Brooks grew up in a church where her mom was a minister and her dad a deacon. She went on to play Taystee in the Netflix series
Orange Is the New Black. Now she co-stars in the indie film
If I Go Will They Miss Me? Brooks spoke with Terry Gross about singing in the church, playing gospel icon Mahalia Jackson, and why she hesitated to take her breakout role in
Orange.
Subscribe to our free weekly
newsletter Follow us on
Instagram Subscribe to our
YouTube channel Check out the
Fresh Air ArchivesSee
pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy