Danielle Brooks

Danielle Brooks was born on September 17, 1989, in Augusta, Georgia, and later grew up in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Her performing career began early, acting in a church nativity play at the age of six. She pursued formal training at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts & Humanities, a selective arts high school, and is a 2007 YoungArts alumnus. Brooks then attended and graduated from The Juilliard School in 2011 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama. After her graduation from Juilliard, she quickly transitioned into professional acting roles.

Brooks gained significant recognition for her breakthrough role as Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson in the Netflix comedy-drama series “Orange Is the New Black,” which ran from 2013 to 2019. Initially, her character was slated for only two episodes but was expanded due to her performance. During her time on the show, she also ventured into other projects, including making her Broadway debut in 2015 as Sofia in the revival of “The Color Purple,” a role that earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Her career expanded further with roles in films like “The Angry Birds Movie” (2016), “Clemency” (2019), and several television series.

Transitioning into the 2020s, Brooks continued to build on her achievements. In 2021, she starred as gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in the Lifetime film “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia,” for which she received multiple nominations, including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination as an executive producer. The same year, she began voice acting as Dr. Lillie Carter-Grant in the animated series “Karma’s World.” Her role as Leota Adebayo in James Gunn’s Max superhero series “Peacemaker” (2022–2025) further showcased her range. In 2023, Brooks reprised her role as Sofia in the film adaptation of “The Color Purple,” a performance that garnered her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, a British Academy Film Award nomination, and a Golden Globe Award nomination. She is also set to appear in “A Minecraft Movie” (2025) and voice Kitty Kat in “The Bad Guys 2” (2025), reflecting her ongoing success in diverse entertainment projects.