Katherine Langford (born 29 April 1996) is an Australian actress. She is best known for playing Hannah Baker in the 2017 Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, based on the novel of the same title.
Katherine Langford was born in Perth, Australia. Raised in Applecross, a riverside suburb of Perth, Langford is the daughter of Dr. Stephen Langford, director of medical services at the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and Elizabeth Langford. She began voice lessons in 2005, and received classical, jazz, and contemporary vocal training. She attended Penrhos College for her primary years and then moved to Perth Modern School, a public school for the gifted located in Subiaco, Western Australia, where she was a nationally ranked swimmer. Early on in her high school career, Langford was interested in medicine and politics, in addition to musical theater. However, in 2012, when Langford was 16, she attended Lady Gaga's concert, the Born This Way Ball, which inspired her to learn how to play the piano and quit the swim team. For her final year at Perth Modern, Langford stopped swimming and switched her focus to music and performance. Langford appeared in the school's production of Hotel Sorrento in 2013 and graduated in 2014, before going on to achieve a diploma of musical theater at Principal Academy.