Dascha Polanco

Dascha Polanco, born December 3, 1982, is a Dominican American actress. She is known for playing the character Dayanara Diaz on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. 2Early life Polanco was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States at a young age. She was raised in Sunset Park Brooklyn, New York and Miami by her father, a mechanic, and mother, a cosmetologist. Polanco is the oldest of three children, she has a brother and sister. Polanco has two children, a daughter and a son. Her daughter portrayed a younger version of Polanco's character in the fifth season of Orange is the New Black. 2Career Polanco aspired to be an actress from an early age but "always doubted auditioning because of [her] weight", so she completed a bachelor's degree in psychology at Hunter College. After college she began working in the healthcare industry with the intention of becoming a nurse. She was working in hospital administration at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx while studying nursing when she gained the courage to pursue acting again and registered herself with an acting studi