Sanchez was born in Chicago, Illinois. Of Puerto Rican and French descent, she has three siblings. Sanchez began her acting career at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, IL, when she performed in a school production of The Grapes of Wrath. Her performance helped her overcome her stage fright, which she suffered at the time.

In 2000, Sanchez auditioned for MTV's Wanna Be a VJ contest in New York. Kiele was selected as one of the five finalists, but did not win the competition. However, an agent who had seen her on MTV expressed interest in representing her.

After her agent recommended a move to Los Angeles, Kiele auditioned and landed roles in the short-lived drama series That Was Then and the sitcom Married to Read more...

Sanchez is married to writer and film director Zach Helm and owns a Teacup Maltese named Pooh Bear. She practices pilates and yoga. Sanchez is claustrophobic. She had trouble filming a scene where her character was buried due to her claustrophobia