Danielle Brooks

Danielle Brooks
Born (1989-09-17) September 17, 1989
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Education Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 2011–present

Danielle Brooks (born September 17, 1989) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black. She received a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of Sofia in the 2015 Broadway production of The Color Purple.

Early life and education

Brooks was born in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in Greenville, South Carolina,[1] in a Christian family; her father was a deacon, and her mother, a minister.[2] She began acting at the age of six in a nativity play put on by her church.[3] For her final two years of high school, she attended South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities, a selective arts high school.[2] She studied drama at the Juilliard School and graduated in 2011.[4]

Career

After graduating from Juilliard, Brooks won roles in two theater productions: the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Servant of Two Masters, and Blacken the Bubble. She left both productions in 2013 to join the cast of the Netflix-produced television series Orange Is the New Black, a show about a women's prison based on Piper Kerman's memoir of the same name, as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson.[4] Her character Taystee was originally intended to be featured in the show for only two episodes, but ended up being written into the rest of the first season and then into the seasons that followed.[4] Taystee's on-screen best friend Poussey is played by Samira Wiley, with whom Brooks has been friends since they met while studying together at Juilliard.[5] Brooks' performance in Orange Is the New Black has been praised by critics,[6] with one writer from The Daily Beast calling her "the breakout actress of the show and one of the most refreshing and exciting new talents of 2013."[2] Brooks was upgraded from a recurring cast member to a series regular for the show's second season.[7]

In September 2013, Brooks was cast in a Season 3 episode of the HBO series Girls, where she played the first black woman on the show.[7]

On May 27, 2015, the media announced that Brooks would make her Broadway debut in the upcoming fall 2015 revival of The Color Purple as Sofia. The musical opened on December 10 at the Bernard B. Jacobs, to critical acclaim. Brooks received praise for her performance, and received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015I Dream Too MuchAbbey
2016The Angry Birds MovieOlive Blue/Monica the Crossing Guard (voice)

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012Modern LoveRaimyTV movie
2013Black Girls Rock! 2013HerselfTV movie
2013–presentOrange Is the New BlackTasha "Taystee" JeffersonMain Cast
2014GirlsLauraEpisode: "Females Only"
2015–2017Master of NoneShannon3 episodes
2016Lasso & CometComet (voice)Pilot
2017Tangled: The Series Ruthless Ruth (voice)Episode: "The Wrath of Ruthless Ruth"
2018Project Runway All Stars 5 HerselfEpisode: "Damsels in Distress"
2018High Maintenance Brooklyn Real Estate AgentSeason 2 Episode: "Namaste"
2018Elena of AvalorCharice (voice)Season 2 Episode: "A Lava Story"

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
2013 Young Hollywood Award Breakthrough Actress Orange is the New Black Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
2015 Won
2016 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical The Color Purple Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Nominated
Theatre World Award Honoree
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Orange is the New Black Won
2017 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album The Color Purple Won

References

  1. ↑ How I became an actress and advocate: Danielle Brooks Retrieved 2018-06-21.
  2. 1 2 3 Fallon, Kevin (December 11, 2013). "Danielle Brooks, Taystee on 'Orange Is the New Black,' Is the Breakout Star of the Year". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  3. ↑ Soloski, Alexis (July 10, 2013). "Quick Route From Juilliard to Jail". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Abdulhamid, Yassmeen (September 2013). "Fame Is the New Reality for 'Orange' Actress". The Juilliard School. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  5. ↑ Andrews, Helena (September 9, 2013). "Danielle Brooks on Being 'Tasytee' and Staying Grounded". Ebony. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  6. ↑ Henderson, Samantha (August 29, 2013). "Danielle Brooks of 'Orange Is The New Black': 'We Weren't Going To Sugarcoat Things'". Out. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Danielle Brooks Will Be 'The First Black Woman' On 'Girls'". The Huffington Post. September 15, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
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