Why Leota From Peacemaker Looks So Familiar
The first DCEU series ever centers around John Cena's Peacemaker, who we met in the James Gunn version of "The Suicide Squad." The patriotic antihero didn't end the film on the best note, as he killed Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and was about to murder Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) before Bloodsport (Idris Elba) intervened. Peacemaker was following through with his own mission outside of the team, which was put in place by the ever-so-shady Amanda Waller (Viola Davis).
Peacemaker was rewarded for his Judas behavior by being shot by Bloodsport and having all of Jotunheim dropped on top of him. He miraculously makes it out alive, and "Peacemaker" will follow up on his recovery and the aftermath. His life as a vigilante does not end with his hospital stay, as Peacemaker becomes part of a new team with a new mission. One of his newest colleagues is Leota Adebayo, a character who is very much the antithesis of Peacemaker. Leota is played by the talented Danielle Brooks, and you might have found yourself wondering where you've seen her before. Here are some of the biggest projects she's been involved in since joining the entertainment world.
Danielle Brooks rose to fame in Orange is the New Black
Premiering on Netflix in 2013, "Orange Is the New Black" was one of the streamer's first original series ever. The large ensemble cast was made up mostly of women, as the show was set in a women's prison. Most of the cast was also relatively unknown but did feature some actors viewers might have been familiar with, like Laura Prepon or Natasha Lyonne. Danielle Brooks was one of those newer stars who only had one credit to her name before making it big on Netflix.
Brooks starred as Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson, a character based on Delicious from author Piper Kerman's book that inspired the series. Taystee was a major player in every season of the series but was one of the lead protagonists in Seasons 2, 5, and 7. We never find out why she's in prison, but it's always been suspected that she trafficked heroin for fellow inmate Vee (Lorraine Toussaint). Taystee is wrongfully accused and convicted of murdering a CO in Season 6, and her prison sentence is upped to life. Unfortunately, this fan-favorite character never makes it out of jail, and she got an ending that left many viewers unsatisfied (via Reddit). With a series that focused on the systematic racism in the prison system, it wouldn't be realistic to have everyone on the show get a happy ending.
Brooks appeared on Master of None during OITNB's run
As Danielle Brooks became more and more famous as "Orange Is the New Black" ticked on, she nabbed a small part on fellow Netflix series, "Master of None." The Aziz Ansari project lasted three seasons and earned itself a handful of awards, including two Emmys and a Golden Globe.
Brooks appeared in Season 1 and Season 2 as Shannon. She portrays Dev's (Ansari) agent and has an additional episode in Season 2, where she can be heard only over the phone. A hardworking agent who goes to bat for her clients, Shannon worked overtime to get Dez what he wanted. While Brooks only appeared for two episodes, she had a great time filming with Ansari. "It's always fun with Aziz because he's very much from the school of improv and figuring out what works in the moment. The whole staring into each other's eyes [moment] was totally improv," she noted (via Yahoo).
Danielle Brooks has appeared in smaller movie roles and one-offs
Danielle Brooks did a one-off episode for a top-rated show before getting her next big gig on HBO Max's "Peacemaker." She appeared in Season 3, Episode 1 of "Girls" as Laura. This was monumental for the series, as Brooks was the first Black female cast member on the show, according to Rolling Stone. Brooks told Ebony that it was very exciting for her to make history on the series.
In addition to many voice roles on animated series, Brooks has also dabbled in some smaller film projects. She appeared in "All the Little Things We Kill," "The Public's Much Ado About Nothing," "Eat Wheaties!," "The Day Shall Come," and "Clemency."
While she's most known for her work in "Orange Is the New Black," "Peacemaker" is sure to bring a new audience to the actor. James Gunn specifically wrote the role of Leota with Brooks in mind (per Variety) because he was such a big fan of her on "OITNB." Gunn is normally spot on with his casting choices, so we're excited to see how "Peacemaker" further launches Brooks' career.