Danielle Brooks

Known for ActingBorn 1989-09-17 (age 36)Augusta, Georgia, USA

Danielle Brooks is an American actress whose work spans television, film, and Broadway. She first gained widespread recognition as Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson on Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019), a role that became one of the series’ emotional centers and established her as a major presence on television. She later reached a broader mainstream audience starring as Leota Adebayo in James Gunn’s HBO series Peacemaker, where her performance played a central role in the show’s balance of action, satire, and character-driven storytelling. The series marked a high-profile expansion of her work into genre television tied to DC Comics. Brooks made her Broadway debut in 2015 as Sofia in the revival of The Color Purple, earning a Tony Award nomination and winning a Grammy Award with the cast. She reprised the role in the 2023 film adaptation, a performance that brought her nominations from the Academy Awards, BAFTA, and Golden Globes, solidifying her transition into major film roles. Alongside acting, Brooks has taken on producing and hosting work. She portrayed Mahalia Jackson in the television biopic Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021), serving as an executive producer and earning a Primetime Emmy nomination. She later hosted Netflix’s Instant Dream Home, receiving a Daytime Emmy nomination for her work as a program host. Brooks has continued to balance screen and stage appearances, returning to Broadway in August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson and starring in the fantasy adventure comedy A Minecraft Movie, further expanding her range across genres.Read more

Movies & web series

Family Recipe Showdown

Bottomless Brunch at Colman's

Peacemaker

Close Enough

The Bad Guys 2

Orange Is the New Black

Fireproof

The Public's Much Ado About Nothing

Trailblazer Honors

Master of None

Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

Karma’s World

The Color Purple

Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image

Top Chef VIP

Sadie

Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia

Get Organized with The Home Edit

Instant Dream Home

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Lip Sync Battle

The Oscars

A Minecraft Movie

Clemency

The Angry Birds Movie

Social Distance

The Daily Show

Project Runway

Finding Your Roots

Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising

Steve

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Day Shall Come

Oh. What. Fun.

The Jennifer Hudson Show

Eat Wheaties!

Time Out of Mind

Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

I Dream Too Much

Tamron Hall

The One Show

The View

All the Little Things We Kill

Oprah & The Color Purple Journey