Hollywood, CA — Actress Yaya DaCosta, best known for her debut on “America’s Next Top Model,” has been cast to play Whitney Houston in the upcoming Lifetime movie about the pop singer’s life and career. The 31-year old actress has also been seen in popular TV shows like “All My Children,” “Ugly Betty,” and “House”. She also had a co-starring role in “Lee Daniel’s The Butler” and “Tron: Legacy”.The movie, titled “Whitney Houston”, will premiere in 2015 and will be directed by Oscar-award winning actress and director Angela Bassett, who also co-starred with Whitney Houston herself in the 1995 film “Waiting to Exhale”. This will be Bassett’s first directorial debut. Bassett comments, “I have such regard for both Whitney’s and Bobby’s amazing talents and accomplishments; and I feel a responsibility in the telling of their story. Their humanity and bond fascinates us all. I’m beyond excited to have this opportunity to go behind the camera and into their world.”
The movie will depict Whitney Houston and husband Bobby Brown’s personal life, “from the time they first met at the very height of their celebrity, to their courtship and tumultuous marriage.”
Critics says that this will be DaCosta’s biggest and most challenging role, but many seem to agree that she is capable of pulling it off.
Dacosta, who is of Brazilian and Nigerian descent, reportedly speaks multiple languages including French and Spanish. She is a graduate from Brown University in Providence, R.I. (an Ivy League school).
What do you think? Can she pull it off?