 After completing an education in the dramatic arts in Paris, Cocea returned to Romania where she debuted as an actress in 1934.In 1935, Cocea landed a role at Bucharest's Comedia ("Comedy"), a basement theater, (today the site of the Odeon) alongside actor G. Timică in the play "Adevăratul Iacob" ("The Real Jacob").She initially appeared using the stage name, "Dina Cerna" but she quickly dropped the pseudonym.