Major productions on stage and screen have been the cornerstone of Danielle Brooks’ career, starting with her breakout role in the Netflix series. Orange is the new black To her Broadway debut violetfor which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in 2016, to the 2023 musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s book, which earned her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations. However, it’s the independent projects, the Juilliard graduate says, that make her feel most connected to her career and purpose.
“Independent films are so amazing because I think they reflect the truth of who we are,” Brooks said during the Miami Film Festival, where she received the Art of Light Award after showcasing her latest project. If I go they will miss me Tuesday night. “It’s not about the big blockbuster movies, it’s about the people. That’s why I got into this, so I can be a reflection, a light, because there were people in this industry, artists who were a light to me.”
Brooks plays Luzetta Harris, a mother of three trying to hold her family together while her partner, Ant (J. Alphonse Nicholson), struggles to connect with their son when he returns home from prison in the legendary semi-autobiographical film from Walter Thompson Hernandez.
During the Miami Film Festival, Brooks spoke with him Hollywood Reporter On why she believed so deeply in the project, which Rich Spirit has captured since its premiere at Sundance in January, that she shot in a public housing complex in Watts, and how working on the film inspired her to make a short film of her own.
Your contact with him If I go, will they miss me? It dates back to Walter Thompson-Hernández’s 2022 film of the same name. What attracted you to the project?
My team came to me and said, “Hey, this is a movie we want you to consider being in. There’s this amazing new director coming up, Walter Thompson Hernandez.” And I always say, “Oh, new. I love,” because that means there’s new energy being pumped into the film industry, and that excites me. So they said: “Come and look at the short one.” And I looked at the short film, and I said, “Wow, this is different than I’ve seen before, but it still has this energy, kind of like… moonlightwhich I liked.” And I loved the way he shot black people, but I also knew that there was passion behind it because I could tell that he didn’t have this big budget, that everything he was putting out was community-based. …And when I met him, we sat in a hotel in London, and we talked for over an hour, and I immediately told my team, “Yes, I’m down.” And this was really a passion project. This is one of those films that you end up spending money to be in. This wasn’t something that came with a big check, and I knew I would I want to be a part of it because it felt so honest and real. It was so different from anything I’d played before, people like Sophia[V[inviolet]or Taystee[in[inOrange is the new black]who were larger-than-life figures; There was a calmness about her that I was drawn to.
Your character, Lozita, and all the characters in this movie are based on real people. What was your preparation like, and is there a difference in how you approach roles that are biographical in nature versus fictional characters?
It’s very different. I enjoy playing real people. I’ve had the opportunity to play Mahalia Jackson in the past, and every character she plays requires something different, but this character was interesting because Lozita was based on a real person, and so was Big Ant. But unfortunately, the character I played passed away, so I wasn’t able to talk to her. All I knew about her was from her partner, who was still alive, from Walter, the director, who was a good friend of hers, and from photographs. Pictures tell a thousand words. One thing I really wish I could get is her tattoo, because she had all these tattoos, and I felt like they were telling such a story about her, and she wore braids. I thought to myself, “I have to make sure I get these braids.” And how she held her mouth. I saw pictures of her and her husband and how he would hold her, and all these things that told me a story.
What did Walter say about Lusita and you that made him want to make this film?
It’s that thing about life. None of us asked to be here, but we all have to know how to survive. And that’s what we’re watching this family do is figure out how are we going to survive our circumstances, the things that we’ve been through in the past, and how are we going to get through that? What will we pass on to our children? We had multiple conversations about this topic. And there were a lot of times where it seemed very real because we were shooting Watts as well. We shot projects, so we couldn’t say, “Okay, everyone, leave your homes for a while and come back tomorrow.” We are in their environment. And sometimes it was really real. Life imitates art, and art imitates life, so I never had a moment to escape the character. I felt like I was always close to her because I could see the children playing beautifully outside with their skates on. This is not a community that has access to iPads and all that stuff. So the kids are outside watching us, which was great because now I’m asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” [and they say] “I want to be an actor,” because they see a reflection. The kids are just as chocolatey or round as me.
You had a great screen partner in J. Alphonse Nicholson, and there’s a lot of emotion that comes through in the scenes with the two of you in the bedroom, trying to figure out this relationship. Were you all great at training? Were you just finding emotion in the moment?
We’ve done some training. We don’t have much time, but let me talk about J. Alphonse. I freaking love that brother. He’s one of the best scene partners ever, he’s so talented, I’ll take some credit. I was like, “We need him,” and Walter was like, “Okay, let me sit with him,” and they hit it off. He brings a lot to every character he plays, but the way he works allows you to be vulnerable. Being in a place with him, having to take my shirt off and enjoy intimate scenes, it was safe for me with the way he works to feel comfortable giving all of myself to her, without any problem. We’ve had some very personal conversations about personal experiences we’ve been through, because I’ll tell you right now, I don’t sound like what I went through. I say that because I can really relate to him [Lozita] Same thing with J. [and his character] So there were moments where I felt like this was too much, but we had to say to each other, “You good?” This is important. It is very important to be able to trust your partner in this way.
What was your reaction when you saw the finished film?
I cried like a baby. It messed me up… It’s like this when you say, “I love you, but you’re not good for me. You’re not healing me.” It’s a beautiful reflection again of survival, and how hard life can be, but yet we have to push through it. And what does love really look like for my personality? Love is getting out there. She had to go for her family, for herself, for her children, and watching Ant, he had to take a moment and think. He’s trying to do the right thing, but it’s too late.
I think the overall journey of this film is inspiring, especially for an audience at a film festival like this. Walter produced his original short film in 2022 and won the Jury Prize at Sundance; In 2023, he was selected for the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters and Directors Lab; In 2025, I got two grants and you all directed the feature, and then it premiered at Sundance in January 2026, and in March it was acquired by Rich Spirit, so now we’re looking at a theatrical release this fall. Did you expect to be able to take this project this far? What do you think aspiring filmmakers should take away from this journey?
Did I expect this movie to reach this level? Yes, because it’s good. Just so you know. There is something special about this movie. I think the hardest part is, is this the right timing? And I feel like this is the right time – we’re in a crazy time, and we’re trying to figure this out – but I feel like this is it Right time. What aspiring filmmakers can afford is that you can do this thing. I am one of the aspiring directors, because of the way I saw it [Walter] The work I ended up shooting for my short film. If you have a passion for it, do it. There are people who will identify with this passion. There are people trying to figure this out too and find their community. Just start talking about it and say, “Hey, this is what I want to do.” This may not be the first person you meet, but there are those who will say yes. The other thing I want to say while I have the microphone is that I feel like this movie is going to be a word-of-mouth success. So we need you.
