Dascha Polanco | |
|---|---|
 Polanco in 2019 | |
| Born | Dascha Yolaine Polanco December 3, 1982 |
| Alma mater | Hunter College |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Children | 2 |
Dascha Yolaine Polanco (born December 3, 1982) [1] is a Dominican-American actress. She is known for portraying the role of Dayanara "Daya" Diaz on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black , and for the role of Cuca in the 2021 movie In the Heights . [2]
Polanco was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, [3] [4] and moved to the United States at a young age. [5] She was raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and Miami by her father, a mechanic, and mother, a cosmetologist. [6] [7] Polanco is the oldest of three children; she has a brother and sister. [8]
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, as a first generation college student. [7] [9] After college she began working in the healthcare industry with the intention of becoming a nurse. [10] [11] 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 studio. [7] [11] She attended BIH Studios in New York, and while there was signed by the talent agency Shirley Grant Management. [12] Her first acting credits were minor parts in the television series Unforgettable and NYC 22 . [13]
In 2012, Polanco was cast in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black as Dayanara "Daya" Diaz. [14]
In 2013, Polanco appeared in the independent film Gimme Shelter before returning to her role on Orange Is the New Black for the show's second season. [7] 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 was released in June 2015. [15] She appeared in the comedy films The Cobbler and Joy , [5] and starred in the film The Perfect Match .
In 2018, Polanco had a recurring role in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story , and in 2019, she had a recurring role in Netflix series, Russian Doll and When They See Us .
In 2021, Polanco played the role of Cuca, one of the lead salon ladies, in the film In the Heights .
From 2021 to 2022, Polaco voiced Ms. Camilla Torres, the mother of Winston who owns a record shop, in the animated series Karma's World . [16]
Polanco has two children, a daughter and a son. [8] [17] Her daughter portrayed a younger version of Polanco's character in the fifth season of Orange is the New Black. [18]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Gimme Shelter | Carmel | |
| 2014 | The Cobbler | Macy | |
| 2015 | Joy | Jackie | |
| 2016 | The Perfect Match | Pressie | |
| 2018 | MFKZ | Luna (voice) | English dub |
| 2019 | The Irishman | Nurse | |
| 2021 | In the Heights | Cuca | |
| 2022 | DC League of Super-Pets | Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern (voice) | |
| 2022 | Samaritan | Tiffany Cleary | |
| 2023 | A Little Prayer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Unforgettable | Estella | Episode: "Trajectories" |
| 2012 | NYC 22 | Fan #2 | Episode: "Firebomb" |
| 2013–2019 | Orange Is the New Black | Dayanara "Daya" Diaz | 81 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2014, 2015) |
| 2018 | The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | Det. Lori Wieder | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Russian Doll | Beatrice | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | When They See Us | Elena | Episode: "Part Three" |
| 2019 | Evil | Patti Hitchens | Episode: "3 Stars" |
| 2023 | Poker Face [19] | Natalie | Episode: "Dead Man's Hand" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Unforgettable | Estella | Episode: "Trajectories" |
| 2012 | NYC 22 | Fan #2 | Episode: "Firebomb" |
| 2013–2019 | Orange Is the New Black | Dayanara "Daya" Diaz | 81 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2014, 2015) |
| 2018 | The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story | Det. Lori Wieder | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Russian Doll | Beatrice | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | When They See Us | Elena | Episode: "Part Three" |
| 2019 | Evil | Patti Hitchens | Episode: "3 Stars" |
| 2023 | Poker Face [19] | Natalie | Episode: "Dead Man's Hand" |
Taylor Jane Schilling is an American actress. She is known for her role as Piper Chapman on the Netflix original comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy and Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She made her film debut in the 2007 drama Dark Matter. She also starred as Nurse Veronica Flanagan Callahan in the short-lived NBC medical drama Mercy (2009–2010). Her other films include Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011), the romantic drama The Lucky One (2012), the comedy Take Me (2017), and the science-fiction thriller The Titan (2018).
Elizabeth Rodriguez is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Aleida Diaz in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). She received a Tony Award nomination and won an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Theatre World Award for her performance in Stephen Adly Guirgis' 2011 play The Motherfucker with the Hat. In 2015, she starred in the first season of AMC's post-apocalyptic horror drama series Fear the Walking Dead. She also played Gabriela Lopez in the 2017 film Logan.
Orange Is the New Black is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum security federal prison. Produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television, Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on July 11, 2013. Its seventh and final season was released on July 26, 2019.
