Or perhaps you have seen her as Sofia in the 2023 revival of “The Color Purple.”
As she said In a 2017 interview withThe Daily Beast, “I’m just so grateful.
But then … why not me?”
Danielle Brooks was born and raised in the South
Danielle Brooks is originally from the American South.
“I’ve always known I wanted to be an actress,” she toldUSA Todayin 2017.
In fact, she started singing gospel songs when she was 6 years old.
Here, she obtained a degree in drama from the private four-year performing arts college.
This needs to be my way of income," she previously told USA Today.
“This is also a business, and I can make money doing what I love.
So I had to buckle down and get serious about something that I found pure joy in.
I somehow managed to figure that out.”
The show ran for seven seasons and has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
At first, Brooks was only set to star in a few episodes.
However, after impressing the directors, she quicklyjoined the cast as a series regular.
The public was also impressed with Brooks in her role as Taystee.
“It goes there.
Amid her ongoing portrayal of fan favorite Taystee, Brooks also went back to her theater roots.
Brooks starred as Sofia in the beloved musical, which opened in December 2015.
Other big names in the production included Cynthia Erivo,Jennifer Hudson, and Isaiah Johnson.
“Sofia is resilient and strong, but I feel that now that has just multiplied inside of me.
I’m just very grateful to now be owning my power.
And I thank Sofia for that.”
On top of this, Brooks also received an individual Tony nomination.
Interestingly enough, she would receive another big nomination for portraying Sofia years later and in a different medium.
In a commercial that aired that year, Brooks declared, “Dare to be sexy!”
“They really did come from things that I wanted to have in my closet.
“I’m happily pregnant!”
she said in an Instagram post at the time (viaUs Weekly).
“When one chapter ends, another begins.
… 5 months in!”
Brooks gave birth to a baby girl named Freeya on November 16.
Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd also heightened her fears at the time.
However, now that she’s had Freeya, Brooks has changed her outlook.
“There’s one better human being in this world.
It’s work on the parents' part to show our kids love.
Motherhood has been good.
It feels good on me.”
In fact, Brooks met Gelin through a mutual friend during a game night she had at her house.
“I perked up and said ‘Why yes, thank you.’
And then we proceeded to talk.
He kept complimenting me on my dimples and how beautiful I was.
I was drawn in by his smile and beautiful rich skin.”
Their wedding took place in Miami at the Alfred DuPont Building.
According toPeople, the couple also included their 2-year-old daughter, who was a flower girl during the ceremony.
Since then, the couple has continued to give a shot to keep their relationship away from media attention.
“He was a fan,” she toldthe publicationin 2022.
“And he wrote this part with me in mind.
I was really excited because first of all, I just had a child.
Working was very important, because now we have a new mouth to feed.
Between all of these projects and recently getting married, 2022 was a busy year for Brooks!
Here, Danielle Brooks had another opportunity to play Sofia.
While she previously played Sofia on Broadway, she now reprised the roleOprah Winfreyoriginally played in the 1985 film.
In fact, both Spielberg and Winfrey helped co-produce the 2023 remake, which came out on Christmas Day.
“It was really the ancestors that were there with me.
Still, Brooks has remained grounded despite all the critical acclaim.
It has to do with the growth of someone else, and their journey.”
This time, it was an upcoming film adaptation of the sandbox video game “Minecraft.”
“It’s so lifelike.
