Danielle Brooks
Danielle Brittany Brooks (born September 17, 1989) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as prison inmate Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson on the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). In 2015, she made her Broadway debut in the musical revival of The Color Purple as Sofia, for which she received a nomination for the Tony Award and won the Grammy Award. In 2023, Brooks acted again as Sofia in Blitz Bazawule's film adaptation of the musical The Color Purple, being nominated for the Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA Award.
Danielle Brooks | |
|---|---|
Brooks in 2014 | |
| Born | Danielle Brittany Brooks September 17, 1989 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Spouse |
Dennis Gelin (m. 2022) |
| Children | 1 |
After appearing in the HBO series Girls (2014), Netflix's Master of None (2015–2017), and the animated sitcom Close Enough (2020–2022), in 2021, she received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Television Movie as an executive producer on Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia. In 2022, she hosted Netflix's reality series Instant Dream Home and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Program Host. The same year Brooks starred in the superhero series Peacemaker (2022–present), and returned to Broadway in the revival of the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson.