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

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&rsquo;s finally ready to claim. In this episode, Danielle shares:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The reality of becoming globally famous before becoming financially stable
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Why she was still riding the subway while Orange Is the New Black fans chased her through stations
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
How the women of Orange Is the New Black were paid compared with the young stars of Stranger Things
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Why feeling replaceable kept her from negotiating for the salary she deserved
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The moment she realized she had allowed someone else&rsquo;s fear to direct her career
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Why she put her dream of hosting on hold, even after buying her first camera with $356
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
How Orange Is the New Black helped build Netflix + why Danielle almost turned down the role of Taystee
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
What she negotiated behind the scenes when the show asked her to appear topless
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The Hollywood rooms that made her wonder, &ldquo;Am I supposed to be here?&rdquo;
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Why losing The Piano Lesson film role made her question God and consider quitting acting
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The truth about having to audition for The Color Purple again after earning a Tony nomination for the same role
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Why Danielle refused to let her ego cost her the role that earned her an Oscar nomination
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
What Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg&rsquo;s approval awakened in &ldquo;little Dani&rdquo;
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The career milestone that finally made her think, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m in this + I&rsquo;m not going anywhere&rdquo;
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Why she could sing as Sofia or Mahalia Jackson but was terrified to sing as Danielle Brooks
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
How motherhood, marriage, and faith changed her relationship with ambition and control
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The dating rules that helped her recognize her husband + the ones she immediately broke
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Why she named her daughter Freeya and the freedom she hopes to pass down to her
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Her new podcast, The Intermission, and why she&rsquo;s finally sharing the parts of herself that acting allowed her to hide
</li>
</ul>
Follow Danielle on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellebrooks/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/thedaniellebrooks/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1790199820495000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2AfuY8GwDUJrSs4ia8pStA">here</a>.
Watch Danielle on InnerMission <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theinnermissionpodcast/?hl=en" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/theinnermissionpodcast/?hl%3Den&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1790199820495000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3QfEvo2aQ-H5CSybAtG6Ip">here</a>.
Book Rec: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/think-like-a-monk-train-your-mind-for-peace-and-purpose-every-day-jay-shetty/e120a53c2029a553?ean=9781982134488&amp;next=t&amp;&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=dsa_nonbrand&amp;utm_content=%7Badgroupname%7D&amp;utm_term=aud-1721779758455:dsa-19959388920&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=12440232635&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACfld41M3wuzpOGhtuM76TYexvRiH&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwq8PVBhAKEiwA2i3SHZcDgeqKM9Fv-jx0jyChEfBuKMpmwvXg-6C1-4BJtcQLFid-CSQZthoCDKQQAvD_BwE" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bookshop.org/p/books/think-like-a-monk-train-your-mind-for-peace-and-purpose-every-day-jay-shetty/e120a53c2029a553?ean%3D9781982134488%26next%3Dt%26%26utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26utm_campaign%3Ddsa_nonbrand%26utm_content%3D%257Badgroupname%257D%26utm_term%3Daud-1721779758455:dsa-19959388920%26gad_source%3D1%26gad_campaignid%3D12440232635%26gbraid%3D0AAAAACfld41M3wuzpOGhtuM76TYexvRiH%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwq8PVBhAKEiwA2i3SHZcDgeqKM9Fv-jx0jyChEfBuKMpmwvXg-6C1-4BJtcQLFid-CSQZthoCDKQQAvD_BwE&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1790199820495000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2iXIaE6qH8QYkxIDcO3Jec">Think Like a Monk</a> by Jay Shetty

There are celebrity interviews, and there are life-changing conversations. On Question Everything, you get both. Journalist Danielle Robay has a rare gift: she makes people feel safe + seen enough to tell the truth. Every week, she draws out the stories the world's most fascinating people rarely get to tell– the heartbreaks, the risks, the controversies, the beliefs they had to unlearn to become who they are and every now and then, their thoughts on the Bravoverse. You'll come for their story. You'll leave rethinking your own.

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Danielle is also the creator of the bestselling QUESTION EVERYTHING card game series, which has sparked connection in thousands of living rooms around the world, and the co-executive producer and host of Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, alongside Reese Witherspoon. Dubbed "The Queen of Questions," she brings both heart and rigor to every conversation — a background in political science, a Gloria Steinem Fellowship, and a mentorship under Larry King, whose legacy of curiosity and connection she's carried forward across more than 8,000 hours of interviews with icons from Taylor Swift to Malala Yousafzai.

There are celebrity interviews, and there are life-changing conversations. On Question Everything, you get both. Journalist Danielle Robay has a rare gift: she makes people feel safe + seen enough to tell the truth. Every week, she draws out the stories the world's most fascinating people rarely get to tell&ndash; the heartbreaks, the risks, the controversies, the beliefs they had to unlearn to become who they are and every now and then, their thoughts on the Bravoverse. You'll come for their story. You'll leave rethinking your own.
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Danielle is also the creator of the bestselling QUESTION EVERYTHING card game series, which has sparked connection in thousands of living rooms around the world, and the co-executive producer and host of&nbsp;Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, alongside Reese Witherspoon. Dubbed "The Queen of Questions," she brings both heart and rigor to every conversation &mdash; a background in political science, a Gloria Steinem Fellowship, and a mentorship under Larry King, whose legacy of curiosity and connection she's carried forward across more than 8,000 hours of interviews with icons from Taylor Swift to Malala Yousafzai.

QUESTION EVERYTHING

Behind every headline is a person + a deeper story. Question Everything with journalist Danielle Robay cuts through social media buzz to uncover the voices, ideas, and cultural moments that shape how we see the world. Each week, she asks bold questions that challenge assumptions and reveal the nuance behind the narratives, inviting you to look closer at the world, and at yourself. Because there's always more to the story.
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Danielle is also the creator of the bestselling QUESTION EVERYTHING card game series, which has sparked connection and conversation in thousands of living rooms around the world. She's also the co-executive producer (alongside Reese Witherspoon) and host of Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. With her signature curiosity—dubbed "The Queen of Questions"—and a background in political science, Danielle brings both heart and rigor to every conversation. A Gloria Steinem Fellow and mentee of Larry King, she's carried forward a legacy of curiosity and connection, interviewing icons from Taylor Swift to Malala Yousafzai in more than 8,000 hours of elevated conversation.

What Does it Take to Be One of The Greats? with Danielle Brooks

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e11c381b-a33e-4a98-ac02-b4cf00027117/transcript