christmas Eve 2023 during a hike in Lake Arrowhead, California. Durant and Stewart were married on August 23, 2025, in Santa Margarita, California. A number of their friends from the entertainment industry attended the ceremony, including Durant's CODA co-stars Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin. 2022 Dancing with the Stars Himself Contestant (Season 31) 2023 Florida Man Max 2023 Chicago Med Aiden Rogers Episode: "Look Closely and You Might Hear the Truth"

Theater

Awards and nominations