Diane Guerrero

Diane Guerrero

Actress


"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.

Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

Diane Guerrero

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
Her parents immigrated to America before she was born, but they never found a way to legally establish residency in the United States.
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.
They were later deported back to Colombia, and Diane made the tough choice to stay in America without them.
Even without the support of her family, she managed to make it through high school and college.
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.
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.
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."
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.
Keep following my journey

Career

Actress

I'm an actress and I also work with nonprofits to promote civic involvement and advocacy to advance immigrant rights.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Acting & Theatre
Politics
Being Creative

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for everyone

Be a good person and live with purpose. Go out of your way to help others and see the importance in that. Set your intentions and follow through.

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

"I have to make money. I shouldn't pursue a risky career. "

Challenges I Overcame

First-Generation Immigrant

Interviewed By

Beyond the Dream

Beyond the Dream

Undocumented young Americans explore their futures