Danielle Brooks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danielle Brooks
Brooks in 2014
Born	(1989-09-17) September 17, 1989 (age 35) Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Education	Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2009–present
Spouse(s)	Dennis Gelin ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	1

Danielle Brooks (born September 17, 1989) is a talented American actress. She first became well-known on television. Later, she also starred in theater and movies. Danielle has won a Grammy Award. She has also been nominated for many other big awards. These include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award.

Her big break came when she played Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson. This was in the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). She then made her Broadway debut in the musical The Color Purple (2015). For this role, she was nominated for a Tony Award and won a Grammy Award. She played the same role again in the 2023 movie The Color Purple. This earned her nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

In 2021, Danielle played the famous singer Mahalia Jackson in the Lifetime movie Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia. She was also an executive producer for this film. In 2022, she hosted the Netflix show Instant Dream Home. She also starred in the superhero series Peacemaker. That same year, she returned to Broadway in the play The Piano Lesson. Danielle is also known for her role in the Netflix comedy Master of None (2015–2017). She will also appear in A Minecraft Movie in 2025.

Early Life and Education

Danielle Brooks was born in Augusta, Georgia. She grew up in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Her family was Christian. Her father, Dunnel, worked for BMW and was a deacon at their church. Her mother, LaRita, was a teacher and a minister. Danielle started acting when she was six years old. Her first role was in a nativity play at her church.

For her last two years of high school, she went to a special arts school. This was the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities. She also took part in the YoungArts program in 2007. After high school, she studied drama at the Juilliard School. She graduated in 2011 with a degree in Fine Arts.

Career Highlights

Becoming a Star: 2013–2019

Danielle Brooks with the cast of Orange is the New Black in 2014

After finishing school at Juilliard, Danielle got roles in two theater plays. But she left them in 2013 to join the TV show Orange Is the New Black. This Netflix show was about a women's prison. Danielle played a character named Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson. Her character was only supposed to be in two episodes at first. But she was so good that they kept her for the rest of the first season and all future seasons.

Even while starring in the show, Danielle had a second job. She said in an interview that her pay was lower than some child actors on other big shows. Danielle's best friend on the show, Poussey, was played by Samira Wiley. They were friends in real life too, from their time at Juilliard.

Critics really liked Danielle's acting on the show. One writer called her "the breakout actress of the show." She became a regular cast member for the second season. For her role, she was nominated for three NAACP Image Awards. She also won a Young Hollywood Awards for Breakthrough Actress in 2014. Plus, she won three Screen Actors Guild Awards with the rest of the cast.

In 2013, Danielle also appeared in an episode of the HBO series Girls. She was the first African-American actress on that show. The next year, she was in her first movie, Time Out of Mind. In 2015, she starred in the comedy-drama I Dream Too Much. She also appeared in the Netflix series Master of None from 2015 to 2017.

Danielle also did voice-over work for The Angry Birds Movie in 2016. She later appeared in movies like Sadie (2018) and Clemency (2019).

Danielle made her Broadway debut in 2015. She played Sofia in the musical The Color Purple. She performed alongside Jennifer Hudson and Cynthia Erivo. Critics praised her performance. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2019, she played Beatrice in a play called Much Ado About Nothing. She also released her first song, "Black Woman," in 2019.

Recent Work: 2020–Present

In 2020, Danielle co-starred in the comedy movie Eat Wheaties!. In 2021, she played gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in a TV movie about her life. This movie was called Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia. Danielle was also an executive producer for this film. She received several nominations for her work on it.

From 2021 to 2022, Danielle voiced a character named Dr. Lillie Carter-Grant. This was for the animated series Karma's World. In 2022, she joined the cast of James Gunn's superhero series Peacemaker. She played Leota Adebayo, the daughter of a character named Amanda Waller. James Gunn, the show's creator, wrote the role specifically for Danielle. This role earned her a Saturn Award nomination.

In 2022, Danielle also starred in a Broadway play called The Piano Lesson. She played the role of Berniece. She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her performance. Also in 2022, Danielle hosted the Netflix reality show Instant Dream Home. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for being an outstanding host.

In 2023, Danielle starred in the movie The Color Purple. This film was based on the musical she had performed in on Broadway. Critics loved her performance. One critic said her acting was "spellbinding." Another called her "incredible." Her role earned her nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

Danielle will also appear in A Minecraft Movie and will voice Kitty Kat in The Bad Guys 2.

Personal Life

On July 2, 2019, Danielle announced she was expecting her first child. In November, she gave birth to a baby girl. She married Dennis Gelin in January 2022 in Miami, Florida.

On July 9, 2025, Danielle became an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated..

Acting Roles

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Danielle Brooks has been in:

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Recognition

Danielle Brooks has received many awards and nominations for her acting. Here are some of her most notable achievements:

• She won a Grammy Award in 2017 for The Color Purple (Best Musical Theater Album).
• She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 2023 film The Color Purple.
• She received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination as an executive producer for Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia in 2021.
• She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for The Color Purple in 2016.
• She won three Screen Actors Guild Awards with the cast of Orange Is the New Black for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2014, 2015, 2016).
• She won the Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Actress in 2013 for Orange Is the New Black.

See also

In Spanish: Danielle Brooks para niños

• African-American Tony nominees and winners