She has dedicated her career to changing that, and last month became the first Roma to stage her work at Bucharest's National Theatre.
"I grew up in this country, but I've never been able to recognise myself in the stories," the 34-year-old told AFP.
"That's why it's important for me to crack open the door and let the light in. It's like I'm planting a flag," she adds, speaking between rehearsals.
Her show, called "Cel mai bun copil din lume" (The Best Child in the World) and based on her life, opened on January 21 to sold out audiences.
It is a moving and at times funny story about a girl who triumphs against all odds, but can't escape the stigma she faces as a Roma.
"This is the first time that a Roma story, written, staged and performed by a Roma artist has been welcomed on the national scene," she says.
- 'She's a gypsy' -
Tired of having to hide where she lived, she promised herself she would get out of the "slum".
She became the first in her family to graduate from high school and was then admitted to Bucharest's prestigious Academy of Theatre and Cinema.
She followed up with studies in New York and London financed by grants.
Serban won acclaim on the international stage, including for her roles in the 2019 movie "Gipsy Queen" about a struggling single mother who fights in the ring, and the 2018 Belgian film "Alone at My Wedding".
