Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Danielle Brooks

Episode Date: February 20, 2024

Oscar and Tony nominated star of “The Color Purple” Danielle Brooks joins the show. Over tuna melts and Thai steak salad, Danielle tells me what it was like to inherit a role from Oprah Winfrey herself, and losing her anonymity seemingly overnight with the success of Netflix's “Orange is the New Black.” This episode was recorded at Superba in Hollywood, CA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes between meetings, being on set, recording this podcast and juggling dad duties, taking the time to cook a meal sadly falls in the back burner. And although I do make a really mean grilled cheese and a jiffy, it's nice to know I can turn to factor for a balanced and nourishing meal. Every week factor delivers ready-made meals to my doorstep, so when I'm too busy to spend more than five minutes preparing a meal, it's perfect. I just pop it into the microwave for a few minutes

and I have a restaurant quality meal. And I'm not exaggerating when I say restaurant quality. I seriously crave factor meals like teriyaki salmon or a delicious pasta bolognese. You can also tailor your meals to be calorie conscious, keto friendly, vegan or vegetarian. Get as few as six meals or as many as 18 and feel free to pause or reschedule your deliveries anytime.

Factor is giving dinners on me listeners something special. Go to factormeals.com slash dinners50 and use code DINNERS50 at checkout to get 50% off. That's code DINNERS 50 at factormeals.com slash DINNERS 50 to get 50% off. Hi, it's Jesse. Today on the show, you know her from Orange is New Black and the Color Purple. It's Grammy Award winning and Tony and Oscar-nominated actor, Danielle Brooks. You know who I'm struggling to say? Martin Scorsese. I just finally got that. That said it right, right?

Yeah, that is right. I was trying to explain to my mom, I was like, and we were sitting right behind Martin Scorsese. This is Dinners On Me and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. This is Dinners on Me and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Orange is a New Black started its run shortly after Modern Family began, and I had a few very close friends in that cast, so Danielle Brooks and I became friendly just through seeing each other a few times every year. I also knew Danielle was a serious, julialid-trained actor who had a passion for theaters, so I

immediately felt a connection to her and was always so glad to see her when I did. We recorded this episode one week before the Oscar nominations were announced. Danielle's a pretty humble and down-to-earth person, so when talk of nominations came up, she blushed and quickly brushed it off. I was so sure that Danielle would be included on that list though, and it took everything in my power not to just tell her that. Listen, I didn't want to jinx it. Hi!

Oh my god, it looks like it's a studio. Hello, good to see you too. I brought Danielle to Superba in Hollywood, in an old Spanish colonial style building off of Sunset Boulevard, it used to house the British pub, The Cat and the Fiddle, which was a hotspot for rockers like Keith Moon and Rod Stewart. Walking in, you pass the patio with its yellow striped umbrellas and lush vegetation, where it's rumored Casablanca allegedly filmed scenes.

It's got that old Hollywood glamour, so it felt like the perfect spot for someone with Danielle's star power. I mean, she's 34 and she's been nominated for a Tony and now an Oscar. Okay, let's get to the conversation. But I'm looking at you and your Instagram and all these different events you were going to. First of all, just having to do that red carpet

and do the Hollywood thing night after night out. Are you like me where you're just constantly in a state of anxiety or do you relax into this stuff? This time I'm relaxed. I think I'm really just kind of going in with tentoes on the ground just to enjoy it. That's all I can do. I've really been trying to take in everybody's eyes

and what they're wearing and how they smell and just like all the things, cause it happens so fast. Happens so fast. And but also like you're meeting all these people who, you know, are your icons and like you're like, how is it possible that I'm in the same room with these people who, you know, are your icons, and like you're like, how is it possible that I'm in the same room with these people? And just the pressure of that moment of,

like I remember meeting Oprah at the night before party, and I was like, it did not go well for me. I think I was so nervous. I was just so nervous. I get that way around by Oli Davis. I've met this woman a hundred times. Okay. But every time I'm like, hi, I'm from South Carolina,

and I heard you're from South Carolina. And I was like, this whole time, I'm always getting super shy around her. And I got to get over it because I play her daughter in Peacemaker. We're actually probably going to have more scenes, hopefully. Oh, you'll get over it for sure. I remember going up to Emma Stone because we had just seen her in Cabaret. I don't remember what movie she was in at the time. Maybe it was La La Land. But we talked about Cabaret and she was like I could see that she lit up

because I was like oh someone's talking about something that's not just you know this thing that we're in right now. And it was a really lovely conversation but then in my head I'm like you're taking up Emma Stone's time. You need to let her be with her friends. And so I exited the conversation prematurely. And Justin, my husband was like, why did you, she was disappointed that she like- Let you laugh.

