Bio
YAYA DACOSTA
Yaya DaCosta showcases her dynamic talent as an actress with powerful performances across film, television and stage. DaCosta stars as Monique Smith in Lifetime’s NOT MY FAMILY: THE MONIQUE
SMITH STORY, which she also executive produced. Based on Smith’s gripping memoir, the film, which premiered on April 12, immerses viewers in a journey of survival and self-discovery.
DaCosta also stars as cut-throat prosecutor "Andrea Freeman" in the second and third seasons of Netflix's THE LINCOLN LAWYER.
She recently starred in Fox's series OUR KIND OF PEOPLE and, for six seasons, portrayed April Sexton on NBC’s CHICAGO MED.
In 2015, DaCosta played the title role in Lifetime’s Angela Bassett-directed Whitney Houston biopic, WHITNEY.
Additional film credits include jazz biopic BOLDEN, Lee Daniel’s THE BUTLER, Oren Moverman’s THE MESSENGER, Lisa Cholodenko’s Oscar-nominated THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, Joseph Kosinski’s TRON LEGACY, and Shane Black’s THE NICE GUYS.
In 2024, DaCosta launched an innovative line of head wraps called Wraps N' Raps. The Brown University graduate is also a speaker, birthworker, and wayshower, who is deeply dedicated to contributing to society’s elevation through art, beauty and magic. She integrates her different callings through the creation and embodiment of empowering narratives that birth a kinder future for women in the
entertainment industry, in birth culture, and on the planet.