Over the last decade, Danielle Brooks has become a recognizable face in Hollywood, thanks to her work on Orange Is the New Black, Peacemaker, and Girls. Last night, the actor attended her first Golden Globes as a nominee, earning a nod for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her work as Sofia in the movie The Color Purple.
Brooks fondly remembers learning about her nomination. “I was in my hotel room in NYC on the phone with my husband and had CBS on in the background,” she tells Vogue. “So I found out in real time and could not have been more excited!” Since then, she’s been trying to stay present. “I have really been focused on living in the moment because each moment has been so special.”
In honor of her first nomination, Brooks had a few musts. “I wanted a color that complimented my skin, but that also made a statement. Red is a power color and I am feeling powerful,” she says. So she landed on a tomato-hued Moschino dress by Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, and embellished her look with Swarovski jewelry and Louboutin shoes. In her bag, she carried a secret weapon—a piece of awards show advice she was given: “Always have a snack in your purse,” she says.
“We pulled from classic couture silhouettes and images of Dorothy Dandridge, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work in Porgy and Bess, honoring the tradition of Black women theatre performers in film,” explains stylist Jennifer Austin. Another reference was Joyce Bryant, known, Austin says, as “the Black Marilyn Monroe.”
“She was an incredible jazz vocalist, nicknamed ‘The Belter;’ mermaid dresses were her signature,” Austin adds.
With help from hairstylist Tish Celestine and makeup artist Rebekah Aladdin—and a handy hidden snack—Brooks was ready for her big night. As for her post-ceremony celebration plans? “Dancing the night away with a glass of Pinot!”