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Who is Chicago Med star Yaya DaCosta? Here's all you need to know

The actress is favourite on the NBC show

yaya dacosta
Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
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Are you a fan of Chicago Med? The NBC drama returned for its eighth season last month and with came plenty of drama and all the regular faces. But one star even made a surprise return to the show which delighted fans.

MORE: Why is Jesse Lee Soffer leaving Chicago PD?

Yaya DaCosta who plays April Sexton, came back during the season premiere which aired in September and has been regular ever since. But how much do you know about the star? Here's all we know…

WATCH: Ethan Choi gets shot on Chicago Med

Who is Yaya DaCosta?

Yaya DaCosta, 39, born Camara DaCosta, is an actress and model who hails from New York. The star is clearly highly intelligent as she studied at the elite Northfield Mount Hermon School before going on to major in Africana Studies and International Relations at Brown University. Impressive!

The actress is also a proud mom. In 2013, she gave birth to a son, named Sankara, who she shares with her former partner Joshua Bee Alafia, a film producer and director. The pair were together for three years before they split in 2015.

MORE: Brian Tee exits Chicago Med as Ethan Choi after eight years

MORE: Chicago PD fans delighted as they spot cameo from major Yellowstone star - did you spot it? 

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How did Yaya DaCosta get famous?

Before the actress landed a role on NBC's Chicago Med, she was known for her stint on another show. In 2004, Yaya appeared on the third cycle of America's Next Top Model. The star wasn't crowned winner but she came runner-up.

Following her stint on the modelling reality TV show, Yaya went on to appear on ABC's All My Children and Ugly Better. In 2015, she landed her role on Chicago Meg.

Who does Yaya DaCosta play on Chicago Med?

Yaya plays April Sexton, an ED nurse. She was a part of the show for six season before she announced in 2021 she would be departing. However, Yaya returned in September 2022. Her character April returned to the show as she came face-to-face with her ex Ethan after she had left at the end of season six to join a nurse practitioner program. 

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