Yaya DaCosta reveals tapping into brother's death for emotional biopic film: "I had to pull from somewhere"

Yaya DaCosta returns to Lifetime as she headlines the film Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story, which premiered on April 12. In an exclusive interview with People, the Chicago Med alum discussed her role in the film and her involvement as the project’s executive producer.

"This script was presented to me, and I am familiar with Lifetime since Racing for Time was on Lifetime and Whitney was on Lifetime. And so I know that they do things quickly. This was no different."

The America’s Next Top Model alum described the process of filming as a “whirlwind,” noting that some aspects of the production were finalized in just a few days.

"I signed the contract the day before Thanksgiving, and by Cyber Monday I was in Atlanta filming.”

Filmed over a 13-day schedule, DaCosta faced a tight timeline, especially since some crew members were more accustomed to such a pace. Despite the pressure, DaCosta kept in mind her past experiences and how they had shaped her approach to difficult situations.

In 2013, DaCosta’s brother passed away while she was filming Big Worlds. The challenge of portraying a character in such a demanding role while dealing with a personal loss informed her later work on Not My Family.

"I had to pull from somewhere. And I was only on set for five days Monday through Friday. And those were the days that my brother was in a coma and we didn't know what was going on," she shared.

DaCosta further explained that she had a dream in which her brother told her goodbye before she flew to the island where he was.

“And so by the time Saturday came, I got on a plane, flew down to the island where he was, and handled all the business that needed to be handled.”

After the experience, DaCosta came out with a renewed sense of strength, believing she could handle anything that came her way. So, when she learned that Not My Family was scheduled to film over 13 days, she felt prepared.

“I learned so much about my body, the ability to [be like] a light switch, manage your emotional state, hold in an entire ocean of tears and laugh.”

The actress added:

"I didn't know that I could do that until I did it and it's much less dramatic, but I didn't know that I could do a film in 13 days where each scene I had one take and then watch it and actually like what I saw.”

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Not My Story: The Monique Smith Story: Cast, plot, and where to watch the movie

Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story tells the true story of Monique Smith, who discovers that the family she lived with in West Baltimore was not her biological family.

Starring Yaya DaCosta, the film premiered on Lifetime on April 12 at 8:00 p.m. The movie also features Solace Kimbro Jones, Robert Hamilton III, Kadeem Isaiah, Djassi DaCosta Johnson, and Morgan-Rose Jordan.