Dascha Polanco

Bio: 
Dascha Polanco (born December 3, 1983 in the Dominican Republic) is a Dominican actress. Dasha moved to the United States when she was young, growing up in Brooklyn and Miami. From an early age, she wanted to be an actress, but was dissuaded from pursuing the dream due to her weight. Instead, she enrolled in Hunter College and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. After school, Dascha began working at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx in hopes of becoming a nurse. However, acting called her and she decided to give her dream a try. After a handful of small roles, including NYC 22 and Unforgettable, she was cast as Dayanara “Daya” Diaz in the Neftlix series, Orange is The New Black, in 2012. In 2013, she appeared in the independent film, Gimmie Shelter, and in 2014, she starred opposite Adam Sandler in The Cobbler. She will appear opposite Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in 2015’s Joy.

Best Known For: 
Dascha Polanco is best known as an actress who portrays Daya on the hit series, Orange Is The New Black.

Personal Life: 
In 2015, the NFL announced Dascha as part of their Women’s Apparel line. She represents her hometown team of the New York Giants. She is protective of her private life. She was engaged for nearly six years before she and her then-fiancé split in 2013. When she was 18 years old, Dascha became a mother for the first time. She currently has two children. In 2015, she was reportedly charged for pulling the hair and punching 17-year-old Michelle Cardona, though Dasha accuses Michelle of trying to blackmail her.