← Back to explore

Yaya DaCosta

Acting

Born November 15, 1982 · Harlem, New York, New York, USA

Also known as Yaya Alafia · Camara DaCosta Johnson

Biography

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.

Filmography30 titles

House

2004as Anita

Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story

2025as Monique Smith

Eve

2003as Ms. Jenkins

Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story

2018as Kendra

Chicago P.D.

2014as April Sexton

Chicago Fire

2012as April Sexton

Chicago Med

2015as April Sexton

The Simpsons

1989as Princess Kemi (voice)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999as Audrina

Our Kind of People

as Angela Vaughn

The Lincoln Lawyer

2022as Andrea Freemann

Army Wives

2007as Specialist Amber Stiles

The Butler

2013as Carol Hammie

Unforgettable

2011as Molly McGinty

The Nice Guys

2016as Tally

Body of Proof

2011as Holly Bennett

In Time

2011as Greta

Take the Lead

2006as LaRhette

The Messenger

2009as Monica Washington

The Kids Are All Right

2010as Tanya

Tron: Legacy

2010as Siren #3

Peel

2019as Sarah

Ugly Betty

2006as Nico Slater

And So It Goes

2014as Kennedy

Honeydripper

2007as China Doll

Whitney

2015as Whitney Houston

America's Next Top Model

2003as Self - Contestant

Mother of George

2013as Sade Bakare

Bolden

2019as Nora Bolden

Turning the Tables with Robin Roberts

as Self