Please welcome Danielle Brooks.
Hi.
Hello, Ellen.
I'm talking in high pitch because I'm so excited.
I'm excited to meet you.
This is your first time on this show, and I'm so happy.
I wish you were here in person, but you're there.
And I love that you have a hashtag
#StopAsianHate behind you.
Good for you.
Everybody should have a hashtag #StopAsianHate.
So we just talked to John Cena and you're filming with him
right now in Vancouver, right?
Yes, I am.
I'm getting to know John Cena very well.
Yeah?
You're working along.
Yes.
He's a hard worker.
Yes, he really is.
We're doing Peacemaker together with James Dunn,
and I actually did get a sneak peek of Suicide Squad as well,
and it's so good.
So that's been cool.
But I've been trying to get John to train me
a little bit too because, I mean, it's John Cena.
If you're doing a show with John Cena,
you might as well get him to teach you some things.
[LAUGHS]
I mean, he is an inspirational guy.
And, yeah, you had a baby.
You're on the cover of Parents Magazine, right?
Yes.
I was with my baby girl.
What's your baby's name?
Her name is Freeya.
Freeya.
And how is she?
Yes.
Is she a good one?
Oh.
She's amazing.
She is just so smart.
Oh.
There she is.
I'm just in love with her.
She's just so spunky.
She went to the grocery store yesterday,
and from what I hear, she was just surrounded by everybody
because she was blowing kisses and being Ms. Personality.
But she's just super sweet and just that little angel.
I love her so much.
That's so sweet.
Baby Free.
I heard you're working long days on the set.
You made a big purchase for yourself
and it's something that you want to talk to me about.
[LAUGHS] Yes, but like I said, I have
been really-- because I'm also getting married.
Congratulations.
I have been trying to--
thank you.
Thank you.
[LAUGHS] I've been trying to lose this baby weight,
so I got one of those personal saunas.
Oh.
[LAUGHS]
Now, do you walk around in that or do you have to stay still?
I stay still.
But I feel like a difference.
I do feel like a difference.
I don't know how much of a difference,
but I haven't got everything.
I actually got a mini trampoline that I purchased, jump rope.
I'm going for it.
So it's been a lot of fun though.
Yeah.
The trampoline is really good for you.
It's good for your lymphatic system or something.
I have one of those mini trampolines as well.
Yes.
Boom.
Exactly.
See?
I'm getting some weight lifting in.
That's right.
It's interconnected.
It's all interconnected.
And there it goes.
I have to say, you were so great on Orange is the New Black
and--
Thank you.
Do fans still want to talk to you about that?
Well, yes.
I feel like this is never going to end.
I could play 500 roles in my lifetime
and I'm still going to be Taystee, and that's OK.
But even here in Vancouver, we went into a restaurant safely
and these people right beside us, the girls started crying.
And I'm like, OK.
Excuse me, girl.
But people are super passionate about Taystee and I love that,
and I appreciate them.
Well, that's a big compliment.
They know you.
Let's talk about Mahalia.
So tell everybody what Mahalia is about.
Yes.
Mahalia Jackson, she was the queen of gospel music.
And as was our director, Kenny Leon, says, who I love so much,
he said it was a story about an ordinary woman doing
extraordinary things.
And she's just made such a huge contribution to America
through gospel music, and she had a very close relationship
with Martin Luther King.
And if it wasn't for Mahalia Jackson,
there would not be the I Have a Dream
speech as we know it today.
Because during that time they were
on the march on Washington, she hollered out
to Martin Luther King and said, "Tell them
about the dream, Martin.
Tell them about the dream."
And so because of her we have that.
She's left us with that beautiful gift,
so she's an incredible, incredible woman.
And I'm very honored to be able to have stepped into her robe,
as I like to say, instead of her shoes.
Yeah.
Incredible.
She was from New Orleans I think, right?
She was.
Yeah.
My hometown.
Well, I look forward to seeing that.
Robin Roberts presents Mahalia airs Saturday at 6:00
on Lifetime.
So great talking to you and hope to see you in person someday.
Thank you so much.
Lovely to meet you.
All right.
Take care.