Yaya DaCosta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yaya DaCosta
DaCosta at Afropunk Festival in 2023
Born	Camara DaCosta Johnson (1982-11-15) November 15, 1982 (age 42) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Brown University
Years active	2004–present
Children	1
Modeling information
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Hair color	Dark brown
Eye color	Brown
Agency	Ford Models

Camara DaCosta Johnson (born November 15, 1982), known as Yaya DaCosta, is an American actress and model. She became famous after being the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America's Next Top Model.

Yaya DaCosta has starred in many TV shows. These include All My Children (2008), Ugly Betty (2009), and Chicago Med (2015–2022). In 2010, she appeared in the movie The Kids Are All Right. She was praised for her role as singer Whitney Houston in the 2015 TV movie Whitney.

Early Life and School Days

Yaya DaCosta was born on November 15, 1982, in New York City. Her family comes from Brazil and Black-American backgrounds. She grew up in the Harlem area of New York City.

Besides English, Yaya speaks Portuguese, French, Spanish, and some Japanese. She went to Northfield Mount Hermon School for high school. Later, she studied at Brown University. There, she focused on Africana studies and international relations.

Her Career Journey

After being the runner-up on America's Next Top Model, Yaya DaCosta started a successful career. During the competition, she was only in the bottom two once.

She has appeared in ads for brands like Garnier Fructis, Oil of Olay, and Sephora. She has also been on the covers of magazines such as W and Hype Hair. In 2014, she was part of Tom Ford’s Fall/Winter ad campaign.

Starting as an Actress

Yaya DaCosta began acting in 2005. Her first TV role was in an episode of the sitcom Eve. In 2006, she starred with Rob Brown and Antonio Banderas in the dance movie Take the Lead. She also had roles in independent films like Honeydripper (2007) and The Messenger (2009).

In 2008, she joined the TV show All My Children as Cassandra Foster. She left the show later that year to act in a Broadway play called The First Breeze of Summer.

More TV and Movie Roles

In 2009, Yaya had a recurring role as Nico Slater in the TV series Ugly Betty. Nico was the daughter of Wilhelmina Slater, played by Vanessa Williams.

In 2010, Yaya DaCosta appeared in the comedy-drama film The Kids Are All Right. She also had a role in the science fiction movie Tron: Legacy. She continued to appear in magazines like W and Vogue. In 2013, she played Carol in the historical drama The Butler, which starred Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey.

DaCosta in 2016 at the premiere of The Nice Guys

In 2015, Yaya DaCosta played the famous singer Whitney Houston in a Lifetime TV movie. The movie was called Whitney and was directed by Angela Bassett. Yaya received a lot of praise for her performance.

From 2015 to 2021, DaCosta starred in the NBC medical drama Chicago Med. She played April Sexton, an emergency room nurse. In 2021, she left Chicago Med to join the Fox drama series Our Kind of People.

Her Family Life

Yaya DaCosta has a son named Sankara, who was born in September 2013.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Yaya DaCosta para niños