Brooks has earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Sofia in 'The Color Purple.'
Danielle Brooks is happily sharing what the reaction has been like from moviegoers who have seen her portrayal of Sofia in the remake of the 1985 film, The Color Purple, in which Oprah Winfrey played the same character.
"I know people are really taken back by my Sofia and it's a good feeling," she tells ET's Kevin Frazier on the red carpet at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday. "I'm hoping it's because they see themselves in her. At the end of the day, all of us are gonna have struggles. We are in this life and it's just kind of a guaranteed thing, but I hope that people know that they can get themselves back up."
Brooks hit the red carpet wearing Christian Siriano and she was accessorised by Kendra Scott (Elisa 14k yellow gold band ring, Dani ring in black diamond, Michelle gold band ring with white diamond and Amelee earrings in pave diamond and 14k yellow gold).
The Color Purple is a coming-of-age musical directed by Blitz Bazawule and also starring Fantasia Barrino and Taraji P. Henson. Brooks also portrayed Sofia on Broadway during the 2015 revival production, which earned her a Tony Award nomination. Her cinematic performance earned her an Oscar nomination in Best Supporting Actress category, and the feat marks sort of a full-circle moment, given that Winfrey also was nominated for an Oscar in the same category, and it was Winfrey who called Brooks over Zoom and surprised her with the Color Purple casting news.
It's easy to see why Winfrey's like a proud mom.
"She's so proud of me," Brooks says. "She's very [proud]. And more than that, my parents are proud of me. My husband. I'm proud of myself!"
Brooks is nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role. She's up against Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer), Penélope Cruz (Ferrari), Jodie Foster (Nyad) and Da'vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers).
The 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards is on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and is streaming live on Netflix from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. Follow along at ETonline.com for full coverage from the awards show, including red carpet arrivals, the complete winners list and more.
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