That you laughed. I was like, was she? And I was like, I think she was. She probably was. And there's the thing though, when you talk about being in a room with these people, I'm actually getting to the point, they're also in the room with us. Yeah, that's right.

When I think about you, I'm like, you are just, like, do you hear, like, you, like, you, like, the crazy career that you've been able to have, and the dumb, stupid talent that is like, all in this body, body like it's crazy. It's crazy Oh, and so now I'm at the point. He's like, okay, you know what? I'm gonna just sit and let them come to me. Yeah, and if they come to me and they're cool Aquafina came up to me the other day She's so cool wait who was I just oh I love her. She's so cool. Wait, who was I just oh

We did a for Coolidge was talking about being at a Table where like all these people were and she can't remember anyone's name and like she was naming the people that she was at this Table with and they're actually like the people that have really difficult names to her now She's just bad It's an erg in one of her speeches You know who I struggling struggling to say? Who? Martin Scorsese. I just finally got that. That said it right, right?

Yeah, that is right. I was trying to explain to my mom, I was like, and we were sitting right behind Martin Scorsese. I was like, totally messing up. I know it, but like, it's still on her last name to say. So obviously, I thought the message I sent you was the day I saw your movie,

Color Purple, on Christmas. Wait, do you want to order? Should we order first? Yes, I love food. Do you know what you want? Good, how are you? How are you? Good, my name's Katie Olten.

Nice to meet you, Katie. What are you known for here? So we're known for our breads. We make them fresh daily in our Venice location. This one has three different varieties of sourdough bread. So it's a poppy seed sourdough baguette, a traditional sourdough leban that we char in our heart. We know, I heard that your sourdough

is turning 10 this year. Is what? It's turning 10 this year. Did you know this? I did know this. Do I know something you don't know? Yeah. Yeah, your sourdough is turning 10 this year. It's turning 10 this year. Yeah, it this? I did I know something you don't know yeah your sourdough is turning 10 this year Yeah, it started 10 years ago. Thank you for you were barely out of high school then

So the polenta is really good it has a seated flax seed crust with a The artichoke conserver is artichoke is diced super finely The artichoke conserva is artichoke is diced super finely and then we smoke it in our hearts. It has like peppers, lemons, so it's super yummy. I'm going for the artichoke conserva honey. Yes, I'm going to do the fresh cheese and I'm going to do the tie-stake salad. Awesome. And then are we thinking about like a ginger-tied lemonade or anything else? We aren't thinking about that for me.

Yeah. But that's exactly what I was going to get. That's pretty cool. All right. Danielle, do you want to? Yes, honey. I'm about to eat. It is time.

Can I please get the tuna melt sandwich? And I'm going to indulge in a white wine. Yes, honey. Our sans seris is really nice. It's like a nice dry finish to it. Yes, whatever you say. Let's do that. OK.

Got you. Thank you. Thank you. I'm excited. So yes, I sent you a message. So Justin and I bought 20 tickets to the opening. Come on, somebody. Let's talk about supports.

Yeah, Christmas Day. Love it. Because we had a lot of family in town. Danielle, it's such a special movie. Thank you. And it's, I know you have your own trajectory with Color Purple. Yeah.

I have my own. I feel like a lot of people have it. I want to know yours. Yeah, so for me, Color Purple was required reading when I was in school. But I remember seeing the book, because I remember very vividly the art of the book. It was purple, it was Celia in the rocking chair. Yeah, which now it's us, it's me,

Terajia Vintagius face on it. Yes, I know, it's crazy. It was my mind when I went to Walmart, and I was like, what? That's insane. Yeah, amazing. We'll talk about that, because you have many full circle moments in your career

that I'm like blown away by. But I just, you know, I've seen every iteration of this film, the film, then the musical, now this new film. And it's, I just feel like every time I come at this story, and obviously I'm a white dude from Albuquerque, but for me every time I see it, I just, I love discovering something new about it. And I feel like every person who's been in charge of this story has brought something so beautiful and new to it I agree And you kind of just like I kind of can't believe that it can keep being reinvented We either

And all these different mediums Yeah, thanks for sharing that because I'm always so interested in other people's connection to it You know I have my own connection to it and for me it started. And a lot of people might know this already, but then I realized a lot of people don't know this. Was I saw it on Broadway when I was 15. I had won this internship. My dad came with me and then he took me

to see the color purple because at the time the only two black shows was The Lion King, which technically it's a black show because it's black actors, but it's about animals. Yeah, her, Belfin John. Okay, and then Color Purple. So he chose the Color Purple and thank God he did it because it changed my life. And that's when I picked up the book and was hooked because the connection that

