Katherine Langford (born 29 April 1996) is an Australian actress. She is known for playing Hannah Baker in the 2017 Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, based on the novel of the same name. Katherine Langford was born in Perth, Australia and was raised in Applecross, a riverside suburb of Perth. After graduating high school, Langford was determined to become an actor. However, she was rejected from every acting school she applied to, on the grounds she was too young and didn't have enough life experience. This lead her to begin enrolling in acting classes and workshops in Perth, juggled three part-time jobs, and later found herself an agent. In 2016, after declining the offer from WAAPA, Langford auditioned for Will, a TV series centered on the young life of William Shakespeare. She did not get the role, which was instead given to Olivia DeJonge. Langford auditioned for the role in 13 Reasons Why over Skype and had only 10 days to get an O-1 visa as she had not worked in the United States before. She has received critical acclaim for her portrayal of the American high school student Hannah Baker in 13 Reasons Why.
Langford will star in the upcoming 2018 adaptation of the coming-of-age novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli, as Leah. Langford researched the role, speaking with a representative of the sexual assault awareness campaign "It's On Us" and a psychiatrist who specializes in adolescence. She shared video of her singing three original songs she wrote: "I've Got a Crush on Zoe Bosch," "Young and Stupid," and "3 Words." She was then one of five selected to participate in the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) Advanced Actors Residency in 2015.