Yaya DaCosta

Acting

Yaya DaCosta

Born

1982-11-15 (43)

Place of birth

Harlem, New York, New York, USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

36 titles

Camara DaCosta Johnson, professionally known as Yaya Alafia (formerly Yaya DaCosta), is an American actress and model. She's best known for her starring role as April Sexton on NBC's Chicago Med, as Andrea Vaughn in Our Kind of People, and as Whitney Houston in the TV movie Whitney. She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America's Next Top Model. She eventually went to star as Cassandra in ABC's daytime soap All My Children, as Nico Slater in ABC's comedy-drama Ugly Betty, and as April Sexton on NBC's medical drama Chicago Med. She's also appeared in films including The Kids Are All Right, In Time, The Messenger, The Butler, And So It Goes, and The Nice Guys.

Known for

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit poster
8.0

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

The Simpsons poster
8.0

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.

The Simpsons

1989

Chicago Fire poster
8.4

An edge-of-your-seat view into the lives of everyday heroes committed to one of America's noblest professions. For the firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51, no occupation is more stressful or dangerous, yet so rewarding and exhilarating. These courageous men and women are among the elite who forge headfirst into danger when everyone else is running the other way and whose actions make the difference between life and death.

Chicago Fire

2012

House poster
8.6

Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey.

House

2004

Chicago P.D. poster
8.4

A riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department's District 21 who put it all on the line to serve and protect their community. District 21 is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head-to-head with the city's street crimes and the Intelligence Unit that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond.

Chicago P.D.

2014

Chicago Med poster
8.3

An emotional thrill ride through the day-to-day chaos of the city's most explosive hospital and the courageous team of doctors who hold it together. They will tackle unique new cases inspired by topical events, forging fiery relationships in the pulse-pounding pandemonium of the emergency room.

Chicago Med

2015

Film credits

2010s · 14 titles

In Time poster
7.0

In the not-too-distant future, the aging gene has been switched off. To avoid overpopulation, time has become the currency and the way people pay for luxuries and necessities. The rich can live forever, while the rest struggle to negotiate for their immortality. A poor young man who suddenly comes into a fortune of time finds himself on the run from a corrupt police force known as the "time keepers".

In Time

2011

The Nice Guys poster
7.1

A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.

The Nice Guys

2016

TRON: Legacy poster
6.5

Sam Flynn, the tech-savvy and daring son of Kevin Flynn, investigates his father's disappearance and is pulled into The Grid. With the help of a mysterious program named Quorra, Sam quests to stop evil dictator Clu from crossing into the real world.

TRON: Legacy

2010

The Butler poster
7.3

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with alcoholism and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

The Butler

2013

And So It Goes poster
6.0

Nobody likes self-centered realtor Oren Little, and he prefers it that way. He's deliberately mean to anyone who crosses his path and wants nothing more than to sell one final house and retire. His life turns upside-down when his estranged son drops off a granddaughter he never knew existed. Suddenly left in charge of her and with no idea how to take care of a child, he pawns the girl off on his neighbor, Leah -- but he eventually learns how to open his heart.

And So It Goes

2014

The Kids Are All Right poster
6.6

Two women, Nic and Jules, brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids go behind their mothers' backs to meet with the donor. Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.

The Kids Are All Right

2010

Bolden poster
4.1

A mythical account of the life of Buddy Bolden, the first Cornet King of New Orleans.

Bolden

2019

Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story poster
8.4

On the day that Antoinette Tuff considered suicide, she realized that all of her challenges had prepared her for a purpose; to save an Atlanta school under siege from a deranged killer bent on murdering the students.

Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story

2018

Whole Lotta Sole poster
5.4

In a misguided attempt to protect his family and pay back gambling debts to the local Mobster, Jimbo robs a fish market, which is coincidentally owned by the same Mobster. On the run, Jimbo is cornered in a local curio shop, where he takes hostage an assortment of colourful characters, including a man who may be his illegitimate father. Surrounded by the Police, the SAS and the Mobster's crew, the young man must find a way out of his precarious predicament with the help of his oddball captives.

Whole Lotta Sole

2011

Big Words poster
5.0

Members of a once-promising hip-hop group, now in their late 30s, struggle with regret, disappointment, and change on Election Night 2008.

Big Words

2013

Peel poster
6.5

After his father takes his two brothers and high tails it, Peel is forced to grow up in a state of arrested development. Once his mother dies, he must forge his own path and attempts to find his lost brethren.

Peel

2019

Whitney poster
5.7

Chronicles Whitney Houston's rise to fame and turbulent relationship with husband Bobby Brown.

Whitney

2015

Weekends at Bellevue poster
NR

Centers on Ellie, the psychiatrist in charge of the weekend shift of Bellevue Hospital psychiatric unit.

Weekends at Bellevue

2011

Mother of George poster
5.4

A Nigerian couple living in Brooklyn are having trouble conceiving a child - a problem that defies cultural expectations and leads to a shocking decision that could either save or destroy them.