Seely has with God, you know, the first lines, dear God, and feeling like her, feeling ugly, feeling less than and just not seen at the time when I was 15. You know, being dark skinned was not cool. Having curly hair was not cool. Being a bigger girl was not cool. That I was I felt like Celie and the connection with God, being that I grew up in the church and everything, the only thing that I felt like I had when I was a teenager was journaling like Celie did and talking to God. So I was truly hooked, but did not realize when I was playing Sophia on Broadway 10 years after seeing it in 2015-2016

that I was gonna be taught how to become a Sophia. And so it wasn't until you know getting to play her eight shows a week and singing things like Hell No where I truly was able to cancel the noise and say hell no to my fears and doubts and all of those things. But it wasn't until the movie in all of the life lessons I had to come through that I was able to own my power. And I felt that through Sophia. Like, she taught me how to own that. I didn't grow up in the industry.

You know, I don't. So I'm really learning how to navigate. There's nobody to teach me how to walk through Hollywood in this industry or even Broadway scene. Like nobody was teaching me that. Because you came to love acting through the church, right? That's right. Through like doing the nativity scenes.

Yeah, please. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which I also did. Yeah. love acting through the church, right? That's right. Through like doing the nativity scenes. Yeah please, yeah, yes. Which I also did. Yeah. And then Albuquerque. Good luck. But I also, I know that like for you, Juilliard was like this pie in the sky thing, like you didn't think that was for you until you met someone that went there, that you even

realized that that was a possibility. So truly like kind of, you know, walking through these doors, not even realizing their doors is the moment that you're walking through them. It's kind of scary, first of all, but then also when you're in that next room, you're like, whoa, whoa, where am I right now?

Like, what is it? I don't know what this world is. I don't know how to navigate it. So I really had to get comfortable with feeling, like I didn't have the answers and being okay with things, feeling like this might be a dumb question that I'm gonna ask it anyway, you know, navigating that.

So I finally have come to a place in my career, in my life, where I know who I am. I know my purpose, what I'm here to do, and I'm very proud of what I've been able to accomplish and who I become, regardless of if someone who is making way more money than me, or has way many, you know, all the opportunities in the world, like I'm cool, I'm good. Like I know who I am.

I love that. It's a really hard place to get to. Oh my God, these are massive. Let's go. This bread is gorgeous. I love food. Me too. Ain't no shame in my game.

Take a picture of this bread. What I'm truly holding onto is you never know what's on the other side. So keep the faith. And I've been saying this and I don't care who's listening. I do care. But if you've heard me say this or will hear me say this a hundred times because I'm really trying to like put it in my bones like if God has given you something and said like this is

what I'm I I'm it's on the other side like there's this thing that you have or this I don't know like this the purpose for your life, and God is whispering that purpose in your ear to not rush the fulfillment of that promise. Because it always is sweeter than you could have ever imagined. Like I'm trying to like continue to remind myself of that. I feel like you're the walking embodiment of that though, because I think back to like Color Purple being your first Broadway show

then you getting to do that ten years later and getting a Tony nomination for and then you know later like Reimagining it in a film version for your first studio film. Yeah, I mean that's like I feel like if that's something universe saying We got you. I know. I know. I mean also, I mean, did you do the piano lesson as your audition for Juilliard? I did. I did. Another big moment there, you know? I was like, be able to do that on stage. Oh my god. I was a wreck. When I got that call, I was like eight months pregnant. I almost had the baby right there. I almost went into labor, Jesse. I almost went in the label, Jesse. Because I was like, what?

What? What is life? And they didn't even know that I had used this monologue to get into Juilliard. You know, but I'm going to be real with this audience. I'm not going to say it didn't hurt a little bit to not get nominated, you know what I mean? I know, Danielle.

But I was like, OK, I'm going to trust the process here. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, I talk to Danielle more about trusting the process, specifically around auditioning for the color purple film over six months after her Tony-nominated performance on stage and what she learned through that process. Oh, and also how Oprah helped.

