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Yaya DaCosta

Yaya DaCosta

Born: 1982-11-15 • Harlem, New York, New York, USA

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.

Filmography
Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story poster
Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story
2025 • Monique Smith
Bolden poster
Bolden
2019 • Nora Bolden
Peel poster
Peel
2019 • Sarah
Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story poster
Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story
2018 • Kendra
The Nice Guys poster
The Nice Guys
2016 • Tally
Whitney poster
Whitney
2015 • Whitney Houston
And So It Goes poster
And So It Goes
2014 • Kennedy
Mother of George poster
Mother of George
2013 • Sade Bakare
The Butler poster
The Butler
2013 • Carol Hammie
Big Words poster
Big Words
2013 • Annie
In Time poster
In Time
2011 • Greta
Whole Lotta Sole poster
Whole Lotta Sole
2011 • Sophie
Weekends at Bellevue poster
Weekends at Bellevue
2011 • Vanessa
TRON: Legacy poster
TRON: Legacy
2010 • Siren #3
The Kids Are All Right poster
The Kids Are All Right
2010 • Tanya
The Messenger poster
The Messenger
2009 • Monica Washington
Racing for Time poster
Racing for Time
2008 • Vanessa
Honeydripper poster
Honeydripper
2007 • China Doll
Take the Lead poster
Take the Lead
2006 • LaRhette