Danielle Brooks

Biography

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.

Review Highlights

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Selected Filmography

• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon(2014)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen(2009)TV Series · 3 epsas Self - Guest
• The Daily Show(1996)TV Series · 1 epas Self
• Late Night with Seth Meyers(2014)TV Series · 2 epsas Self - Guest
• The Kelly Clarkson Show(2019)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
• Project Runway(2004)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest Judge
• The Jennifer Hudson Show(2022)TV Series · 1 epas Self
• Sherri(2022)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
• The View(1997)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
• Orange Is the New Black(2013)TV Series · 89 epsas Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!(2003)TV Series · 2 epsas Self
• Peacemaker(2022)TV Series · 16 epsas Leota Adebayo
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark(1988)TV Series · 2 epsas Self - Guest
• The One Show(2006)TV Series · 1 epas Self
• Steve(2017)TV Series · 1 epas Self
• Tamron Hall(2019)TV Series · 1 epas Self - Guest
• The Bad Guys 2(2025)as Kitty Kat (voice)
• Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure(2017)TV Series · 1 epas Ruthless Ruth (voice)
• The Oscars(1953)TV Series · 1 epas Self
• Lip Sync Battle(2015)TV Series · 1 epas Self