What is Dascha Polanco's Net Worth and Salary?
Dascha Polanco is a Dominican American actress who has a net worth of $5 million. Dascha Polanco is best known for playing the role of Dayanara Diaz on the Netflix series "Orange Is the New Black." Polanco won an ALMA Award in 2014 and a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2015 for Orange Is the New Black. She has also had notable roles on the programs "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" and "Russian Doll." Additionally, Polanco has been in several films, including "The Perfect Match," "In the Heights," and the animated comedy "DC League of Super-Pets."
Early Life and Education
Dascha Polanco was born on December 3, 1982 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. When she was young, she moved with her family to the Brooklyn borough of New York City, where she was raised by her cosmetologist mother and mechanic father. Polanco has a younger sister and a younger brother. As a teenager, she moved with her family to Miami, Florida. Polanco returned to New York City for her higher education to attend Hunter College, from which she received her bachelor's degree in psychology.
Career Beginnings
Following her college graduation, Polanco entered the health care industry with the goal of becoming a nurse. While studying in the field, she worked in administration at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Eventually, Polanco decided she wanted to pursue an acting career instead, and enrolled herself at BIH Studios. She went on to sign with the talent agency Shirley Grant Management.
Television Career
Polanco made her acting debut on television in 2011 in an episode of the CBS police procedural series "Unforgettable." The next year, she appeared in an episode of another CBS police procedural series, "NYC 22." Polanco subsequently had her breakthrough role in 2013 when she began playing Dayanara "Daya" Diaz, a Puerto Rican inmate, on the Netflix series "Orange is the New Black." Following the show's first two seasons, in which she appeared in a recurring capacity, Polanco became part of the main cast for the remaining five seasons through 2019. She was joined in the large ensemble cast by Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Kate Mulgrew, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Sandow, and Taryn Manning, among many others. For her work on "Orange is the New Black," Polanco shared two SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series with her cast mates.
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While she was still on "Orange is the New Black" in 2018, Polanco had a recurring role on "The Assassination of Gianni Versace," the second season of the FX true-crime anthology series "American Crime Story." On the show, she portrayed Detective Lori Wieder in a cast featuring Édgar Ramírez, Darren Criss, Penélope Cruz, and Ricky Martin, among others. Polanco followed this with another recurring role, playing Beatrice on the Netflix series "Russian Doll," starring her "Orange is the New Black" cast mate Natasha Lyonne. Among her other television credits, Polanco has appeared in episodes of the Netflix crime series "When They See Us" and the CBS supernatural drama series "Evil."
Film Career
Polanco first appeared on the big screen in the 2013 Christian drama film "Gimme Shelter," starring Vanessa Hudgens as a pregnant homeless teenager. The year after this, she appeared in the dramedy "The Cobbler," starring Adam Sandler, Method Man, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, and Melonie Diaz. In 2015, Polanco acted opposite Jennifer Lawrence in the biographical film "Joy," in which Lawrence portrays millionaire entrepreneur and Miracle Mop inventor Joy Mangano. Next, Polanco co-starred alongside Terrence J, Donald Faison, Cassie Ventura, Paula Patton, and Lauren London in the romcom "The Perfect Match."
In 2019, Polanco played a nurse in Martin Scorsese's epic biographical crime film "The Irishman," starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Two years later, she had a memorable role as salon lady Cuca in the acclaimed musical "In the Heights," based on the eponymous stage show and starring Anthony Ramos in the lead role. Polanco subsequently lent her voice to the 2022 animated superhero comedy "DC League of Super-Pets," voicing the character Jessica Cruz and her alter-ego Green Lantern. She appeared in another superhero film, "Samaritan," the same year. Starring Sylvester Stallone and Javon Walton, "Samaritan" is based on the Mythos Comics graphic novels.
Personal Life
Polanco has two children: a daughter who was born when she was a freshman in college and a son born in the late 00s. Her daughter appeared in the fifth season of "Orange is the New Black" playing a younger version of Polanco's character Daya.
