At 22, Danielle Brooks was being chased through subway stations by Orange Is the New Black fans while still struggling to afford the life her new fame seemed to require. The series helped turn Netflix into a cultural force and made her recognizable around the world, but behind the success, Danielle was afraid to negotiate, afraid of being replaced, and increasingly willing to let other people decide what came next. Now an Oscar-nominated actor, Grammy winner, wife, mother, and host of the podcast The Intermission, Danielle gets strikingly honest about the money, rejection, faith, ambition, and self-doubt that shaped her rise + the power she’s finally ready to claim. In this episode, Danielle shares:
The reality of becoming globally famous before becoming financially stable
Why she was still riding the subway while Orange Is the New Black fans chased her through stations
How the women of Orange Is the New Black were paid compared with the young stars of Stranger Things
Why feeling replaceable kept her from negotiating for the salary she deserved
The moment she realized she had allowed someone else’s fear to direct her career
Why she put her dream of hosting on hold, even after buying her first camera with $356
How Orange Is the New Black helped build Netflix + why Danielle almost turned down the role of Taystee
What she negotiated behind the scenes when the show asked her to appear topless
The Hollywood rooms that made her wonder, “Am I supposed to be here?”
Why losing The Piano Lesson film role made her question God and consider quitting acting
The truth about having to audition for The Color Purple again after earning a Tony nomination for the same role
Why Danielle refused to let her ego cost her the role that earned her an Oscar nomination
What Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg’s approval awakened in “little Dani”
The career milestone that finally made her think, “I’m in this + I’m not going anywhere”
Why she could sing as Sofia or Mahalia Jackson but was terrified to sing as Danielle Brooks
How motherhood, marriage, and faith changed her relationship with ambition and control
The dating rules that helped her recognize her husband + the ones she immediately broke
Why she named her daughter Freeya and the freedom she hopes to pass down to her
Her new podcast, The Intermission, and why she’s finally sharing the parts of herself that acting allowed her to hide
Follow Danielle on Instagram here.
Watch Danielle on InnerMission here.
Book Rec: Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
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