Acting
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.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014 · TV
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019 · TV
Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014 · TV
The Daily Show
1996 · TV
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009 · TV
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022 · TV
Orange Is the New Black
2013 · TV
The View
1997 · TV
Project Runway
2004 · TV
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988 · TV
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003 · TV
A Minecraft Movie
2025 · Movie
Sherri
2022 · TV
Peacemaker
2022 · TV
The One Show
2006 · TV
Tamron Hall
2019 · TV
The Bad Guys 2
2025 · Movie
Steve
2017 · TV
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
2017 · TV
Lip Sync Battle
2015 · TV
The Oscars
1953 · TV
Finding Your Roots
2012 · TV
Close Enough
2020 · TV
The Angry Birds Movie
2016 · Movie
Master of None
2015 · TV
A Minecraft Movie Squared
2027 · Movie
Trailblazer Honors
2014 · TV
The Color Purple
2023 · Movie
Fireproof
2008 · Movie
Bottomless Brunch at Colman's
2020 · TV
Oh. What. Fun.
2025 · Movie
Get Organized with The Home Edit
2020 · TV
Top Chef VIP
2022 · TV
Social Distance
2020 · TV
Eat Wheaties!
2020 · Movie
Karma’s World
2021 · TV
Clemency
2019 · Movie
Time Out of Mind
2015 · Movie
If I Go Will They Miss Me
2026 · Movie
Family Recipe Showdown
2025 · TV
Sadie
2018 · Movie
Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine
2020 · Movie
The Day Shall Come
2019 · Movie
Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising
2022 · Movie
Instant Dream Home
2022 · TV
Podly: The Peacemaker Podcast
2022 · TV
Oprah & The Color Purple Journey
2023 · Movie
The Public's Much Ado About Nothing
2019 · Movie
All the Little Things We Kill
2021 · Movie
Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image
2017 · Movie
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
2021 · Movie
I Dream Too Much
2016 · Movie
The Same Difference
2015 · Movie
