Why Andrea Freemann From The Lincoln Lawyer Looks So Familiar

"The Lincoln Lawyer" started out as a star-studded film version of Michael Connelly's legal thriller novel, starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller, a defense attorney with a mobile office at the back of his Lincoln Town Car. In the movie, Haller becomes entangled in a particularly difficult — and life-threatening — murder case. However, "The Lincoln Lawyer" the book is but one in a whole series of novels that center on Haller, and as such, the character was basically screaming for a TV series. 

Netflix's "The Lincoln Lawyer" has given fans precisely that. With Manuel Garcia-Rulfo taking over the role of Haller, the show's first two seasons explore the second and fourth novels in Connelly's series, which gives the opportunity to add new recurring characters as Haller's cases change and progress. Season 2 introduces the viewers to Andrea Freemann, a talented and confident prosecutor who has what it takes to challenge Haller. If you think she seems somewhat familiar, you're absolutely right. She's played by Yaya DaCosta, who's built a stellar acting résumé over the last two decades. Here's a look at some of the shows and movies you may have seen her in.

In an interview with Oprah Daily, Yaya DaCosta described the choices that led her to a career as an actor. "When I was in undergrad, I toyed with the idea of going to law school afterward," she said. "But I decided, once and for all, to see if I could really make this childhood dream happen — I first started acting in educational films in junior high school. I wanted to give it a shot before I decided to do anything else. It took a few years for that level of confidence to really take root, like, 'Actually, this is what I do, this is one of the things I am meant to do. And no, I'm not gonna go back to school'."

During her earliest times in front of the camera, DaCosta was actually modeling instead of acting. She was one of the 14 contestants vying for huge prizes and a modeling contract in 2004's "America's Next Top Model" Season 3. Though she made it to the finale, she ultimately ended up losing to Eva Pigford — who, incidentally, also later became an actor as Eva Marcille. 

DaCosta's acting career started soon after her "America's Next Top Model" success with an appearance on the UPN sitcom "Eve" and a major role opposite Antonio Banderas and Alfre Woodard in Liz Friedlander's dance drama "Take the Lead." However, even greater success was waiting in her future. 

Yaya DaCosta didn't have to wait too long for a major role. In 2008 — just a few years after she started acting — she landed the role of Cassandra Foster in the ABC soap opera "All My Children." An adopted daughter of Angela Hubbard (Debbi Morgan) and Jacob Foster (Darnell Williams), the infant version of the character actually debuted in the Morgan Fairchild-starring ABC daytime drama "The City" in 1997. 

The 18-year-old DaCosta version of the character entered "All My Children" in 2008. During her 44 episodes portraying Cassandra, DaCosta was a significant part of the show — and though her character departed for Paris before the year was over, Cassandra's legacy would live on in the series. In fact, an adult version of the character (now played by Sal Stowers) returns in the series in 2013, in a storyline that's even darker than anything in the DaCosta era ... which is saying something, seeing as the character's 2008 adventures already included a murder investigation. 

YaYa DaCosta's character in "All My Children" was eventually taken over by another actor, but in "Ugly Betty," she became the one who stepped in the shoes of a character made famous by another performer. The ABC comedy-drama about Betty Suarez (America Ferrera), an inexperienced personal assistant in a high-fashion magazine, ran for four seasons, and DaCosta's (eventual) character technically already plays a sizeable part in Season 1. Nico Slater (Jowharah Jones) is a rebellious boarding school kid who arrives in New York to clash with her mother, Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams). Nico returns in Season 4, now played by DaCosta. This time, she has leveled up into a schemer that rivals Wilhelmina and is responsible for some of the season's most shocking moments. 

Interestingly enough, "The Lincoln Lawyer" features a surprising "Ugly Betty" reunion: Apart from DaCosta, Becki Newton (who plays Lorna Crane in the Netflix show) was also part of the "Ugly Betty" cast, playing receptionist Amanda Tanen. The reunion was a fun one, to say the least. "We saw each other in the trailer and squealed. It was so good," DaCosta said in an interview with Netflix's Tudum. 

2015 was a big year for Yaya DaCosta for more than one reason. Apart from playing Whitney Houston in the Angela Bassett-directed Lifetime movie "Whitney," she joined the One Chicago universe as nurse April Sexton, one of the main characters in "Chicago Med." April is a constant presence in the show's first six seasons, and after a one-season period of absence, she returns as a recurring character for Season 8. Over her appearances in "Chicago Med," "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago P.D.," April has become one of the most recognizable characters in the franchise, and her romance with Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee) has given fans one of the greatest couples in "Chicago Med." 

The major role was a learning experience for DaCosta. In an interview with Black Film, she revealed that she had very little knowledge of medicine going into the show — but this was promptly fixed during the crash course the actors received before filming started. 

"I literally knew nothing," she said. "We went through some really intense training. Spending time in the hospital, shadowing doctors and nurses in scrubs. We were introduced to the nurses as med students, so we didn't throw anyone off. Occasionally somebody would recognize you but it was great to be taken seriously as a med student and be able to get really up close and personal to the procedures that were being done. So when it came time to film, it helped me get a little less uncomfortable."