Dayan Kodua

Dayan Kodua (born 7 September 1980) is a German actress, author and model of Ghanaian descent. In 2001, she became the first and only black woman to win a beauty contest in Germany. She has starred in a number of American and German movies and was honored ambassador for the African continent in Germany in 2005.

Early life and education Kodua was ten years old when her family relocated from Ghana to build a better future in Germany. She belongs to the "Ashanti" (warriors) tribe. German became her second mother tongue alongside her Akan language Twi; later she also mastered English and French. As a teenager, she sang and was a background dancer for Chris de Burgh, Sasha, Lou Bega, Haddaway, Right Said Fred and a few others.

At Kiel University of Applied Sciences, Kodua obtained a degree to become a state-certified economics assistant. She later pursued her passion to study acting at the Coaching Company Berlin. And then furthered at the Theater of Arts and Howard Fine Acting Studio in Los Angeles. Bookings for the fashion designers Thierry Mugler, Escada and Versace followed. She then began studying at the Coaching Company in Berlin. And she trained at Howard Fine, Theater of Arts and Tasha Smith Studio in Los Angeles.

In America, Kodua worked in major productions such as Boston Legal, Passions, and the feature films Crank and Lords of the Underworld.

She has also appeared in a number of German films and TV series, , Balko, Wolffs Revier, and Auf Herz und Nieren. In 2011, she took over Hannes Jaenicke and Anne Will a voice in the video game "AJABU – The legacy of the ancestors".

Personal life As of December 2014, she had a three-year-old son. The protagonists from politics and business, art and culture, science and sports report how they made it to the top. They are role models and show that, regardless of skin color and origin, you can achieve anything if you only believe in yourself. She also authored a children's book titled Odo which was published in 2010.

In 2014, she was nominated for the "Emotion Award" and won the Nana Yaa Asantewaa Award in the Media category.

Filmography (selection)

Television 2002: Wenn zwei sich trauen 2003: Wahnsinnsweiber 2003: 2003: Balko – Death of a Driving Instructor 2008: Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst 2008: Dr. Molly & Karl – His Fight 2009: Der Dicke – Behind Closed Doors 2010: Unter Verdacht – The Elegant Solution 2011: Die Pfefferkörner – Enslaved 2015: Männer! Alles auf Anfang – Men Economy 2016: Phoenixsee (6 episodes) 2016: Eltern allein zu Haus – Die Winters 2017: Tatort – In the End You Go Naked

Cinema 2004: The Stoning 2005: Lords of the Underworlds 2006: Crank 2007: 2012: Die elegante Lösung 2016: T.H.U.G: True Hustler Under God

University and Short Films 2006: In other Words 2009: Fremdenzimmer 2009: Peripheres Verlangen 2010: Wenn Bäume Puppen tragen

Theatre 2007: Diverting Devotion 2007: Barefoot in the Park 2013: Mephisto