Cleo Diára was born on September 2, 1987 in Praia, Cape Verde. She moved to Lisbon as a child and graduated from university there. Her first theatrical experiences were with the Mis-cutem university theater group. In 2012, she finished her theater degree at ESTC - Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema. Since 2015, she has participated as a performer in various theatrical projects by national directors, including Rogério Carvalho, Mónica Calle, Sónia Baptista and Mário Coelho. She has also been part of several national and international film productions, including Diamantino, by Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt, Verão Danado and Entroncamento by Pedro Cabeleira and Terra Amarela by Dinis Costa.