Okay, be right back. I love my home. I do, I love it so much, but I also love vacationing. I work a lot, and sometimes it bothers me to think how often I'm not actually there to enjoy it. I mean, whether I'm going on a fun vacation with Justin or traveling to New York for work,

there's big chunks of time that I don't get to relish that sofa. I pined it so hard to buy or bake cookies that I can make with my standup mixer that I got for Christmas. And I realize there is a way that I might feel better. If I became an Airbnb host, I could make use of the space when I'm away

and make some extra cash. I mean, my next vacation could essentially pay for itself. Like my extra Airbnb cash could go into an account for that trip to Paris I've been pondering. And then basically the trip is free. Do you see what I'm saying? I mean, I know that's not technically how math works, but okay. Also, if we're saving money hosting, this means I could do some shopping, right? And the weather is also very nice in Paris

at this time of the month. And I just feel like it might be, okay, you know what, I'm gonna talk to Justin about this. Thank you for letting me share this epiphany with you. I appreciate it. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host. Your entire life you've been told to save and save and save,

but has anyone helped you figure out how to spend? With Fidelity Income Planning, they'll help you create a clear personalized plan for cash flow, one that includes your 401k and all your other accounts. However you wanna work with them, either one-on-one or with their planning tools, they'll help you build a withdrawal strategy for when you're not working.

They can help you gain a better understanding of your options to help you make the right decision to best fit your life ahead. Also you can enjoy whatever comes next and you can go from saving to living. Learn more at fidelity.com slash income planning. Advisory services provided by Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisor LLC for a fee. Brokered services by Fidelity Brokered Services LLC. And we're back with more dinners on me. Well, I want to hear more about that because I know that that had to have been

an ego bruising experience. I have done something, gotten nominated for Tony Award for it, been lauded, won a Grammy Award for singing the material, then to have to go back into an audition process to prove that you were the right person for the next iteration of that. Jesse. I don't wish that upon my horse enemy. And not only that, I'm one of the good ones out here.

I'm actually really easy to work with. I'm not some diva to be like, oh, should we hire her? Because she might give us issues. She gets so mad because I'm the same way. Yeah, yeah. You'd be so lucky to have me on set. You would be right. I'm a joy to be around.

That's right. I make banana pudding. I'm the best. So yeah, that was tricky for me. Definitely. Six months. Six months, man. Take me back to the first time that they said

they wanted to see you and what you went through, knowing that that was a possibility, but you were gonna have to maybe re-prove yourself. Yeah, so they were shopping names around, and I had a relationship, and still do, have a great relationship with Scott Sanders, and he had also produced both Broadway shows. So I was low-key trying to text him,

being like, hey, I heard this is happening, but he wasn't giving me nothing back. He was just kind of like, that's great. We'll call you when we're ready. And so I waited around and just hearing the buzz from the industry that they're starting to cast. So my agent, Shana Pearlman, just really stayed on them. And then Bernie Telsie, who's a great casting director, was just in my corner.

So they got me the audition with Blitz, the director. Yes. Ended up meeting with him on Zoom and spoke with him for about an hour, hour and a half about the character, which I was super excited about. Normally, that's where I get the job. Just sit me down with the director. I promise you I'm gonna get the job.

Now let me tell you, if you out there casting, casting and doing the little audition thing ain't my best strong suit. Put me in front of the director, put a camera in front of me, I've got you, right? Because everybody's not that great at it. So we sat and talked for an hour and a half about the character, about his vision,

and I was like excited about it. And then they were like, we want you to put yourself on tape singing Hell No. And I'm like. There's literally a Grammy nominated. It's my home. You want to go Grammy winning album. Yes.

In which you sing that song. There is a Grammy award in my home for singing that. That song, yeah. And not only that, any little thing. Like we, I did more than just hell no in there. That's right. And so I just said, you know what? This thing is bigger than me.

So get out your way, Danielle. Do what you need to do to tell this story, to get this job. Like get rid of ego. It's not that deep sis. You want it or you don't. And I wanted it. Yeah. So I put myself on tape singing hell no.

I just think I'm out of it. That's gotta be wild because it's almost like going backwards in the process too. Yeah it was. It was it felt like going backwards in the process. So then I was shooting Well then, I was shooting Peacemaker at one point and talking to James Gunn, our director slash creator. And I was telling him like, I really want this job. I don't know what to do. I think I had heard, I don't know if this is true. I think Jessica Chastain had written a letter to a director at one point.

Somebody wrote a letter to a director. And I hit up James Gunn, I said, James, should I write Blitz a letter, tell him how much I want to do this? Because at that time I was really starting to hear specific names coming out to play Sophia. So I was starting to feel the pressure. And so I send the letter to Blitz.

I ain't hear nothing back, but that's okay, cause he was going through his process. And then they had me do a chemistry read with Corey Hawkins. Well you knew from Juilliard, right? Jesse, we were in the same class. We have known each other since I was 17 and he was 18. That's crazy. We are best friends.

We went to Juilliard together. I don't know how much more I got to show him. Yeah, yeah. And so I did a chemistry read with Corey. Mind you, Corey's already got the job. And I love him. He's my best friend. He already had the job.