Mother of George

2013

2000s · 4 titles

Series credits

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit poster
8.0

In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999

The Simpsons poster
8.0

Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.

The Simpsons

1989

Chicago Fire poster
8.4

An edge-of-your-seat view into the lives of everyday heroes committed to one of America's noblest professions. For the firefighters, rescue squad and paramedics of Chicago Firehouse 51, no occupation is more stressful or dangerous, yet so rewarding and exhilarating. These courageous men and women are among the elite who forge headfirst into danger when everyone else is running the other way and whose actions make the difference between life and death.

Chicago Fire

2012

House poster
8.6

Dr. Gregory House, a drug-addicted, unconventional, misanthropic medical genius, leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton–Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey.

House

2004

Chicago P.D. poster
8.4

A riveting police drama about the men and women of the Chicago Police Department's District 21 who put it all on the line to serve and protect their community. District 21 is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops who patrol the beat and go head-to-head with the city's street crimes and the Intelligence Unit that combats the city's major offenses - organized crime, drug trafficking, high profile murders and beyond.

Chicago P.D.

2014

Chicago Med poster
8.3

An emotional thrill ride through the day-to-day chaos of the city's most explosive hospital and the courageous team of doctors who hold it together. They will tackle unique new cases inspired by topical events, forging fiery relationships in the pulse-pounding pandemonium of the emergency room.

Chicago Med

2015

Unforgettable poster
7.2

Former Syracuse, New York, police detective Carrie Wells has hyperthymesia, a rare medical condition that gives her the ability to visually remember everything. She reluctantly joins the New York City Police Department's Queens homicide unit after her former boyfriend and partner asks for help with solving a case. The move allows her to try to find out the one thing she has been unable to remember, which is what happened the day her sister was murdered.

Unforgettable

2011

The Lincoln Lawyer poster
7.7

Hotshot LA defense attorney Mickey Haller will do whatever it takes to win as he navigates the criminal justice system from his trademark Lincoln.

The Lincoln Lawyer

2022

Army Wives poster
7.5

Army Wives is an American drama series that follows the lives of four army wives, one army husband, and their families.

Army Wives

2007

America's Next Top Model poster
5.4

Aspiring models compete for a chance to break into the business with a panel of judges critiquing their progress throughout the competition.

America's Next Top Model

2003

America's Next Top Model poster
5.4

Aspiring models compete for a chance to break into the business with a panel of judges critiquing their progress throughout the competition.

America's Next Top Model

2003

Ugly Betty poster
6.4

Wannabe writer Betty Suarez is a plain girl from Queens, who is smart, hardworking and savvy but lacks a fashionable sense of style. When publishing mogul Bradford Meade puts his son Daniel in charge of Mode magazine, he hires Betty to be Daniel's new assistant -- mostly because he knows that she may be the only woman in Manhattan with whom the younger man won't sleep.

Ugly Betty

2006

Body of Proof poster
7.1

Dr. Megan Hunt was in a class of her own, a brilliant neurosurgeon at the top of her game. But her world is turned upside down when a devastating car accident puts an end to her time in the operating room. Megan resumes her career as a medical examiner, determined to solve the puzzle of who or what killed the victims.

Body of Proof

2011

Eve poster
8.5

Eve is an American sitcom starring Eve, Jason Winston George, Ali Landry, Natalie Desselle-Reid, Brian Hooks and Sean Maguire. It aired on the UPN network from September 15, 2003 to May 11, 2006, with 66 episodes produced spanning 3 seasons. The series follows Shelly, a beautiful and intelligent woman of the new generation trying to navigate the exhilarating world of 21st century love, romance and career. The series was nominated in 2004 for Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout TV Show and had seven nominations in major awards.

Eve

2003

Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts poster
3.2

Get personal with Robin Roberts and some of Hollywood’s groundbreaking women as they bear witness to their incredible journeys on their path to purpose. Each episode is a profound conversation filled with emotion and inspiration. Listen to never-before-heard stories of how these groundbreakers came face-to-face with their vulnerability, authenticity and intuition. Discover their commonalities and learn how their stories and experiences created room for expansion and evolution.

Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts

2021

Mercy poster
5.8

Mercy is a medical drama which aired on NBC from September 23, 2009 to May 12, 2010. The series initially aired on Wednesday nights at 8/7c, as part of the 2009 fall season, but was pushed back to 9/8c in April. On October 23, 2009, Mercy was picked up for a full twenty-two-episode first season. On May 14, 2010, NBC announced that Mercy had been cancelled and would not return for a second season due to low ratings.

Mercy

2009

Our Kind of People poster
7.8

A strong-willed single mom sets out to reclaim her family's name and make an impact with her revolutionary haircare line but discovers a dark secret about her own mother's past that will turn her world upside-down.

Our Kind of People

2021