The second season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on June 6, 2014, at 12:00 am PST in multiple countries. It consists of thirteen episodes, each between 51 and 60 minutes, with a 90-minute finale. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. The series is created and adapted for television by Jenji Kohan.
Michelle Hurst is an American actress. She played Miss Claudette Pelage in the first season of the streaming television series Orange Is the New Black.
The first season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on July 11, 2013, at 12:00 am PST in multiple countries. It consists of thirteen episodes, each between 51–60 minutes. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. Created and adapted for television by Jenji Kohan. In July 2011, Netflix was in negotiations with Lionsgate for a 13-episode TV adaptation of Kerman's memoirs. The series began filming in the old Rockland Children's Psychiatric Center in Rockland County, New York, on March 7, 2013. The title sequence features photos of real former female prisoners including Kerman herself.
Samira Denise Wiley is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Poussey Washington in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019) and as Moira in the Hulu dystopian drama series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–present), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
Selenis Leyva is an American actress. She began her career appearing in Off-Broadway productions and had supporting roles on television, before her breakthrough role as Gloria Mendoza in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black (2013–19). She later starred in the Disney+ comedy-drama series, Diary of a Future President (2020–21), and the NBC sitcom Lopez vs Lopez (2022–). Leyva also appeared in films Custody (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Breaking (2022) and Creed III (2023).
Kimiko Glenn is an American actress and Broadway performer known for portraying Brook Soso in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, for which she received three ensemble Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also originated the role of Dawn Pinkett in the Broadway musical Waitress and has provided the voices of Ezor in Voltron: Legendary Defender, Lena Sabrewing in DuckTales, Peni Parker in Spider-Man: Into, Across, and Beyond the Spider-Verse, Stefani Stilton in BoJack Horseman, Bridgette Hashima in Close Enough, Horse in Centaurworld, Izzy Moonbow in My Little Pony: A New Generation, Paper Star in Carmen Sandiego, the title character in Kiff, and Niffty and Susan in Hazbin Hotel.
Madeline Kathryn Brewer is an American actress, known for recurring roles in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Hemlock Grove (2014–2015). She stars as Janine Lindo in the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–present), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Emma Myles is an American actress best known for her recurring role as Leanne Taylor on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black. She was friends with fellow actress Dascha Polanco before being cast on the show, having met her after they both auditioned for a guest role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Judith Roberts is an American actress, best known for her roles as Mary Shaw in James Wan's horror film Dead Silence (2007), and as Taslitz, one of "The Golden Girls", in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black.
Jackie Cruz is a Dominican–American actress, singer and former model. She is known for her role as Marisol "Flaca" Gonzales on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black.
The third season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on June 11, 2015, at 12:00 am PST in multiple countries. It consists of thirteen episodes, each between 53–60 minutes, with a 90-minute finale. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. The series is created and adapted for television by Jenji Kohan.
Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett is a fictional character in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, portrayed by Taryn Manning. Manning was offered the role without needing to audition. The character of Doggett is based on a real-life prisoner, a "young woman from western Pennsylvania who proudly called herself a redneck". She is originally from Waynesboro, Virginia. Prior to her imprisonment, she is shown to be exchanging sexual favors for soda or money. Doggett is also known to have had five abortions. She is charged with shooting an abortion doctor and decides to hire a Christian lawyer; the ensuing support she receives from Christian groups leads to Doggett becoming a born-again Christian.
The fifth season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on June 9, 2017, at 12:00 am PST in multiple countries. It consists of thirteen episodes, each between 51 and 60 minutes. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. The series is created and adapted for television by Jenji Kohan.
The sixth season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on July 27, 2018, at 12:00 am PDT in multiple countries. It consists of thirteen episodes, each between 50 and 84 minutes. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. The series is created and adapted for television by Jenji Kohan.
The seventh and final season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on July 26, 2019, at 12:00 am PDT in multiple countries. It consists of thirteen episodes, each between 55 and 89 minutes. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. The series was created and adapted for television by Jenji Kohan.
The fourth season of the American comedy-drama television series Orange Is the New Black premiered on Netflix on June 17, 2016, at 12:00 am PST in multiple countries. It consists of thirteen episodes, each between 54–60 minutes, with a 77-minute finale. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison (2010), about her experiences at FCI Danbury, a minimum-security federal prison. The series is created and adapted for television by Jenji Kohan.
Jessica Pimentel is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Maria Ruiz on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black. She is also the lead singer of the metal band Alekhine's Gun and backing vocalist in the band Brujeria.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
