Oscar nomineeDanielle Brookshas such an awesomely wide range as a performer. She lit up the cast of the popular Netflix seriesOrange is the New Black. She also graced the Broadway stage inThe Color Purple, receiving a Tony Award, only to reprise her role in the film adaptation, which earned her an Academy Award nomination. Add to everything her fan favorite role as Leota Adebayo inJames Gunn’s D.C. seriesPeacemaker. It’s only natural we find Brooks as Dawn, exploring and building within the universe ofA Minecraft Movie.
Struggling with their everyday problems and anxieties, four misfit friends find themselves sucked through a mysterious portal to a bizarre, cubic playground and landscape that thrives on imagination. As their creativity is challenged, the team—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (newcomerSebastian Hansen), Natalie (Wednesday’sEmma Myers) and, of course, Brooks’ Dawn—must master the world while traveling on a magical quest in order to get home. Along the way, with the help of master crafter Steve (the one and onlyJack Black), the team earns the skills they need to thrive in the real world.
Collider’s ownSteve Weintraubhad the pleasure of sitting down with Brooks to talk about all thingsAMinecraft Movie. Together they discussed Brooks’ work withSamuel L. Jacksonon Broadway, directorJared Hess’offbeat sense of humor, and maybe even a little tease of the upcoming season ofPeacemaker. Check out the whole conversation in the video above or the transcript below.
Danielle Brooks Wasn’t Surprised by ‘A Minecraft Movie’s Big Swings
“I’ve watched his films likeNacho LibreandNapoleon Dynamite.”
COLLIDER:So I’m curious. It’s not about this movie, but you got to be with Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington on Broadway inThe Piano Lesson.What does it actually cost to work with them, in case I also want to do it?
BROOKS:[Laughs]What does it cost? Oh my God. I don’t know. Your sanity. No, I’m just kidding. They’re great. They’re wonderful. Sam is the best. Who wouldn’t pay to work with him, right?
That’s my point!
BROOKS: And when you’re doing theater, I pretty much did pay to work with him. [Laughs]Like a dream. A dream. At this point, I feel like I’ve worked withso manyamazing people, like, now, Jack Black, you know what I’m saying? It’s been really cool.
One of the things that really surprised me aboutMinecraftis that I figured this is like a big IP, it might be cookie-cutter, might be safe. But Jared was able to insert a lot of his unique humor into the movie. Were you surprised at all how much weird stuff is in it?
BROOKS: No, because I’ve watched his films likeNacho LibreandNapoleon Dynamite. So the fact that he came up with Dawn, my character, with a zoo-mobile, I was like, “Yes! Thank you! This is so cool!” Until we actually got with the animals, and I’m like, “Oh my God, there’s a llama’s butt right by my head.”
But that’s the reason they paid you. To work with the butt.
Danielle Brooks Shares Her Hopes for the Adebayo/Amanda Waller Relationship in ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2
Brooks also recaps her journey from Juilliard to ‘Orange Is the New Black’ and HBO Max.
Let’s hypothetically say there’s an emergency on this planet and the only way to save it is for you to play a video game and to play it really, really well. What is the game you pick to save our planet?
BROOKS: That’s a good question. First of all, I thought you were going to say, “Would we survive?” I was going to say, “All of us would be dead in 59 seconds.” ButPac-Man. That’s my game.
Can you actually playPac-Man?
BROOKS: Yeah!
How far can you get with the marriage of Pac-Man? You know what I mean?
BROOKS: I do know what you mean. I do know what you mean. Yeah, again, 59 seconds. Fifty-nine seconds. That’s how much time. So, you better figure out, like, what final meal you want to eat, because you’re gonna die if I’m playing the game. [Laughs]
For soon-to-be fans of the movie, what do you think would actually surprise them to learn about the making of the film?
BROOKS: These are interesting, fun questions. That some of the produce was actually real. The square shapes of the carrots and the pumpkins and all of the food, that was actually real lettuce and real bread shaped as a square. So, if you actually watch the movie and see how much it was, it’s kind of crazy. Lotta wasted food, but…
When I see it again, I will definitely be looking at it.
BROOKS: Yeah, look at that stuff! It’s pretty mind-blowing. I wish I had a picture to show you, but it’s a lot of fun.
Danielle Brooks Teases ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2’s New Dance Number
I’m a big fan ofPeacemaker.
BROOKS: Oh, thanks!
For people out there, what can you tease about Season 2 and what can you tease about the new opening dance number and song?
BROOKS: Look at you! I will tease that it comes out tomorrow. No, I’m just kidding, it doesn’t come out tomorrow, it comes out in August. I can tell you that much. But the dance number is… I think it’s safe to say there’s going to be another.
Yeah, I’ve gotten it from James [Gunn] and from John [Cena]. They’ve admitted there’s a new song, they’ve admitted there’s a new dance number. I’m just curious what it was like for you doing the new one.
BROOKS: I had a lot of choreography. I had to do a lot of time with the choreographer because it was intense. Learning those moves isnoteasy. Making sure the leg goes the right way. It was hard, but I got it down. Can I sayeverybodygot it down? Not so much. But thank God for TV magic and cuts and all that stuff.
Can you tease anything about the season?
BROOKS: It will not disappoint. I will not disappoint. It has a lot of heart in it this season, I think, and it has a great opening.
