Dascha Polanco
 

Dascha "Dash" Polanco is a Dominican 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. She was raised in Brooklyn and Miami by her father Rubén Darío Polanco, a mechanic, and mother Janet Polanco, a cosmetologist.

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. After college she began working in the healthcare industry with the intention to become a nurse. 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.She attended BIH Studios in New York, which is where she was signed by the talent agency Shirley Grant Management. Her first acting credits were minor parts on the television series Unforgettable and NYC 22.

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; it was her first full-time acting job. She 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. 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. She will also appear in the upcoming comedy film The Cobbler, which is due to be released in 2014.

Personal life

Polanco has two children, Dasany and Aryam, and is engaged

Dascha Polanco - 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Vegas. 20-09-2014 (x10)
 

Dascha Polanco - 2014 NCLR ALMA Awards in Pasadena 10-10-2014 (x76)
 

Dascha Polanco - 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in LA 25-01-2015 (x28)
 

Dascha Polanco - Go Red For Women Red Dress Collection 2015 in NYC 12-02-2015 (x11)
 

Dascha Polanco Leaves an LA Film Critics Party in Hollywood on 16-01-2016 (x5)
 

Dascha Polanco - 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, CA 30-01-2016 (x3)
 

Dascha Polanco - 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, CA 30-01-2016 adds (x14)
 

Dascha Polanco - 2016 Writers Guild Awards in New York City, NY 13-02-2016 (x23)
 

Dascha Polanco - Opening Ceremony show during New York Fashion Week 14-02-2016 (x18)