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Yaya DaCosta Transforms Into Entertainment Icons

She channels Nina Simone, Eartha Kitt, Naomi Campbell and others.

Yaya DaCosta is portraying Whitney Houston in the upcoming Lifetime biopic of the late singer, but the beauty is already setting her sights on some of history’s other fierce female icons. In a new photo series introduced on her Instagram feed, DaCosta slipped into the shoes of well-known stars such as Lucille Ball, Meryl Streep, Nina Simone, Pam Grier and Naomi Campbell,and she slays every single one.

"Alright everybody! Get ready!!!!! So, I wanted to celebrate how Whitney always embraced sisterhood and do a photo series in the spirit of her song, "I'm Every Woman" (which I sing in the movie). This week, I'm paying homage to 8 other women who inspire me and I'm inviting us all to celebrate seeing ourselves in each other — no matter what color we are or where we come from. Join me! #imeverywoman"

In her pose as Noami Campbell, DaCosta wears a revealing swimsuit with lace-up heels and her hair straight with the supermodel’s signature part down the middle.

"I AM NAOMI. Ethereal beauty. Unwavering dedication. Inextinguishable fire. Thank you, Naomi Campbell, for being the only reason I ever had the nerve to think I could model (you, and Auntie Iman, of course), and for inspiring us all, through your ageless allure, to be fierce! I love you!! #imeverywoman," the caption reads.

In another, she embodies Eartha Kitt in a flowy, floor-length dress with a waist-high slit.

"I AM EARTHA KITT. Feline friskiness. Syrupy femininity. Unapologetic bossiness. Thank you, Miss Kitt, for fearlessly making showbiz love you for the quirky things that made you unique and for your unwillingness to settle for anything less than the best, in others and in yourself. #imeverywoman," DaCosta wrote in the accompanying caption.

To view the entire photo series, which was shot by photographer Jonathan Mannion, click here.


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(Photo: Jonathan Mannion)

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