---
name: "Dascha Polanco"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/dascha-polanco"
fi1m_id: "dascha-polanco"
imdb_id: "nm4745601"
tmdb_id: 1026947
wikidata_id: "Q17182925"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "3 December 1982"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 83
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-23T21:30:15.069307+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dascha Polanco

## Identity

Dascha Polanco

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/dascha-polanco
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** dascha-polanco
- **IMDb ID:** nm4745601
- **TMDB ID:** 1026947
- **Wikidata ID:** Q17182925
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dascha_Polanco, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17182925, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4745601/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1026947

Actor. Born 3 December 1982 in Dominican Republic.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 3 December 1982, Dominican Republic
- **Active:** 2013–present
- **Also known as:** 다샤 폴랑코, ダーシャ・ポランコ, داشا پولانکو
- **Frequently works with:** [Daisy von Scherler Mayer](https://film.one/person/daisy-von-scherler-mayer.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 83 (4), 2020s 82 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 85 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 2 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Crime 3, Comedy 2, History 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 3 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dascha_Polanco, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17182925, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4745601/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1026947

## Streaming the US now

- **Peacock:** [*Poker Face*](https://film.one/tv/poker-face.md) (82)
- **Netflix:** [*Orange Is the New Black*](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md) (79)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Dascha Yolaine Polanco is a Dominican-American actress. She was born on 3 December 1982 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and moved to the United States at a young age. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and Miami, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hunter College in 2008.

Polanco began her acting career in the early 2010s after working in healthcare. She is known for her role as Dayanara 'Daya' Diaz in the series *Orange Is the New Black* (2013–2019). Other credits include *Joy* (2015), *The Irishman* (2019), *In the Heights* (2021) as Cuca, and the guest role of Natalie Hill in *Poker Face* (2023). She shared in Screen Actors Guild Awards for ensemble performance in a comedy series for *Orange Is the New Black*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Poker Face* (2023), Fi1m 82, as Natalie — [page](https://film.one/tv/poker-face.md)
- *Russian Doll* (2019), Fi1m 83, as Beatrice — [page](https://film.one/tv/russian-doll.md)
- *The Irishman* (2019), Fi1m 86, as Nurse — [page](https://film.one/film/the-irishman.md)
- *When They See Us* (2019), Fi1m 84, as Elena — [page](https://film.one/tv/when-they-see-us.md)
- *Orange Is the New Black* (2013), Fi1m 79, as Dayanara Diaz — [page](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md)

## Complete filmography (25)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Stumble* (2025), series, as Krystal's Mom-ager
- *A Little Prayer* (2025), as Narcedalia
- *Terror Comes Knocking: The Marcela Borges Story* (2025), as Marcela Borges
- *Air Force One Down* (2024), as Vice President Hansen
- *Junction* (2024), as Dana
- *Miguel Wants to Fight* (2023), as Mrs. Rodriguez
- *The Walking Dead: Dead City* (2023), series, as Lucia Narvaez
- *Poker Face* (2023), series, as Natalie — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/poker-face.md)
- *Samaritan* (2022), as Tiffany Cleary
- *DC League of Super-Pets* (2022), as Jessica Cruz / Green Lantern (voice)
- *In the Heights* (2021), as Cuca
- *iGilbert* (2021), as Jana
- *The Irishman* (2019), as Nurse — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-irishman.md)
- *Evil* (2019), series, as Patti Hitchens
- *When They See Us* (2019), series, as Elena — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/when-they-see-us.md)
- *Russian Doll* (2019), series, as Beatrice — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/russian-doll.md)
- *VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens* (2016), Actor
- *The Perfect Match* (2016), as Pressie
- *American Crime Story* (2016), series, as Det. Lori Wieder — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/american-crime-story.md)
- *Joy* (2015), as Jackie
- *The Cobbler* (2014), as Macy
- *Gimme Shelter* (2013), as Carmel
- *Orange Is the New Black* (2013), series, as Dayanara Diaz — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md)
- *Unforgettable* (2011), series, as Estella
- *American Dad!* (2005), series, as (voice)

## Gallery

- ![Dascha Polanco](https://film.one/media/person/46451/gallery-ae4097b93718.jpg) Dascha Polanco — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Dascha_Polanco_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![(L-R) Actors Terry Crews (2nd from left), Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero present actresses Selenis Leyva and Dascha Polanco the Special Achievement in Tel (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/46451/gallery-70aab4ae179c.jpg) (L-R) Actors Terry Crews (2nd from left), Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero present actresses Selenis Leyva and Dascha Polanco the Special Achievement in Tel (2014) — UnidosUS, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/2014_NCLR_ALMA_Awards_Special_Achievement_in_Television_Award.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Danielle Brooks, Adrienne C Moore, Dascha Polanco and Selenis Leyva at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards. (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/46451/gallery-27dc71135be6.jpg) Danielle Brooks, Adrienne C Moore, Dascha Polanco and Selenis Leyva at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards. (2014) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Danielle_Brooks_-_Adrienne_C_Moore_-_Dascha_Polanco_-_Selenis_Leyva_%2814471611860%29.jpg/1280px-Danielle_Brooks_-_Adrienne_C_Moore_-_Dascha_Polanco_-_Selenis_Leyva_%2814471611860%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Danielle Brooks, Dascha Polanco, Selenis Leyva, Adrienne C. Moore and Natasha Lyonne with the Peabody Award for "Orange is the New Black." (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/46451/gallery-87f687dd03a1.jpg) Danielle Brooks, Dascha Polanco, Selenis Leyva, Adrienne C. Moore and Natasha Lyonne with the Peabody Award for "Orange is the New Black." (2014) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Danielle_Brooks_-_Dascha_Polanco_-_Selenis_Leyva_-_Adrienne_C._Moore_-_Natasha_Lyonne.jpg/1280px-Danielle_Brooks_-_Dascha_Polanco_-_Selenis_Leyva_-_Adrienne_C._Moore_-_Natasha_Lyonne.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Dascha Polanco](https://film.one/media/person/46451/gallery-7ef6f3a5a3d2.jpg) Dascha Polanco — Image via TMDB
- ![Dascha Polanco](https://film.one/media/person/46451/gallery-5a02a7beabc4.jpg) Dascha Polanco — Image via TMDB
- ![Dascha Polanco at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards. (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/46451/gallery-c1817a159820.jpg) Dascha Polanco at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards. (2014) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Dascha_Polanco_%2814471691918%29.jpg/1280px-Dascha_Polanco_%2814471691918%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Dascha Polanco at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards. (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/46451/gallery-8495a45166f2.jpg) Dascha Polanco at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards. (2014) — Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Dascha_Polanco_%2814657930132%29.jpg/1280px-Dascha_Polanco_%2814657930132%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/dascha-polanco