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Danielle Brooks

Danielle Brooks

Acting
Born: Sep 17, 1989
From: Augusta, Georgia, USA
Credits: 30 titles

Biography

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 …

Filmography

Title Character Year Rating
A Minecraft Sequel Dawn 2027
If I Go Will They Miss Me Lozita 2026
A Minecraft Movie Dawn 2025 6.257
Oh. What. Fun. Morgan 2025 5.589
The Bad Guys 2 Kitty Kat (voice) 2025 7.647
The Color Purple Sofia 2023 7.007
Oprah & The Color Purple Journey Self 2023 3.3
Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising Self 2022 6.0
All the Little Things We Kill Claire Soto 2021 4.0
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia Mahalia Jackson 2021 6.7
Karma’s World TV Dr. Lillie Carter-Grant (voice) 2021 7.2
Eat Wheaties! Wendy 2020 5.5
Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine Jordana Bachman 2020 5.4
Get Organized with The Home Edit TV 2020 6.6
The Day Shall Come Venus Al Shabaz 2019 5.721
Clemency Evette Wilkinson 2019 6.3
The Public's Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice 2019 7.5
Sadie Carla 2018 6.8
Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image Herself 2017 7.0
I Dream Too Much Abbey 2016 4.8
The Angry Birds Movie Olive Blue / Monica the … 2016 6.257
Time Out of Mind Receptionist 2015 5.6
The Same Difference 2015 2.7
Late Night with Seth Meyers TV Self 2014 5.2
Orange Is the New Black TV Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson 2013 7.645
Modern Love Raimy 2012
Fireproof Young Catherine (voice) 2008 7.675
Project Runway TV Self 2004 6.273
The Daily Show TV Self 1996 6.427
Bad Day
Quick Facts
Known forActing
Credits30
Born1989
FromAugusta, Georgia, USA