SUCOPRESS/Raquel Laguna. Actress DANIELLE BROOKS stars in THE COLOR PURPLE, directed by Blitz Bazawule. Danielle, a past Emmy nominee, Tony nominee and Grammy winner, is nominated for her supporting actress work in the movie musical. In this interview, the actress talks about Sofia, her character in the movie. Brooks also talks about working with Blitz Bazawule and about the first time she watched THE COLOR PURPLE by Steven Spielberg. Produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones, THE COLOR PURPLE is a bold new take on the classic story of love and resilience, adapted from the beloved novel and the Broadway musical. Torn apart from her sister and her children, Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately learns to find extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood. The movie stars Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson, Oscar nominee, SAG Award winner and Tony Award nominee Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Tony Award nominee Corey Hawkins, Oscar and Grammy-winning artist H.E.R., Grammy nominee Halle Bailey, Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Grammy-winning artist Fantasia Barrino in her major motion picture debut.
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00:00 attracted you to this project? Oh man, this is legacy right here. This is history in the making
00:08 and in the past and I would be remissed if I said no as some of my my character says hell no,
00:17 that would never come out of my mouth if someone asked me do I want to play this part. It is
00:22 completely hell yes. And what do you like the most about Sofia, your character? Do you relate to her
00:30 in any way? Oh I do, I do 100% in so many ways. She's taught me a lot about myself as well
00:36 but I really love her spirit of joy. She don't take any mess, she knows who she is and she's a
00:46 woman ahead of her time and I just like that I found a lot of my own personal strength that was
00:54 lacking through playing her. She's taught me that I have everything I need within me and I don't
01:02 need any validation from anyone else and I am so grateful for that because a girl was like a
01:08 people pleaser for a long time. You gave a new approach to this classic. It was challenging or
01:16 did you feel kind of a responsibility to make it right? Oh I felt both. I've definitely felt the
01:23 responsibility. I mean what Miss Oprah did in the 1985 version was unforgettable. It was remarkable.
01:31 She was nominated for an Oscar for that role and that was her first movie and so I definitely feel
01:37 a responsibility and also just a responsibility to myself to honor what I've done. The sacrifices
01:48 I've made and going to conservatory, studying at Juilliard for years and being in the Broadway
01:54 production for a year of my life. Those are sacrifices that I made to be where I'm at so I
02:01 want to honor that with my work and so that I can walk away proud you know and honor my family. So
02:08 my mom and dad who are going to see it for the first time today that they could be proud of.
02:13 So yes it was about that for me. Huge shoes to fill, beautiful character to play and I would not
02:23 change any of it for the world. What would you say is the main or the most important message of
02:33 this film? There's so many and I think people are going to gravitate to what they gravitate towards.
02:39 I think people will feel healed. I feel people will feel forgiveness. I hope that people will
02:45 be able to see the beauty in the small things of life even when they're going through a lot.
02:50 That they will hopefully gain hope and faith and if anything you know what I've discovered for
03:02 myself is that at the end of the day I still have the music. I think this music is so timeless.
03:07 It cuts through any race and age and gender and sexual orientation whatever. It cuts through that
03:15 all and so I'm very excited for people to have that forever because I have it forever and it
03:23 truly changed is changing and has changed my life.