| Daniel Durant | |
| Birth Date: | 24 December 1989 |
| Birth Place: | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | Gallaudet University |
| Years Active: | 2012–present |
| Occupation: | Actor |
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 (2021). 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.[1] On television, he is known for his recurring role in the ABC Family series Switched at Birth (2013–2017).[2] [3]
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.[4] He attended the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf in Faribault and graduated in 2008.[5] 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.[6] He subsequently attended Gallaudet University, earning a degree in 2014.[7]
He joined the Deaf West Theatre in 2012 for its production of Cyrano de Bergerac.[8]
On September 8, 2022, Durant was announced as a contestant on season 31 of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with Britt Stewart.[9] They reached the semifinals and finished in fifth place.[10] Durant performed the National Anthem in ASL at Super Bowl LVIII.[11]
Durant was cast 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.[12]
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.[13] In order to communicate with him, Stewart made the decision to learn ASL.[14] They got engaged on Christmas Eve 2023 during a hike in Lake Arrowhead, California.[15] Durant and Stewart were married on August 23, 2025, in Santa Margarita, California.[16] A number of their friends from the entertainment industry attended the ceremony, including Durant's CODA co-stars Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Silent Notes | Bruce | |
| 2021 | CODA | Leo Rossi | |
| TBA | Flash Before the Bang | Filming[17] | |
| Being Heumann | Steve McCleeland | Filming[18] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Archives at Gallaudet University | Gallaudet Student | TV Short | |
| 2013–2017 | Switched at Birth | Matthew | 17 episodes | |
| 2019 | You | James Kennedy | Episode: "Farewell, My Bunny" | |
| 2022 | Good Morning America | Himself | Guest[19] | |
| 2022 | Dancing with the Stars | Himself | Contestant (Season 31)[20] | |
| 2023 | Florida Man | Max | [21] | |
| 2023 | Chicago Med | Aiden Rogers | Episode: "Look Closely and You Might Hear the Truth" |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Production company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Cyrano | Ensemble | The Fountain Theater | Deaf West Theatre | Los Angeles production |
| 2012 | Police: Deaf: Near: Far | Stinger | Oakland University | TerpTheatre | Michigan production[22] |
| 2013 | Flowers for Algernon | Charlie | Wild Fire Theatre | Deaf West Theatre | Los Angeles production[23] |
| 2014 | Spring Awakening | Moritz Steifel | Rosenthal Theater | Los Angeles production | |
| 2015 | Wallis Annenberg Center | ||||
| 2015–16 | Brooks Atkinson Theatre | Broadway revival | |||
| 2017 | Jonas and the Body | Jonas | Teater Manu | Teater Manu | Norway production |
| 2019 | The Black Drum | Bulldog | Young Centre for the Performing Arts | Deaf Culture Centre | Toronto production[24] |
| Clin d’Oeil Festival | France production |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Ovation Awards | Best Acting Ensemble for a Musical | Spring Awakening | |
| BroadwayWorld LA Awards | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | |||
| 2016 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway Debut Performance | ||
| Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards | Favorite Onstage Pair (with Alex Boniello) | |||
| Fred and Adele Astaire Awards | Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show | |||
| 2021 | Sundance Film Festival | U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast | CODA | |
| 2022 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
