JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS AND PAULA MARSHALL SET TO GUEST STAR IN ABC FAMILY'S PEABODY AWARD-WINNING SERIES "SWITCHED AT BIRTH"

Burbank, CA (May 27, 2015) - John Michael Higgins ("Pitch Perfect 2") and Paula Marshall ("Gary Unmarried") will guest star on the upcoming season of ABC Family's award-winning drama series "Switched at Birth" as the parents of Daphne's boyfriend, Mingo. When Daphne and Mingo plan for their parents to meet each other, it turns out that, unbeknownst to their kids, they have a history. Higgins and Marshall will first be seen in the 6th episode of the season, directed by series star D.W. Moffett. "Switched at Birth" will return with new episodes on Monday, August 24, 2015 at 8:00PM ET/PT on ABC Family.

"Switched at Birth" tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a working class neighborhood. Despite overwhelming socio-economic and ethnic differences, both families must learn to co-exist as parents and blend their lives into one for the sake of their daughters.

Peabody Award-winner "Switched at Birth" is executive-produced by Lizzy Weiss ("Blue Crush"), Paul Stupin ("Dawson's Creek," "Make It or Break It"), and Linda Gase ("ER," "Army Wives"). The series stars Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Vanessa Marano ("Gilmore Girls") as Bay Kennish; Constance Marie ("George Lopez") as Regina Vasquez; D.W. Moffett ("Friday Night Lights") as John Kennish; Lea Thompson ("Dancing with the Stars," "Back to the Future," "Caroline in the City") as Kathryn Kennish; Lucas Grabeel ("High School Musical") as Toby Kennish; Sean Berdy as Emmett Bledsoe with guest star Marlee Matlin ("The West Wing") as Melody Bledsoe.

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in 94 million homes. ABC Family entertains and connects to audiences with bold, relatable programming that celebrates the epic adventure of becoming an adult, from first kiss to first kid. ABC Family's programming is a combination of network-defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. "WATCH ABC Family" is an authenticated service which allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on-demand access to such popular series at home and on-the-go via a wide array of devices. ABC Family is also the destination for annual holiday events with "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas."