Flávia Alessandra Martins da Costa (born 7 June 1974) is a Brazilian actress, best known for roles in both telenovelas, television series and films.

Flávia Alessandra is daughter of a teacher, Raquel, and of a navy commander, Hélio.

She was born in Arraial do Cabo, state of Rio de Janeiro.

In 2001 she had her first protagonist role scheduled for the 9pm timeslot as Lívia Proença de Assunção in Porto dos Milagres, a telenovela created by Aguinaldo Silva and Ricardo Linhares.

The show gained so much success that it even launched cloth line and other accessories for the feminine population.