Danielle Brooks

Born September 17, 1989, Danielle Brooks is an American actress and singer, who first came to prominence with her role as Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019). She embarked on her Broadway journey in 2015 with the musical revival of The Color Purple as Sofia, earning her a Tony nomination and a Grammy Award. In 2023, Brooks reprised her role in the film adaptation of The Color Purple, drawing nominations for an Academy Award, British Academy Film Award, and Golden Globe Award. In 2021, she played gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in the made-for-television biographical film Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia which fetched her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Television Movie as an executive producer.

In 2022, she hosted Netflix's reality series Instant Dream Home and received nomination for a Daytime Emmy Award. That year also saw her in the superhero series Peacemaker and back to Broadway in the revival of the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson. Born and raised in a Christian family, Brooks had started acting when she was just six and has, since then, graced numerous theater productions, films, and TV series. She graduated from Juilliard School in 2011 and went on to win roles in two theater productions, moving on to the Netflix-produced television series Orange Is the New Black. Brooks' vibrant and diversified career embodies her skill and passion for performance, inspiring audiences all around the world.