Danielle Brooks

Danielle Brooks

Brooks at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards
Born (1989-09-17) September 17, 1989
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Alma mater Juilliard School
Occupation Actress
Years active 2011–present

Danielle Brooks (born September 17, 1989) is an American actress best known for her role as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, and for her Tony Award nominated 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, in a Christian family, her father, a deacon, her mother, a minister.[1] She began acting at the age of six in a nativity play put on by her church.[2] For her final three years of high school, she attended South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities, a performing arts school.[1] She studied drama at the Juilliard School and graduated in 2011.[3]

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.[3] 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.[3] 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.[4] Brooks' performance in Orange Is the New Black has been praised by critics,[5] 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".[1] Brooks was upgraded from a recurring cast member to a series regular for the show's second season.[6]

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.[6]

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

Year Title Role Notes
2016 I Dream Too Much Abbey
2016 The Angry Birds Movie Olive Blue/Monica the Crossing Guard (voice)

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2012 Modern Love Raimy TV movie
2013 Black Girls Rock! 2013 Herself TV movie
2013–present Orange Is the New Black Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson Main Cast
2014 Girls Laura Episode: "Females Only"
2015 Master of None Shannon Episode: "Indians on TV"

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2014 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 Tony Award for 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

References

  1. 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.
  2. ↑ Soloski, Alexis (July 10, 2013). "Quick Route From Juilliard to Jail". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Abdulhamid, Yassmeen (September 2013). "Fame Is the New Reality for 'Orange' Actress". The Juilliard School. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  4. ↑ Andrews, Helena (September 9, 2013). "Danielle Brooks on Being 'Tasytee' and Staying Grounded". Ebony. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. 1 2 "Danielle Brooks Will Be 'The First Black Woman' On 'Girls'". The Huffington Post. September 15, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2014.

External links

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