Yaya DaCosta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Birth name | Camara Yaya DaCosta Johnson |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | November 15, 1982 |
| Place of birth | Harlem, New York, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Measurements | 32-23-35 (US) |
| Dress size | 2 (US) |
| Shoe size | 9.5 (US)[1] |
| Agency | Ford Models The Gersh Agency |
Yaya DaCosta (born Camara Yaya DaCosta Johnson on November 15, 1982 in Harlem, New York) is an American actress and fashion model. She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America's Next Top Model.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
DaCosta was born on November 15, 1982 in Harlem, New York.[2] She comes from a multiethnic background and in addition to English can speak Portugese, Spanish, French, and conversational Japanese.[3] She is of Brazilian, West African, Native American/Cherokee and Irish heritage.[4] She majored in African Studies and International Relations at Brown University.[3]
[edit] Career
After finishing second on America's Next Top Model, where she is considered one of the most memorable contestants, DaCosta went on to have a successful career.[5] Dacosta only appeared once in the bottom two during the competition. She is currently signed to Models 1 in London and Ford Models in New York. She has appeared in advertisements for Garnier Fructis, Lincoln Townhouse, Oil of Olay, Radioshack, Seda, Sephora and Dr. Scholl's.
DaCosta began acting in 2005 after having a guest role on an episode of the television show Eve. She then starred opposite Rob Brown, Antonio Banderas and Alfre Woodard in the 2006 dance film Take the Lead. Dacosta had supporting roles in the independent films Honeydripper (2007) and The Messenger (2009).
She appeared on All My Children in 2008 as Cassandra Foster, the daughter of Angie Hubbard.[6] According to an interview with All My Children's new head writer, Charles Pratt, Jr., DaCosta exited the role some time in August 2008, less than four months after joining the show, to join the cast of "The First Breeze of Summer" on Broadway. "The First Breeze of Summer" was presented from 2008-2009 by the historic Negro Ensemble Company.
In 2009 she portrayed Nico Slater, the daughter of Wilhelmina Slater on the 4th season of the ABC series, Ugly Betty.
Dacosta has a supporting role in the film The Kids Are Alright, which stars Mia Wasikowska, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Hutcherson and Annette Bening. The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, where distribution rights were bought for $3.5 million. She has a supporting role in the upcoming film Tron Legacy.
[edit] Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Take the Lead | LaRhette | Domestic Gross: $34,742,066 |
| 2007 | Honeydripper | China Doll | Domestic Gross: $267,880 |
| 2008 | Racing for Time | Vanessa | Lifetime Television Movie |
| 2009 | The Messenger | Monica Washington | Domestic Gross: $742,460 |
| 2010 | The Kids Are All Right | Tanya | Premiered at 2010 Sundance Film Festival |
| Tron Legacy | Siren | post-production | |
| unreleased | The Shanghai Hotel | Kendra | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | Eve | Ms.Jenkins | 1 episode |
| 2008 | All My Children | Cassandra Foster | 44 episodes |
| 2009 | Ugly Betty | Nico Slater[7] | 9 episodes |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Audrina | 1 episode | |
[edit] Music videos
- "Pullin' Me Back" by Chingy (2006)
[edit] Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Teen Choice Award | Movies - Choice Breakout (Female) | Take the Lead | Nominated |
| 2008 | Black Reel Award | Best Ensemble | Honeydripper | Nominated |
[edit] References
- ^ "FORD models Website". http://www.fordmodels.com/main.cfm. Retrieved 5 January 2006.
- ^ Yaya Dacosta at Fashion Model Directory
- ^ a b "Yaya DaCosta Q&A". cosmogirl.com. http://www.cosmogirl.com/entertainment/celeb-qa/yaya-dacosta-q&a.
- ^ http://www.se7enmagazine.org/film/film_15.htm
- ^ "Top Model Contestants We Can't Forget - AOL Entertainment Canada". http://entertainment.aol.ca/article/top-model-contestants-we-cant-forget/97152/.
- ^ "All My Children's Next Top Model". ABC.com. http://abc.go.com/daytime/allmychildren/yaya.html. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
- ^ http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/08/11/ugly-betty-recast-top-model-alum-is-willies-daughter/
[edit] External links
- Yaya Dacosta at Fashion Model Directory
- Yaya Dacosta at the Internet Movie Database
- Yaya Dacosta on TV.com
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
