Background
Polanco was born in the and moved to the United States at a young age. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York and Miami by her father, a mechanic, and mother, a cosmetologist.
Polanco was born in the and moved to the United States at a young age. She was raised in Brooklyn, New York and Miami by her father, a mechanic, and mother, a cosmetologist.
Polanco aspired to be an actress from an early age but "always doubted auditioning because of weight", so she completed a bachelor"s degree in psychology at Hunter College.
After college she began working in the healthcare industry with the intention of becoming a nurse She was working as a hospital administrator at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, while studying nursing, when she gained courage to pursue acting again and registered herself into an acting studio. She attended BIH Studios in New York, which is where she was signed by the talent agency Shirley Grant Management.
Her first acting credits were minor parts on the television series Unforgettable and New York City 22.
In 2012, Polanco was cast in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black as Dayanara "Daya" Diaz, an inmate in a women"s prison. lieutenant was her first full-time acting job.
Polanco subsequently appeared in the independent film Gimme Shelter (2013) before returning to her role on Orange Is the New Black for the show"s second season. 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.
She appeared in the comedy films The Cobbler (2014) and Joy (2015), and will next star in the film The Perfect Match (2016), as well as Orange Is the New Black"s fourth season.
On August 4, 2015, the NFL announced that Polanco is part of their Women"s Apparel line along with Jamie Chung, Alyssa Milano and many more. Polanco is the only Latina to be featured in the new season"s apparel campaign and she is representing the New York Giants.