Dascha Polanco

Dascha Polanco

Polanco at the 73rd Peabody Awards in May 2014
Born November 22, 1983 [1]
Dominican Republic
Occupation Actress
Years active 2012–present

Dascha Polanco is a Dominican American actress best known for playing the character Dayanara Diaz on Orange Is the New Black.

Early life

Polanco was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States at a young age.[2] She was raised in Brooklyn and Miami by her father Rubén Darío Polanco, a mechanic, and mother Janet Polanco, a cosmetologist.[3][4]

Career

Polanco aspired to be an actress from an early age but "always doubted auditioning because of [her] weight", and so she completed a bachelor's degree in psychology at Hunter College.[4] After college she began working in the healthcare industry with the intention to become a nurse.[5][6] She was working as a hospital administrator at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, while studying nursing, when her fiancé encouraged her to pursue acting again and paid for her registration with an acting studio as a gift.[4][6] She attended BIH Studios in New York, which is where she was signed by the talent agency Shirley Grant Management.[7] Her first acting credits were minor parts on the television series Unforgettable and NYC 22.[8]

In 2012, Polanco was cast in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black as Dayanara "Daya" Diaz, an inmate in a women's prison;[9] it was her first full-time acting job.[4] Her character is the daughter of Aleida Diaz, portrayed by Elizabeth Rodriguez, who in real life is only two years older than Polanco.[1]

Polanco subsequently appeared in the 2013 independent film Gimme Shelter before returning to her role on Orange Is the New Black for the show's second season.[4] In June 2014, it was announced that she had been promoted from a recurring role to a series regular for the show's third season, which will be released in 2015.[10] She will also appear in the upcoming comedy film The Cobbler, which is due to be released in 2014.[2]

Personal life

Polanco has two children, Dasany and Aryam, and is engaged.[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "'Orange Is the New Black's' Latinas - The Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. November 22, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rothaus, Steve (May 2014). "‘Orange Is the New Black’ co-star Dascha Polanco to be guest Friday at Aqua Girl VIP, dance events". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  3. ↑ Santos, Orlando (August 18, 2013). "Cinco dominicanas en la serie del momento: Orange Is The New Black". Diario Libre (in Spanish). Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Ortiz, Erik (September 11, 2013). "Dascha Polanco returns to ‘Orange Is the New Black’ for second season". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ Terrero, Nina (August 15, 2013). "Dominican actress Dascha Polanco talks Netflix series "Orange is the New Black"". NBC Latino. NBC. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Smouse, Deborah (July 11, 2013). "Meet Actress Dascha Polanco". All Things Girl. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Exclusive Interview: OITNB’s Dascha Polanco (Daya Diaz)". OITNB.com. Netflix. March 23, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ Greco, Patti (August 3, 2013). "OITNB’s Dascha Polanco on Daya and Bennett, Doodling Penises, and Her Johnny Depp Crush". New York. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  9. ↑ Rapp, Ilana (July 15, 2014). "Actress Dascha Polanco Tells Us About Life Before and After Netflix's Orange Is the New Black". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  10. ↑ Thomas, Kaitlin (June 12, 2014). "Orange Is the New Black Promotes Dascha Polanco to Series Regular". TV Guide. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dascha Polanco.