It’s not very often an actor gets to portray the same character on the big screen on the stage.
However, that’s not the case for actress Danielle Brooks.
After her successful run as Sofia in the Broadway revival of “The Color Purple,” she’s bringing the character to theaters across the country for the film version of the production.
On stage, she played the role for eight shows a week.
“I spent a lot of time getting to know [her] and because it’s live, the audience tells me immediately what is working and what is not,” she explained. “So I’m able to adjust internally to the character and get deep into who she is. So now when I’m in the movie version, I have all of the elements.”
Portraying Sofia on Broadway taught her “how to be strong” and “how to fight.”
“Now in the movie, I’m getting to own my power, own my strength because of playing her. Singing “Hell No” every night [on stage] was a dream because I got to just be the person that I was playing and that’s a confident strong, no-holds-barred woman that says hell no!”
The film version of “The Color Purple” is also the first time she’s seen herself portray Sofia.
“I was crying. I was so full of emotion. My face was up there on that big screen,” she gushed. “This is my first studio film. I’ve done a lot of independent films. I saw my face, heard my voice and my name. It was like a girl’s dream really can come true. It’s a dream come true.”
She touched on how the movie’s location gave her a deeper connection to the character.
“I’m actually in Georgia, and we’re surrounded by all of these trees, that maybe some of my brothers and sisters might have been hung on, the story lands much differently,” she said. “So it’s been quite the opportunity because a lot of actors aren’t given that chance to play the same part in different mediums.”
The film version has garnered her nominations from the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG Awards.
Her work is also being praised by fellow actors.
She attended Tuesday night’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 14th Governors Awards.
“It was so beautiful. There was so much love in the room and humanity,” she explained. “[There] was so much camaraderie. Just getting to talk to Julianne Moore and Greta Lee and just tell them how much I love their work and vice versa.”
Brooks’ career has been on a trajectory since she won the audience’s hearts as Taystee in the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black.”
“Now to have people’s numbers, have relationships with. I’m working with Miss Oprah Winfrey in ”The Color Purple.'”
She then revealed she has Oprah’s number, which she jokingly called “a direct line to God.”
While racking up awards isn’t new to Brooks, Wednesday’s SAG Award nomination for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role means a lot to her.
“For me to be getting this moment as an individual artist, behind my peers, oh my gosh, my heart is so full. And to have done this on Broadway for a year of my life, getting Tony-nominated, all the things and to experience it on this scale with this movie working under Warner Bros. and all of the things it’s quite one for the books. I’m pinching myself all the time.”
As for her costars on the film, Brooks called them “tight as thieves.”
She attended The Juilliard School with her on-screen husband Corey Hawkins and costar Jon Batiste.
The “Peacemaker” actress is also happy for her costar Colman Domingo’s moment right now.
“I remember when I was a student coming out of Juilliard, and I really didn’t know if I had a place in this industry. I saw him at Signature Theater and I went up to him, I was like, ‘I don’t know how to fit into Hollywood.’ And he just encouraged me, didn’t know me from Adam and Eve, but he just encouraged me. [Now] here we are doing this movie [together.] He’s one of those actors that make you better not just as an actor but as a human being.”
“The Color Purple” is in theaters now.
You can also catch up with the actress and many more on Jan. 14 for the Critics Choice Awards, which will be airing on KTLA 5. Our red carpet coverage begins at 2 p.m.
