DB
Danielle Brooks
ActorBorn September 17, 1989 (35 years)
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 reprised her role as Sofia in the film adaptation of The Color Purple and was nominated for an Academy Award, British Academy Film Award, and Golden Globe Award for her performance.
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.
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.
Filmography
| 2025 | The Bad Guys 2 · as Kitty Kat |
| 2025 | A Minecraft Movie · as Dawn |
| 2023 | The Color Purple · as Sofia |
| 2022 | Peacemaker (TV Series) · as Leota Adebayo |
| 2021 | Karma's World (TV Series) · as Dr. Lillie Carter-Grant |
| 2021 | Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia · as Mahalia Jackson |
| 2020 | Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine · as Jordana Bachman |
| 2020 | Social Distance (TV Series) · as Imani |
| 2020 | Eat Wheaties! · as Wendy |
| 2020 | Close Enough (TV Series) · as Pearle |
| 2019 | Clemency · as Evette Wilkinson |
| 2019 | The Public's Much Ado About Nothing · as Beatrice |
| 2019 | The Day Shall Come · as Venus |
| 2019 | All the Little Things We Kill · as Claire Soto |
| 2018 | Sadie · as Carla |
| 2017 | Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (TV Series) · as Ruthless Ruth |
| 2016 | High Maintenance (2016) (TV Series) · as Regine |
| 2016 | Elena of Avalor (TV Series) · as Charica |
| 2016 | The Angry Birds Movie · as Olive Blue |
| 2015 | I Dream Too Much · as Abbey |
| 2015 | Master of None (TV Series) · as Shannon |
| 2014 | Time Out of Mind · as Receptionist |
| 2014 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (TV Series) · as Tasha 'taystee' Jefferson |
| 2013 | Orange Is the New Black (TV Series) · as Tasha 'taystee' Jefferson |
| 2012 | Girls (TV Series) · as Laura |
| 1971 | Great Performances (TV Series) · as Beatrice |