He ain't auditioned for nothing because he came off in the Heights. So he'd already proven himself within the Heights. On film. Even though I already proved myself too, but whatever. Right, right, right, right, right. Count your blessings, count your blessings. And so we did a chemistry improv.

It was like, how this bread got buttered and it's just melting, easy. It was that easy. Like, spreading butter on them toasts. And um, feedback was a lot. Can I ask a question? At this point, had you met anyone in person

or was it all over Zoom? This is all over Zoom. Just an interesting thing. Yeah, that's the time we're living in okay and so um so they they call me back and I'm thinking the same day I'm thinking oh my god they're calling me to give me the job they're calling me in the job this is great yeah no they call me to be like can you just do this one side over so it comes off a little more younger. I was like, oh my gosh, yes, sure, sure. So I do that.

And then September, I want to say it was a day or two after my birthday because it felt like the best birthday gift ever. They tell me, my team tells me, Danielle, the director, Blitz wants to sit down with you one more time for Zoom to make sure, you know he's making the best decision and at this point Jesse I'm over it yeah six months yeah I'm over it so I get on the little zoom and assistant comes up and he's having small talk with me he's like how's the audition process going I'm'm thinking to myself, I want no small talk with you, but I'm gonna walk with Grace.

So instead of hitting that button that says mute and taking off my face, I said, I'm gonna keep it on because I really wanted to be like, can you just call me when he ready? Yeah. And I said, I'm gonna stay on. I stayed on the phone and all of a sudden, boom, open went for it.

I'm still on the screen. And you don't think you're going to tell you didn't get part? And she called and she said, Danielle. And I go, yes. And the highest pitch voice crying, it can do nothing but hold my chest. She's like, Sophie is a pretty name, isn't it? I was like, yes, man. Yeah. And I knew in that moment that I had gotten the job? And I also knew in that moment my life was about to change. And it has changed.

It has changed. Anyway, that's the story. that you had to do and the fact that you were recreating something that had been discovered, not only by you, but by Oprah Winfrey. And like figuring out how to bring not only Danielle's version of Sophia, but also Danielle's version of Sophia that wasn't the version that you just did.

How many years before was the? Almost 10, but it's like eight some moments. Right, right. As we finished in 2016, 17, 18, 19, 20. Yeah. I mean, I sort of did the same thing with Take Me Out, when I had to follow Dennis O'Hare's footsteps and he wanted Tony Ward for his performance of it.

But it is, I felt very intimidated to figure out how to carve my own path with this character because there are gonna be people who only remember Oprah's version. Yeah, it's hard. It's hard when you're... I think that's where I live though. That's my happy place. I've done a lot of... a few, I can't say a lot, but even with a piano lesson, that was done by a Pate the Merckison and having to make that my own like even when you think of things like Shakespeare you've seen other Beatrice's

but for me I'm like shit let me make my own Beatrice let me make my own Bernice I'm gonna make my own Sophia like that is fun for me even though I'm like ready to really originate some more stuff but um so I always start with what's on the page. Like I enjoy going in and out of like every line, every word, every period, like just getting so specific. Like people ask me like how did you come up with respect? You know, when I'm going in to talk to Mr. And I just got back cause when I talked to my husband and I'm trying to get talk to Mr. And I just got back, because when I talk to my husband

and I'm trying to get him to be listening to me, I over articulate my words. And so I'm just going over articulate in this moment. And it's just lived, like, read to me, the Bible, like, is color purple Alice Walker's words. And I lean into what people say about Sophia. And so even in that scene when I'm meeting the owner of the man's parlor or whatever you wanna call it,

meeting Mr. for the first time and he says, can you read the sign? Then I read the sign. Of course I'm gonna pop him on the chest and Sophia is that person. She's just like, you know, is very bold. Just thinking about how Sophia speaks and how she's like a horn, like,

all my life, you know she's coming, you know what I mean? But then like getting to live in the quiet moments. But to your point, I did still wanna hold on to the essence of what Ms. Oprah did in that dinner scene, watching YouTube clips and hearing that she improved that bit when she talked to Celey and thanked Celey for being there. Ms. O improvised that because Steven Spielberg said, what would Sophia say? Oh wow. So I was like, man, I gotta just honor her through my work in this moment.

