Rebecca da Costa (born May 9, 1984) is a Brazilian actress and model.

Early life and modelling career

Da Costa was born in Recife, capital of

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the ...

. She was educated at the Colégio Rui Barbosa, where she directed, wrote and starred in amateur theatrical productions. Of her physique she said, "Until I was 17 I thought I was ugly. I was very tall. At 13, I was 5'11″. I come from a part in Brazil where the average height for women is 5'3″. It wasn't fun at all to be the tallest one in school." Aged 14 she won a modeling contest in Recife and says, "It was amazing to see other girls like me—skinny, tall, different. That's when I started to get comfortable in my own skin, and by 17 I started to find my identity." At 14 she left home for

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

when she was taken on by

Elite Model Management Elite Model Management (MM) refers to two independent chain modeling agencies that originated as one in Paris, France in 1972 with subsequent locations in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London and Toronto. In 2004, the agencies in New York, Miami, ...

and began a ten-year modelling career. She is 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) tall. At age 16 she was invited to work at the

Milan Fashion Week Milan Fashion Week ( it, Settimana della moda) is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. The autumn/winter event is held in February/March of each year, and the spring/summer event is held in September/October of each year. It ...

and moved to Italy, working for Yves Saint Laurent,

Moschino Moschino () is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1983 by Franco Moschino in Milan known for over-the-top, campy designs. The company specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, and fashion accessories. History Founding and 1990s Franco ...

Armani Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine ...

DKNY DKNY is a New York City–based fashion house for men and women, founded in 1984 by Donna Karan. History Karan worked for 15 years at Anne Klein, including 10 as its head designer. In 1984 Karan and her late husband Stephan Weiss were offered t ...

Missoni Missoni is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Varese, and known for its colorful knitwear designs. The company was founded by Ottavio ("Tai") and Rosita Missoni in 1953. History Early beginnings The business was founded in 1953, when Ot ...

Hugo Boss Hugo Boss AG, often styled as BOSS, is a luxury fashion house headquartered in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company sells clothing, accessories, footwear, and fragrances. Hugo Boss is one of the largest German clothing compani ...

and

Escada Escada SE is a luxury women's designer clothing company headquartered in Munich, Germany. The company is owned by Regent, L.P., an international private equity firm led by investor Michael Reinstein. The company was founded in 1978 by designe ...

, and was the face of campaigns for

Swarovski Swarovski (, ) is an Austrian producer of glass based in Wattens, Austria, and has existed as a family-owned business since its founding in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal ...

Nokia Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, established in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finlan ...

, L'Oreal,

Chopard Le Petit-Fils de L.-U. Chopard & Cie S.A., commonly known as Chopard, is a Swiss manufacturer and retailer of luxury watches, jewellery and accessories. Founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in Sonvilier, Switzerland, Chopard has been owned by ...

and

Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toas ...

Filmography

Television

TV series

* 2009 - ''

Entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...

'' (

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

) - Beautiful Woman

Acting career

In 2008, Da Costa gave up modelling and moved to the United States to pursue an acting career. She enrolled at the

HB Studio The HB Studio (Herbert Berghof Studio) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization offering professional training in the performing arts through classes, workshops, free lectures, theater productions, theater rentals, a theater artist residency prog ...

in New York City and made her theater debut alongside

Brad Garrett Bradley Henry Gerstenfeld (born April 14, 1960), known professionally as Brad Garrett, is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Possessing a distinctive deep voice, he has appeared in numerous television and film roles in both live-action and ...

, in

stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...

. In 2009, she made her television debut in an episode of the American

series ''Entourage''. In 2010 she gained a role in the film ''Trick of the Witch'', directed by

Chris Morrissey Chris Morrissey (born c. 1980) is an American musician, currently living in Brooklyn, New York. Morrissey plays the bass and has played and recorded with a number of bands: * Mason Jennings * Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet * Mark Guiliana (playe ...

. Her first lead film role was in 2011 in the

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

''L.A. I Hate You'', starring

Malcolm McDowell Malcolm McDowell (born Malcolm John Taylor; 13 June 1943) is a British actor, producer, and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Alex DeLarge in '' A Clockwork Orange.'' He was born in the Horsforth suburb of Leeds and raised i ...

and William Forsythe, and later that year she starred in '' Freerunner'' alongside

Sean Faris Sean Faris (born March 25, 1982) is an American actor and model. He is known for his roles as Jake Tyler in ''Never Back Down'', Kyo Kusanagi in '' The King of Fighters'', and Rick Penning in '' Forever Strong''. He also played Tom in '' Ghost ...

. In 2012, she played in the film '' Seven Below'', co-starring with

Val Kilmer Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with '' Top Secret!'' (1984) and '' Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action fil ...

and

Ving Rhames Irving Rameses Rhames (born May 12, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his supporting roles as IMF Agent Luther Stickell in the ''Mission: Impossible'' film series and gang kingpin Marsellus Wallace in '' Pulp Fiction''. He also ...

, and in 2013 appeared in ''

Mine Games ''Mine Games'' (also known as ''The Evil Within'') is a 2012 American time-loop horror film directed by Richard Gray. It stars Joseph Cross, Briana Evigan, Julianna Guill, Rafi Gavron, Ethan Peck, Alex Meraz and Rebecca Da Costa. Plot A woman i ...

''.

''The Bag Man''

In 2014, Da Costa played in ''

The Bag Man ''The Bag Man'' (also known as ''Motel'' or ''The Carrier'') is a 2014 neo-noir crime thriller film directed by David Grovic. It is based on an original screenplay by James Russo and a rewrite by David Grovic and Paul Conway and an inspiration o ...

'', "a modern day

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

shot in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

as a femme fatale who becomes involved in a story of crime and suspense. She co-starred with

John Cusack John Paul Cusack (; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays '' Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and political activist. He is a son of filmmaker Dick Cusack, and his o ...

and

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

. The film premiered on February 28, 2014, in New York and Los Angeles.

''Breaking at the Edge''

In late 2014 Da Costa was the lead role in ''Breaking at the Edge'' as a manic–depressive pregnant woman who fears for her unborn child's life. The film also features

Milo Ventimiglia Milo Anthony Ventimiglia (, ; born July 8, 1977) is an American actor. Making his screen acting debut on ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' in 1995, he portrayed the lead role on the short-lived series '' Opposite Sex'' in 2000 before landing his br ...

and

Andie MacDowell Rosalie Anderson MacDowell (born April 21, 1958) is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell's known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. MacDowell has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman ...

. She said that preparing for the role she "talked to many psychiatrists. I didn't want to look like I was trying to play crazy."

Philanthropy

From her home in Los Angeles, Da Costa works wit
Kids with Autism
an
Common Ground HIV.
ref name=pum/>

Personal life

Da Costa has two brothers. Her father died in 2013. She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and English. She enjoys dancing, reading, cooking Brazilian dishes and writing. She was in a relationship for many years but broke up in 2013. Da Costa regularly practices

Transcendental Meditation Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes ...

and says, "It has been a gift to me."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Rebecca Da 1984 births Living people Actresses from Recife Brazilian television actresses Brazilian film actresses Brazilian female models Brazilian emigrants to the United States Brazilian expatriates in the United States