Danielle Brooks
Biography
Danielle Brooks is an American actress. She gained widespread recognition for her role as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson on the television series Orange Is the New Black. Brooks also starred as Leota Adebayo in the HBO series Peacemaker, a role that played a central part in the show's balance of action, satire, and character-driven storytelling. Her work on Peacemaker marked a high-profile expansion into genre television tied to DC Comics. Brooks made her Broadway debut in 2015 as Sofia in the revival. She has appeared in numerous other television shows and films, with a total of 56 known credits.
Career overview
Danielle Brooks is an American actress with a diverse career spanning television, film, and Broadway. Her work on the television series Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019) brought her widespread recognition and established her as a major presence on television. The role of Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson became an emotional center of the series.
Brooks expanded her work into genre television tied to DC Comics with her starring role as Leota Adebayo in the HBO series Peacemaker. Her performance played a central role in the show's balance of action, satire, and character-driven storytelling. This high-profile expansion marked a significant development in her career.
Danielle Brooks made her Broadway debut in 2015 as Sofia in a revival. Her acting credits include numerous roles in television and film, with a total of 56 known credits. Born in Augusta, Georgia, USA, Brooks has established herself as a versatile and accomplished actress with a strong presence in the entertainment industry.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- A Minecraft Movie Squared (2027) as Dawn
- If I Go Will They Miss Me (2026) as Lozita
- If I Go Will They Miss Me (2026) Executive Producer
- The Bad Guys 2 (2025) as Kitty Kat (voice)
- A Minecraft Movie (2025) as Dawn
- Oh. What. Fun. (2025) as Morgan
- Family Recipe Showdown (2025) as Guest Judge
- The Color Purple (2023) as Sofia
- Oprah & The Color Purple Journey (2023) as Self
- The Jennifer Hudson Show (2022) as Self
- Sherri (2022) as Self - Guest
- Peacemaker (2022) as Leota Adebayo
- Top Chef VIP (2022) as Self
- Instant Dream Home (2022) as Self - Host
- Podly: The Peacemaker Podcast (2022) as Self
- Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising (2022) as Self
- Karma’s World (2021) as Dr. Lillie Carter-Grant (voice)
- Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021) as Mahalia Jackson
- Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021) Co-Executive Producer
- All the Little Things We Kill (2021) as Claire Soto
- Close Enough (2020) as Pearle Watson (voice)
- Bottomless Brunch at Colman's (2020) as Self
- Get Organized with The Home Edit (2020)
- Social Distance (2020) as Imani
- Eat Wheaties! (2020) as Wendy
- Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine (2020) as Jordana Bachman
- The Kelly Clarkson Show (2019) as Self - Guest
- Tamron Hall (2019) as Self - Guest
- The Day Shall Come (2019) as Venus Al Shabaz
- Clemency (2019) as Evette Wilkinson
- The Public's Much Ado About Nothing (2019) as Beatrice
- Sadie (2018) as Carla
- Steve (2017) as Self
- Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (2017) as Ruthless Ruth (voice)
- Straight/Curve: Redefining Body Image (2017) as Herself
- The Angry Birds Movie (2016) as Olive Blue / Monica the Crossing Guard (voice)
- I Dream Too Much (2016) as Abbey
- Lip Sync Battle (2015) as Self
- Master of None (2015) as Shannon
- Time Out of Mind (2015) as Receptionist
- The Same Difference (2015)
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self - Guest
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014) as Self - Guest
- Trailblazer Honors (2014) as Self - Honoree
- Orange Is the New Black (2013) as Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson
- Finding Your Roots (2012)
- Modern Love (2012) as Raimy
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (2009) as Self - Guest
- Fireproof (2008) as Young Catherine (voice)
- The One Show (2006) as Self
- Project Runway (2004) as Self
- Project Runway (2004) as Self - Guest Judge
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self
- The View (1997) as Self - Guest
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark (1988) as Self - Guest
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Bad Day
- Waller as Leota Adebayo