Dascha Polanco

Biography

Dascha Polanco is a Dominican-American actress. She is known for playing the character Dayanara “Daya” Diaz on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. She also has a recurring role on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story as Detective Lori Weider.

Polanco was born in Santo Domingo, 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.