Danielle Brooks

Danielle Brooks is an American actress born on September 17, 1989. She gained widespread public recognition for her performance as Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson in the television series Orange Is the New Black. Over her career, she has performed extensively across television, film, and theater, earning a Grammy Award alongside nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Emmy Awards.

Brooks was born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in Simpsonville, South Carolina, in a Christian household. Her mother worked as a teacher and minister, while her father was a deacon and factory worker. She began acting at six years old in a church nativity play. She later attended the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities for her final two high school years. Named a 2007 YoungArts alumnus, she went on to study drama at the Juilliard School, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2011.

Following her graduation, Brooks performed in stage productions including Servant of Two Masters and Blacken the Bubble. In 2013, she joined the cast of the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. Originally slated for a two-episode guest arc, her character was expanded into a regular role across the series. Her portrayal brought her broad critical acclaim, three Screen Actors Guild Ensemble Awards, and multiple NAACP Image Award nominations. During this period, she made guest and recurring appearances on television series such as Girls and Master of None, and made her feature film debut in Time Out of Mind.

In 2015, Brooks made her Broadway debut playing Sofia in a revival of the musical The Color Purple, earning a Tony Award nomination and winning a Grammy Award. She returned to the stage in 2019 in Much Ado About Nothing and released her debut single, "Black Woman." She executive produced and played the title role in the 2021 biographical television film Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. In 2022, she hosted the reality series Instant Dream Home, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination, joined the superhero series Peacemaker as Leota Adebayo, and starred in a Broadway revival of The Piano Lesson, receiving a Drama Desk Award nomination.

Brooks achieved further major honors when she reprised her role as Sofia in the 2023 feature film adaptation of The Color Purple. Her performance earned her nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her other screen work includes voice roles in projects like Karma's World and The Bad Guys 2, as well as feature films such as Eat Wheaties! and A Minecraft Movie.

In her personal life, Brooks gave birth to a daughter in November 2019 and married Dennis Gelin in January 2022. She also became an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority in July 2025.