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.
0
0
2
0
0
3
0
0
4
0
0
5
0
0
6
0
0
7
0
0
8
0
0
9
0
1
0
0
1
1
0
1
2
0
1
3
0
1
4
0
1
5
Evicted from his squat and suddenly alone on the streets, George is a man without a home. Struggling...
More info0
1
6
An island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds or almost entirely. In this paradise, Red, a...
More info
Dora Welles is an imaginative college grad ready to experience all the excitement of life. Instead s...
More info0
1
7
0
1
8
0
1
9
An impoverished leader of a small religious commune in Miami is offered cash to save his family from...
More info0
2
0
Comedian and Trump lip-synching sensation Sarah Cooper tackles politics, race and other light topics...
More info0
2
1
A college professor takes her students hostage to force the passage of a bill that bans semi-automat...
More info0
2
2
0
2
3
A decades-spanning tale of love and resilience and of one woman's journey to independence. Celie fac...
More info0
2
4
0
2
5
The now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijac...
More info
Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through...
More info
Claire Clauster is the glue that holds her chaotic, lovable family together at the holidays. But thi...
More info0
2
6
0
2
7
0
2
8
0
2
9
0
3
0
0
3
1
Recent movies
| # | Name | Character | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bad Guys 2 (2025) | Kitty Kat (voice) | 8 | |
| 2 | A Minecraft Movie (2025) | Dawn | 6.2 | |
| 3 | Oh. What. Fun. (2025) | Morgan | 4 | |
| 4 | The Color Purple (2023) | Sofia | 6.5 | |
| 5 | All the Little Things We Kill (2021) | Claire Soto | - | - |
| 6 | Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine (2020) | Jordana Bachman | 6 | |
| 7 | Clemency (2019) | Evette Wilkinson | 6.7 | |
| 8 | The Day Shall Come (2019) | Venus Al Shabaz | 9 | |
| 9 | The Angry Birds Movie (2016) | Olive Blue / Monica the Crossing Guard (voice) | 6.6 | |
| 10 | I Dream Too Much (2016) | Abbey | 6 | |
| 11 | Time Out of Mind (2015) | Receptionist | 4.3 | |
| 12 | Fireproof (2008) | Young Catherine (voice) | 6 |