Like how can I make people feel how she made me feel? I love that you're saying that because for me watching that scene and knowing the original movie, that's when I was like, oh Danielle has taken this really into her own hands. It is offering a completely different version So it's interesting that you pointed out that very moment is one that you are honoring Oprah when I felt like that was

Yes, you were but like you were also offering something completely different. Thank you. It's so authentically you That's a collection of that, but also a collection of playing Sophia on Broadway for you because that is rare. A lot of people don't get that opportunity. When you're on Broadway, as you know, the audience going to tell you right away what's working and what's not working. So that's actually something that, at least that, you know, laugh into the cry, I found while playing her on

Broadway. The audience told me when it was working and how, just how to craft that moment to land. And it's been so trippy because you watch it with an audience and you hear people laughing with Sophia coming out of her pain and and you know finding herself again and going through this rebirth, but then immediately everyone gets quiet when she goes into her pain, like of what she's experienced or her thankfulness rather to Sealy.

And I to be honest, just I didn't know I had it like that. Okay girl. Yeah. Like what you are a craft swimming Danielle you do know how to create a character and build and and mold a character you've got that inside of you girl you did actually pick something up from Juilliard. It's really cool to me. You're very good. Thank you. There is I mean like obviously you know with a piece of theater you do it eight

times a week and you know color purple and specifically oh here it comes. We got something. Yes! You know, color purple and specifically, oh, here it comes. Yes. Yes. Yes! Tuna melt! Thank you.

Thank you so much. I'm going for it. That tuna melt looks insane. I'm going to love it. When you're doing a piece of theater, you live that experience every night. And Sophia has quite a difficult, you go through a lot. And because I know how hard it was with Orange is the New Black and sort of stuff that you had to do on the screen there.

You know, and I'm thinking about how much work has to go into filming just any scene in a film. You know, you're getting it from different angles. Sometimes it takes days to film things. How did you protect yourself through going, specifically the scene when you're beaten and then all the stuff in jail and then the dinner scene? Like how did you navigate coming out of that first of all at the end of a work day and

going back to like you know be a mom and just protecting yourself? It's a lot. Yeah, there were times. I mean, yes, thank you, though. It is so tough, you know, because as actors we do give so much of ourselves, you know. And sometimes it can be tough to trust your director, too, because you're like, do they understand how much the weight it takes to do this over and over again.

And you just got it. And now you want me to do it another day? I know you got it in the can. And that's what happened with the dinner scene. We had gotten that taped. But because it was COVID, everyone wasn't at the table. So they got my coverage. And I thought it was pretty

fine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're good, we're good. Yeah. Nothing's, by the way, nothing's a bigger relief than when you have a scene like that. Oh, you know. You're anticipating and you know it's done. Yes. And you know that you did your best. You let it go. You let it go. However, you do it, have to do it again another day. And I was like calling on the ancestors. I'm like, y'all, I need you to whisper in my ear every pain and every moment that you've had that has been heavy and weighted on you, please come down and give that to me

so I can deliver this for all of the Sophia's of the world. You do it again, you let it go and then you realize they wanna do it one more time. Pause. Just for that. It was tough. And at that point I actually told Blint, so I do love as a director, so I don't want anyone to interpret it as I don't. I told him no. I said, sir, I'm not doing this again. I know you have it like I saw the dailies You're good and he was like please we just want to get Fantasia's shoulder see Lee shoulder in that shot and I'm like are you kidding me?

And so they actually did have miss old call me This is Oprah called you. Oh, I call her I don't remember, but I told her, I said, I can't do this. Like this is too much. And she was like, I'm telling you, the ancestors will never leave you. You have everything that you need inside of you. And even though you know those things, it is something to be said about when Oprah Winfrey tells you.

Yeah. Because there is just like, you want to make her proud too or at least I wanted to really make her proud. The day just see the type of actress we are we know this work that we do truly is of service. It is giving that giving voice letting people be seen letting people be heard so I'm gonna do what I gotta do and I showed up again and it took a lot of physical therapy for that scene with the white mob. And it had to do chiropractic sessions and stuff because I pulled my back out. It took moments with my therapist.

It took just being a mom and just getting off of myself and all of that to shed Sophia every day. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Danielle talks to me about what it was like to be famous in the span of 13 hours after Orange is a New Black dropped on Netflix and by a certain red carpet moment from those days still haunts her. Okay, be right back.

This episode of Dinners on Me is brought to you by BetterHelp. Relationships take work. I think the ones worth having do at least. I've been married just over 10 years now, and it hasn't always been easy, but one of the relationships I'm most proud of in my life is my marriage. I love the way marriages changed me and challenged me and taught me how to be more understanding, collaborative, and loving

as a person. A common misconception about relationships is that they have to be easy but sometimes the best relationships are when both people are willing to put in the work to make it last. And therapy can be a place to work through the challenges you face in your relationship with your friends, your significant other, your family, or your colleagues. I personally was very late to embrace therapy. I just started talking to someone about a year ago, and I can't tell you what a difference it has made in my life.

