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Danielle Brooks
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 B…
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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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
-
2027
A Minecraft Movie Squared
Movie Dawn
-
2026
Bad Day
Movie
-
2026
If I Go Will They Miss Me
Movie Lozita
-
2025
Oh. What. Fun.
Movie Morgan
-
2025
The Bad Guys 2
Movie Kitty Kat (voice)
-
2025
Family Recipe Showdown
TV show Guest Judge
-
2025
A Minecraft Movie
Movie Dawn
-
2023
Oprah & The Color Purple Journey
Movie Self
-
2023
The Color Purple
Movie Sofia
-
2022
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV show Self - Guest
-
2022
The Sherri Shepherd Show
TV show Self - Guest
-
2022
Instant Dream Home
TV show Self - Host
-
2022
Top Chef VIP
TV show Self
- 2022
-
2022
Peacemaker
TV show Leota Adebayo
-
2022
Podly: The Peacemaker Podcast
TV show Self
More credits
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2021
Karma’s World
TV show Dr. Lillie Carter-Grant (voice)
-
2021
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
Movie Mahalia Jackson
-
2021
All the Little Things We Kill
Movie Claire Soto
-
2020
Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine
Movie Jordana Bachman
-
2020
Social Distance
TV show Imani
-
2020
Eat Wheaties!
Movie Wendy
-
2020
Get Organized with The Home Edit
TV show
-
2020
Close Enough
TV show Pearle Watson (voice)
-
2020
Bottomless Brunch at Colman's
TV show Self
-
2019
Clemency
Movie Evette Wilkinson
-
2019
The Public's Much Ado About Nothing
Movie Beatrice
-
2019
The Day Shall Come
Movie Venus Al Shabaz
-
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV show Self - Guest
-
2019
Tamron Hall
TV show Self - Guest
-
2018
Sadie
Movie Carla
-
2017
Steve
TV show Self
-
2017
Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image
Movie Herself
-
2017
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
TV show Ruthless Ruth (voice)
-
2016
I Dream Too Much
Movie Abbey
-
2016
The Angry Birds Movie
Movie Olive Blue / Monica the Crossing Guard (voice)
-
2015
Master of None
TV show Shannon
-
2015
Time Out of Mind
Movie Receptionist
-
2015
The Same Difference
Movie
-
2015
Lip Sync Battle
TV show Self
