Yaya DaCosta

Yaya DaCosta, born Camara DaCosta Johnson on November 15, 1982, in New York City, is an American actress and model of Brazilian and Guine-bissau Black-African descent. She gained recognition as the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America's Next Top Model. DaCosta went on to star in various television series, including ABC's All My Children (2008), ABC's Ugly Betty (2009), and NBC's Chicago Med (2015–2022). She received acclaim for her portrayal of singer Whitney Houston in the Lifetime television film Whitney (2015). DaCosta is multilingual and fluent in English, Portuguese, French, Spanish, and conversational Japanese. She attended Northfield Mount Hermon School and graduated from Brown University with a degree in Africana studies and international relations.