If you're thinking about starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's online, making it convenient and easy to fit into your schedule. Visit betterhelp.com slash dinners to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash dinners. There's something about a PB and J on white bread that just hits a spot.

Not sourdough, not French, just good old plain white bread. Lately I've turned to Hero. Hero's classic white bread has zero net carbs, zero sugar, 11 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein. Hero has all kinds of things for the gluten lover in your life who wouldn't mind a bit more protein and fiber and a bit less sugar in their bread. They have great tortillas, seeded bread, and croissants. After a ride up in the New York Times, these croissants went kind of viral with two net carbs and 10 grams of protein, the flaky buttery pastry sold out within a week

and had a waiting list of 15,000 people. Okay, it's time for you to see what all the hero hype is about. Hero is offering something special for dinners on me listeners. Go to hero.co and use code DINNER at checkout for 10% off your order. That's code DINNER at H-E-R-O dot C-O.

at H-E-R-O dot C-O. And we're back with more dinners on me. I was very invested in all of Orch's New Black, mostly because at the time, the Adilaria, who's still a very, very close friend of mine, I remember when she told me she got it, I probably have told the story before, but Netflix was not a thing really. And so I was trying to be excited for her,

but at the same time I was like, what are you doing? Is it a web series? I don't understand what's happening. And so once- That's what you were calling it, a web series. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No one really knew. And so I started watching it to support her

and kind of thinking like, oh boy, how am I gonna lie to her? And then all of a sudden it was like, oh my God, this show is amazing. And I also just remember how we met your character, Tasty, and it was like in a shower scene. Almost didn't do it, bro. No, I almost didn't do it because I had just come out

of Juilliard, but I was like a year out. It was my first TV job. And they said they wanted me to be topless. That's why I almost didn't do it. Because I was like, I can't start off my career as the girl who just shows her tits. No, this is gonna be horrible. And I'm playing an inmate,

so I'm playing a stereotype of black woman. No, I almost didn't do it. And my mom told me not to. And my dad said, follow your heart. And I listened to my dad's advice and didn't even have to show my tits because I had just gotten, you know, asked so many questions, going back to like

not feeling like any question is too dumb to ask. I called everybody. I called Meg Simon, who's the casting director. I called Kathy Hood, who's the head of Julliard. I was asking like, is this gonna mess up my career? He was like, girl, if you don't go take that job. And I went and took the job and it changed my life. Yeah. Seven seasons.

Yeah. But also, I was watching some clips of the show and where your character goes is remarkable. I mean, you taste it becomes an activist. Where your character goes is remarkable. I mean, Tasty becomes an activist. She becomes a voice for so many people. There's some really incredibly moving scenes of you, you know, asking people to sort of rise up and take back their lives.

And I can only imagine that a lot of that is because it was you playing this part and the writers were like Okay, we because from what I understand she was only supposed to be in an episode or two Mm-hmm, and I have receipts because people don't believe in stuff like that But I actually still have the breakdown of them saying Recurring for two episodes Wow. Yeah, and, you know, seven years in, you're still there. And your arc is incredible. If you look back to like that shower scene,

and then look forward to like season seven, the work that you were doing. I mean, and that is a testament. I'm gonna blow a little smoke your way, but like that is a testament to your talent. Thank you, thank you. And you're, I mean, like, why would you not want to trust this

remarkable human being with this character art? Did you feel like because that show was so big, and it was one of those, you know, the first binge-able shows where it's like, you know, overnight, you know, everyone can watch all 13 episodes or whatever there were. What was there pressure around like having such, kind of hitting the ground running so fast?

Hell yeah. And what was that like for you? What a struggle. You talking about being a therapist, that's where it started because in the matter of 13 hours, we had become famous. It took 13 hours to get through the first season and they were available just like that. Yeah.

So people sat down and benched watch our show. I came out of my studio apartment in Harlem on 116 in Madison. Get on the bus and I felt a shift. People were immediately, that's that girl, that's that girl. Scary. And I'm 22 years old, 23. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know what was going on.

I didn't know how to navigate. And we damn sure weren't making enough money. Well, that was what we've experienced with Monter family. I mean, obviously like Ed O'Neill and Sophia were making more money and Kai and Julie had been working in that industry for a while. But like for me, who hadn't done a lot of television and Eric Stonestreet, it was just sort of his first big thing. You know, we were thrust out into like the world

as these like television stars. Our paychecks didn't necessarily reflect a way that we could like protect ourselves from that. And you know, we weren't, we couldn't afford to take cars places. I was taking the subway still. Like, you know, it was. You know, you can't pay for security

when you really need it. You can't, you don't have the funds for taxis and drivers. It just, you feel so vulnerable. Not only that, the pressure of being a woman and having to look like something and get your hair and makeup and your clothes together. We was out here thugging it. You hear me?

