-Danielle Brooks, welcome to "The Tonight Show."
-I finally made it here!
-We're so happy to have you here.
[ Cheers and applause ]
I'm so excited that you're here because I was reading up on you.
And there's an article where they asked you, name five people
that you would ever have at a dinner party, living or dead.
-Mm-hmm. -Do you remember what you said?
-I do remember a few.
I remember my future husband,
which is now my husband, so, hey.
-Yeah.
-Martin Luther King. -Mm-hmm.
-And I think I might have mentioned you, Jimmy Fallon.
-Yeah, I'm on the list.
-Which I'm a little salty. -Why?
-Because you just had -- broke bread with John Legend,
ain't bring me nothing.
[ Laughter ] What's up with that?
-Next time you come on, we'll get chicken and pancakes.
-Okay, thank you. -Alright, we'll do it.
I want to say congratulations, by the way.
You did -- You just -- You're married.
You have a husband. Your future husband you said --
what was it, six years ago in this article?
-I know, I know. -Here you are married.
You have a baby.
-I have a little one who's a toddler.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-How old is she?
-She's 2 1/2. -Oh, my gosh.
-I know, it goes so fast, don't it?
-Is it fun? -She's amazing.
She has so much personality. It's kind of crazy.
-She does, right? -Yeah, she's crazy.
-She has her own Instagram account,
which every baby should have.
[ Laughter ] -She does.
-But she's very -- You did a very --
I mean, you're so cute with her. I want to show this one
because this one -- it was #nopaparazzi.
-Yes. -Right? And she's two.
-Yes, let's see what she was doing.
-Take a look at this. Watch this.
-Oh, my baby girl. -Look at this.
-Who's that cool kid?
-No.
[ Laughter ]
-"No." -Come on!
-"No." I know. -The glasses.
"No." -"No."
And I did not tell her to do that.
[ Laughter ] That is her, all day.
-That's the cutest thing ever. -All day.
-You brought a photo of yourself from --
I guess it was a couple of years ago.
-'Cause I've been wanting to share this story with you.
-I love this. -I think -- I don't know.
When it happened to me -- -I love you saved it for me.
-I low-key did, no lie.
When this thing happened to me, I was like, "I want to tell
Jimmy Fallon this story one day" because it was crazy.
-Yeah. Explain this to me.
Where were you and how did it end up being where you were?
-Okay. So, this is odd circle moment.
Full-circle moment for me. -Yeah.
-So, like, six years ago I had to go to L.A.
And my homegirl, Gabourey Sidibe, which I'm sure you know.
All of us know Gabourey. -Gabby.
-What's up, girl?
She was like, "You can stay at my place in L.A."
And I was like, "Okay, thank you."
So, I get there. She's like, "Look, I have a fancy dinner
that I have to go to, so I won't be able to greet you."
So I was like, "Okay."
I got the keys, get into her place.
She has this pink robe for me to put on.
I take off my -- my bra to get comfortable.
You know, I was, you know, living in there.
She gave me some wine.
So, I go to the back and get settled.
Drink the wine, come back -- try to come back,
and the door is locked. And I'm like, "Oh, man,
she told me she got to go to this fancy party.
I'm locked out of her house. What am I gonna do?"
So, I call her.
And she's like, "Okay, girl, just come to the fancy party."
I'm like, "Oh, man. I got this robe on.
I ain't got nothing to hold the girls up.
What am I supposed to do?"
[ Laughter ] And she's like, "Come."
-Nothing to hold the girls up. -Nothing to hold the girls up!
Looking crazy. [ Laughter ]
Right? Crazy.
So, I go to get the keys.
And I'm telling you, the Uber takes me to this place.
It ain't a house. It ain't a mansion.
It's an estate. Do you know what I mean?
The service goes out. Do you hear me?
That's how -- Yes. The rich people live there.
I get there, and she thinks it's the funniest thing,
so she takes this picture of me 'cause she --
And so -- And I go into the house and come to find out
there's this Victorian picture
of Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Jackson.
I'm like, "I'm at the Jacksons' house
and I got this pink robe on. What the hell?"
-You're at Samuel L. Jackson's. -Wearing that.
-Here's the photo.
[ Laughter ]
-Crazy. Crazy.
But now I'm working with them. -But look.
Now you're working with them on Broadway!
[ Cheers and applause ] That's what happens, folks!
Show up.
-Show up in the pink robe.
-Show up is the lesson right there.
Just show up and you get it done.
-Yes, and J.D. was there too. Crazy.
-Isn't that wild? -Wild.
-That is just -- -Full-circle crazy.
-What's it like working with the Jacksons?
-It's great, you know.
It's like working with your mama and daddy, though,
'cause them two together is quite the fun time.
But it's fun. We really have built a family.
The story is great. I can't wait to be back
on Broadway September 19th.
[ Cheers and applause ] So, it's great.
It's awesome.
-You've had such a great run.
I mean, Samuel L. Jackson. -Yeah.
-But also "The Color Purple."
-"Color Purple," which was awesome.
Then I got to do the movie with --
you know, being ushered in by Oprah Winfrey herself.
It's been crazy. It's been good. It's been good.
-But can we set up the --
I know it's August Wilson. This is a revival.
Can we set it up? -Oh, yeah.
It's about a brother and sister, the sister who wants to keep
the family heirloom that has so much rich history into it,
which is the piano.
And the brother who is like, "Nah, sis.
I want to take this piano and sell it."
-Sell it. -Sell it and build for the future.
So, you watch them go at it for about 2 1/2 hours or so.
Come on, watch it. -Yeah.
I want to say break a leg, and I really want to say
thank you so much for coming on the show, finally.
The first of many. Please come on.
-Thank you. -I will see you.
I'll be there. I'm not going to tell you what night.
-Don't tell me what night. -I'm not.
Do you like knowing? -No.
-You don't like knowing when anyone's in the audience?
-No. But I still got to do what I got to do.
-I know. Do you see people when you act
and you see people in the audience?
-Once I see you, that's fine
but I don't want to know you're there.
-I won't tell you. -Yeah, don't tell me.
-I won't tell you when I'm going.
I'll wear a disguise. I'll grow my beard longer.
-Okay. Just put on a wig. [ Laughter ]
-I'll put on a wig. I got a lot of wigs, yeah.
-Like dreads. -I'll put some dreads.
I'll put something on. But I cannot wait to see it.
Danielle Brooks, everybody. Come on.
[ Cheers and applause ]
That's how you do it right there.
August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson"
begins September 19th on Broadway.
John Legend performs after the break.
Stick around. How fun!