Diane Guerrero
"Orange Is The New Black"
Las Vegas, NV USA
"I didn't want to live in fear; I wanted to put myself out there. I wanted to be seen so that, eventually, I could be heard."
Career Roadmap
Diane's work combines: Acting & Theatre, Politics, and Being Creative
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I always have this in my mind, even now. At the end of the day, I have a passion for this, so it was worth a little risk. I had to stop thinking about the fact that this might not make me money and focus on how happy it made me.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Political Science and Government, General
Regis College
Bachelor's Degree
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Regis College
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Her parents immigrated to America before she was born, but they never found a way to legally establish residency in the United States.
2.
When she was 14, she came home from school one day to find her house empty; a neighbor came over and told Diane her parents had been taken to jail.
3.
They were later deported back to Colombia, and Diane made the tough choice to stay in America without them.
4.
Even without the support of her family, she managed to make it through high school and college.
5.
After college, she wasn’t sure what to do with her life; thinking about her parents’ sacrifices, she decided to take a huge leap and try to make it as an actress.
6.
Says that her interest in acting came from a desire to be acknowledged—her parents had been overlooked and cast aside, so she wanted to make sure her voice was heard.
7.
Her breakout role came in 2013 when she was cast as Maritza Ramos in "Orange is the New Black"; since then, she’s also landed a major role in the television show, "Jane the Virgin."
8.
She recently wrote a book—called "In the Country We Love: My Family Divided"—about her parents' experiences and her life as the daughter of immigrants.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I have to make money. I shouldn't pursue a risky career.
How I responded:
I always have this in my mind, even now. At the end of the day, I have a passion for this, so it was worth a little risk. I had to stop thinking about the fact that this might not make me money and focus on how happy it made me.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
My parents tried really hard to get documentation. We were living in fear a lot. My parents were deported when I was 14. I made the very tough decision to stay in the States. At a young age, I had to figure out a lot of things on my own.