I'll never forget going to this Eminem concert with Natasha Leon and Samira Weisley and Natasha had invited us and you know Natasha been in the game. Yes. They give us badges that said celebrity and me and Samira looked at each other like what? We got badges that say celebrity. Mind you I'm rolling in with leggings that got holes in them. And a head wrap on my head, because my hair went in there. And there's still a picture to this day of me in those leggings. And I'm just like, this is horrible, unlike their little red carpet that they had.

My God. So just, it was really hard to navigate in the beginning. But luckily for us, and I'm sure you might've felt this way too. We had each other, then people that are right alongside you that you can be like, are you going through this? I'm going through this. How are you feeling? I'm feeling like it.

So that was really helpful. Yeah, but I mean like you know, your 20s were sort of like, those are the years that you're supposed to make mistakes to be messy and it's like, maybe not. Maybe not. I mean, my mom's a minister, so there was a lot of pressure to be perfect. Yeah.

Coming up. So coming into this industry, I felt nervous because I was so scared to get it wrong. And it's tough out here, you know what I mean? But now in my 30s, I'm much more sure of myself and kind of like have realized people gonna have opinions about you regardless. So just move the best way you can move and always operate out of kindness. Keep it about the work. Enjoy the work. I always say if you ain't fun, you ain't doing it right. And enjoy the meal with friends.

You know what I'm saying? Like, enjoy, like, enjoy the tuna milk. And now I adore you. You have one of those Chris musical theater, straight plays, television, movies now. It's like you're just, you're hitting it on all cylinders. I'm just so proud of you. I love you.

Yeah. I'm gonna tell this one story though? So I had just come out here to do, this was in Juilliard days. I came up here to do showcase, right? What year was that? This was 2011. And I had gotten a car, I think I had gotten a car, whatever it was, it it was the early early stages of my career Uh-huh, and I'm riding down sunset and who do I see on my left? I was driving next to you Serious my first celebrity spotting

Waved at me like you just like hey whatever and I think you waved at me. Like you just like, hey, whatever. And I was like, oh my God. I'll never forget that moment. If you told me like 11 and 12 years later would be sitting here having lunch together, that'd be crazy. I never forgot it. And then running into you later down the road.

And there was a picture of me in a car and I saw you walking and we took a picture together. It just reminded me of that moment. I think I was doing color purple. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I was doing color purple. I was once driving to set and I think we were shooting in the Pacific Palisades and there was construction and so the highway was trying to merge into one lane. And there was this car that was to my right that was like kind of driving funny, slow and like jerky.

And I was like, just go in front of me. Like I was trying to let this person in. Finally the person rolls down the window and she goes, I'm a really big fan. And I didn't really look cause I was trying to like see where my car was going. And so I waved her in front. And she, as she's going in front of me, she goes,

I'm Hillary Swank. Oh my God. You know who that just happens with me? Like coming here? Yeah. Chris Rock. I'm Hillary Swank. Oh my god. You know who that just happens with me? Like, coming here? Yeah. Chris Rock. Chris Rock is walking down Sunset and I roll down the window and I'm like, hey, he's giving

me that like, okay sis, how you doing? I'm like, no, it's Daniel Brooks. He's like, hey, it's so cool. I love it. It's really great when you can like just connect with people that you know do what we do Yeah, and I just shout them out But also I have to remind myself that people always love to be told that other people like that work like I Like when I say I should probably I shouldn't I shouldn't since that person a message

So I'm talking about I like their show or like I don't want to bother them like do I ever like Disappointed when someone says that they like something to bother them like do I ever like get disappointed when someone says that they like something I did? No! Yeah I think that's what it is to like just keep putting out that energy when you love somebody regardless of if they say anything back. Yeah yeah yeah. Well thank you Jesse! I'm so happy that you came on this. I know and thank you for my meal! I know and thank you for my meal. Next week on Dinners On Me, you know him as Crosby on Parenthood. And as one of the co-hosts of the very popular podcast, Armchair Expert, it's Dax Shepard.

We'll get into what it's like to interrupt President Obama and how his wife, Kristen Bell, has inspired him to take a new tack on Instagram haters. And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners On Me Plus. As a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, you'll also be able to listen completely ad-free. Just click Try Free at the top of the dinners on me show page

on apple podcast to start your free trial today. Dinners on Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Sam Baer engineered this episode. Hans Del Shee composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tamika Balans-Kolasni and Justin McKita.

I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.