"Whitney" star Yaya DaCosta is "every woman", and she just revealed a fab photoshoot paying tribute to some of her idols including Meryl Streep, Naomi Campbell, Lucille Ball, Eartha Kitt and more. See the pics inside....
On Saturday, January 17th at 8/7c Yaya DaCosta steps into her most high-profile role yet, as Whitney Houston in "Whitney." And in the spirit of great divas, she posted a series of fab photos on Instagram where she honors some of her idols. Fans of Yaya will recall that contestants on "ANTM" often engaged in photoshoots of this nature....it looks like Tyra Banks taught her well. She explained the shoot saying,
"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"
Above, Yaya pays tribute to Lucille Ball saying,"I AM LUCY. Irresistible charm. Vaudevillian genius. Comedic abandon. Thank you, Lucille Ball, for being an ambassador for diversity on television and for making America laugh hysterically for decades. #imeverywoman"
She nailed it. And all the others:
"I AM NINA SIMONE. Sonic alchemy. Soul-wrenching pitches. Brutal honesty. Thank you, Nina Simone, for singing truth to power, for teaching, and for touching even the coldest of hearts with your exquisite voice and light. #imeverywoman"
"I AM PAM GRIER. Natural curves. Unabashed sexiness. Ruthless courage. Thank you, Pam Grier, for being a true pioneer for women in action in film."
"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"
"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"
"I AM MERYL STREEP. Unmatched mastery. Precocious wisdom. Sophisticated taste. Thank you, Mama Meryl, for giving every character life as real as the breath miraculously given each of us at birth. #imeverywoman"
Yes YaYa!
"Whitney" airs this Saturday 1/17 on Lifetime.
Photos via Yaya DaCosta's Instagram