Danielle Brooks has left an indelible impression onstage (“Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Piano Lesson”) and on TV (“Orange Is the New Black,” “Peacemaker”). Last year, she hit the big screen in “The Color Purple,” Blitz Bazawule’s adaptation of the 2005 musical. She stars as Sofia, reprising her role from the 2015 Broadway revival, which earned her a Tony nod. Now, she’s up for best supporting actress at the Oscars and the SAG Awards. Here, Brooks talks about how playing Sofia shaped her career and offers words of wisdom for aspiring actors.
Which role shaped you most as an actor?
Without a doubt, “The Color Purple.” It was watching “The Color Purple” at 15 that gave me permission to say: There’s a space for me in this industry. Playing Sofia [on Broadway] and living in her shoes for a year of my life is what pushed me to this next point, knowing that I have inside of me everything I need. It was this story. It was the words that we [sang] every night that helped me to get here.
“The Color Purple” has become such a rich American text. How does it feel to be a part of that story?
It feels like being a part of the DC [Universe]. We have our own multiverse that people are so attached to, and the history of it is so rich. There [are] so many versions and so many artists that we’ve come to fall in love with. And so, to be a part of [this] multiverse twice has had a huge impact on my life.
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This has been the gift that keeps on giving [back] to me, but also to the communities of people that really relate to these women. It’s a movie that will always have a life, because it’s dealing with things that will never go away as long as we’re on this earth, like forgiveness and love, becoming your own hero, putting one foot in front of the other, and all of those things [we do] to survive life. The lessons are in this story. It’ll last forever, and I’m just grateful to be a part of it.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done to get a role?
[Laughs] I brought snacks for the director and the casting [team] when I was auditioning for a Broadway play. I knew that my audition was around lunchtime, and I didn’t want them to feel hungry and annoyed. It makes for a good laugh years later. That’s how hungry, literally, I was for a job.
Danielle Brooks and Corey Hawkins in “The Color Purple” Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
What’s your worst audition horror story?
I was auditioning to be Patina Miller’s replacement as the Leading Player [in the 2013 Broadway revival of] “Pippin.” I had gotten really far in the process. They didn’t tell me I was going to be doing a walkthrough with [director] Diane Paulus…. And there were also, like, 30 people in the room—all of these producers.
I went in there, and I could not remember any of the words. The worst thing you [can] see is an actor with all their papers just falling out of their hands, just losing it. I could tell everybody was like, “What is happening?” I ended up stopping the audition, and I said, “I’m sorry. This is not my best. I’m just going to leave. Thank you.” Later, Diane and the music director wrote me these beautiful letters telling me to keep going because I was very talented and that I had the juice, but not for this one.
What’s your dream role?
I have been able to really shape a career that is so diverse—going from “Peacemaker” to Berniece [in “The Piano Lesson”] to Beatrice [in “Much Ado About Nothing”] to now “Minecraft” to “Orange Is The New Black.” That’s what I’ve always wanted: to be able to break the mold for people that look like me, where we’re not just one-dimensional.
As far as what I want to do next, there’s definitely some stuff that I haven’t done yet. I haven’t done a rom-com. I also haven’t done darker characters. I think I’ve played a lot of likable characters, but I want to play somebody that’s very complicated.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Be patient on the journey. There’s a purpose that you’re supposed to fulfill; just don’t rush the fulfillment of that purpose. Take your time. Do the work—not just the work of learning the skill set of being an actor, but also the internal work, because this industry is not just about being in a movie or being in a play, unfortunately. There’s another side to this industry that you have to learn so that you can stay afloat. Know that the road’s not going to look like what you thought. But I promise that if you hang in there, it’ll be way sweeter—and it might come with an Oscar nomination.
Do you have any wisdom for younger actors?
The thing that makes you cringe about yourself is your superpower. I used to really get down on myself for being a plus-size girl, being dark-skinned, having curly hair. Really start to embrace who you are, and know that that’s what’s going to differentiate you from the pack.
This story originally appeared in the Feb. 15 issue of Backstage Magazine.