Dana Tapalagă was born in Botoșani, Romania, in1968. She started working at the local theater in Botoșani even before studying professional acting, as a colleague of Vlad Ivanov (4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days). She later moved to Bucharest, graduating in acting at the Academy of Theater and Film, and appeared in several plays. She currently works as a freelance actress, with her voice as her principal professional instrument - in commercials, television or dubbing. Her part in Beyond the Hills is her second encounter with cinema, after her debut in 1995.