Career Conversations with Danielle Brooks currently starring in The Color Purple. Moderated by BroadwayWorld.com’s Richard Ridge of “Backstage with Richard Ridge!”
Danielle Brooks can currently be seen onstage in the moving revival of The Color Purple, starring opposite Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson. Brooks makes her Broadway debut as the strong and fierce “Sofia,” who symbolizes resilience for Erivo’s “Celie.” The musical debuted to rave reviews and is currently in its run at Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.
Brooks is best known for her role as “Tasha ‘Taystee’ Jefferson” in the Netflix Emmy-nominated series, Orange is the New Black. Brooks and the cast received a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2015 & 2016 for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series” and Danielle was the recipient of the Young Hollywood Award for “Breakthrough Actress.” The fourth season will premiere in Summer 2016.
Brooks has also appeared in HBO’s Girls and Aziz Ansari’s Netflix comedy series, Master of None. On the big screen, Brooks voiced a character for Sony’s Angry Birds set to be released May 2016, and has previously starred in Oren Moverman’s Time Out of Mind and the independent feature, I Dream Too Much, which premiered at SXSW in 2015.
Brooks, also a singer and songwriter, released her holiday medley “Jolly Christmas Medley” with indie rock band “Oh Honey” and Orange is the New Black co-star, Uzo Aduba which quickly became an internet sensation.
Brooks grew up in South Carolina and is a graduate of The Juilliard School. She currently resides in New York.