Golden Brooks

American actress (b. 1970)

Golden Brooks

Left to right: Mara Brock Akil with Persia White, Brooks, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Jill Marie Jones in 2013

Born|  (1970-12-01) December 1, 1970 (age 53)

San Francisco, California, U.S.

Alma mater| University of California, Berkeley
Sarah Lawrence College
Occupation| Actress
Years active| 1993–present
Partner| D. B. Woodside (2008–2010)
Children| 1

Golden Brooks (born December 1, 1970) is an American actress. She began her career with starring role in the Showtime comedy series, Linc's (1998-2000), and later appeared in the films Timecode (2000) and Impostor (2001).

From 2000 to 2008, Brooks starred as Maya Wilkes in the UPN/The CW comedy series Girlfriends, for which she received two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series nominations. She also has appeared in films Motives (2004), Beauty Shop (2005), Something New (2006) and The Darkest Minds (2018). In 2019, she received critical acclaim for her performance in the TNT limited drama series I Am the Night.

## Early life

[edit]

Brooks was born December 1, 1970, in San Francisco, California.[1] A classically trained dancer, she studied and taught ballet, jazz, and modern dance. She studied literature and sociology and is a graduate of UC Berkeley where she majored in Media Representation of Minorities with a minor in theater. She earned a Master's degree from Sarah Lawrence College.[1]

## Career

[edit]

In her early career, Brooks was active in the Rodney Theater Company.[1] On television, she has appeared on The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Promised Land, and The Jamie Foxx Show as a girl named Nancy, whom Jamie confuses with Fancy. Brooks also appeared in a number of films, like Hell's Kitchen, Timecode, and Impostor.[2] From 1998 to 2000, she starred alongside Pam Grier in the Showtime comedy series, Linc's.

Brooks is best known for her portrayal of the character Maya Wilkes, Joan's former sharp-tongued secretary and now acclaimed author, on the CW sitcom Girlfriends, in which she starred alongside Tracee Ellis Ross, Persia White and Jill Marie Jones from 2000 to 2008.[3] In 2001, she appeared in an episode of Moesha, portraying Maya Wilkes. Brooks also directed the 2006 episode titled "Hustle & Dough," and wrote the 2007 episode titled "Snap Back," which featured guest star Erykah Badu. The character of Maya is portrayed to be several years younger than the other characters Joan, Toni, and Lynn, but, in reality, Brooks is actually the eldest of the four actors. For her performance in Girlfriends, Brooks received a BET Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2004, as well as two nominations for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 2003 and 2008.[citation needed]

Brooks has won Black Reel Awards for her portrayal in the 2004 film Motives, co-starring with Vivica A. Fox and Shemar Moore. She also has co-starred in Beauty Shop (2005) and Something New (2006). In 2008, Brooks was cast as Kim Kaswell in the Lifetime comedy-drama pilot Drop Dead Diva,[4] but later was replaced by Kate Levering. In 2011, she starred in the independent film The Inheritance.[5] In 2012, Brooks joined the cast of Hart of Dixie in season 2 playing Ruby Jeffries, Mayor Lavon Hayes' ex-girlfriend from high school, who runs against him for mayor. In 2014, Brooks stars as one of five leads on the TV One reality series, Hollywood Divas.[6][7]

In 2015, Brooks was cast in a recurring role of Patrick Stewart's lead character's ex-wife in the Starz comedy series, Blunt Talk.[8][9] In 2016, she was cast in a series regular role opposite Damon Wayans Sr. in the Fox pilot Lethal Weapon.[10] Brooks was fired from Lethal Weapon after the project's table read, and Keesha Sharp, her Girlfriends co-star, later replaced her in role.[11]

In 2017, Brooks was cast as the lead character's mother in The Darkest Minds, a young adult dystopian thriller directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson.[12][13] She also was cast in the Paramount Network drama series Yellowstone starring Kevin Costner.[14] Later she was cast in a series regular role on the TNT drama series I Am the Night directed by Patty Jenkins, playing the mother of the lead character.[15][16] She received critical acclaim for her performance in I Am the Night.[17] "Golden Brooks elevating every scene she's in", said Daniel Fienberg in his review for The Hollywood Reporter.[18] In 2019, she reunited with her Girlfriends co-stars Tracee Ellis Ross, Jill Marie Jones and Persia White in the episode of ABC comedy series Black-ish.[19][20] In 2023, Brooks starred in the coming-of-age comedy series, Saturdays as a mother of lead, and played the leading role in the Tubi Holiday comedy film, Hot Girl Winter.[21][22]

## Personal life

[edit]

Brooks and fellow actor D. B. Woodside were in a relationship from 2008 to 2010; they have a daughter together, born in 2009.[23][24]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Film

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1997  | Drive by: A Love Story | Young Tuli  | Short film
1998  | Hell's Kitchen | Gold  |
Zero Stress | The Dancer  |
2000  | Timecode | Onyx Richardson  |
2001  | Asylum | Angela  | Short film
Impostor | Cale's Sister  |
2004  | Motives | Allannah James  | Direct-to-video
2005  | Beauty Shop | Chanel  |
2006  | Something New | Suzette  |
2008  | A Good Man Is Hard to Find | Rachel  | Direct-to-video
2010  | Polish Bar | Ebony  |
2011  | The Mudman | Mother  |
The Perfect Gift | Sandra Harris  |
The Inheritance | Karen  |
2012  | A Beautiful Soul | Anita Stevens  |
The Great Divide | Kim  |
2015  | Supermodel | Patricia Gillard  |
2016  | Definitely Divorcing | Tonisha  |
My B.F.F. | Sharice Brown  |
She's Got a Plan | Herself  |
2017  | Almost Amazing | Wendy  |
The White Sistas | Stone White  |
2018  | The Darkest Minds | Molly Daly  |
Everything That Glitters | Victoria Robinson  |
He Watches Over Me | Jasmine  |
2020  | Kiss Me for Christmas | Millie Michaels  |
2021  | Coins Forever | Veronica  |
2022  | Block Party | Tasha McQueen  |
2023  | Packz | Carla  |
2023  | Hot Girl Winter | Jess  |

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1996  | The Adventures of Pete & Pete | Heather  | Episode: "Crisis in the Love Zone"
1998–2000  | Linc's | CeCe Jennings  | Main Cast
1999  | Promised Land | Erica Sims  | Episode: "Leaving the Life"
2000  | The Parkers | Chris  | Episode: "Since I Lost My Baby"
The Jamie Foxx Show | Nancy  | Episode: "Double or Nothing"
2000–08  | Girlfriends | Maya Denise Wilkes  | Main Cast
2001  | Moesha | Maya Wilkes  | Episode: "That's My Mama"
2002  | Haunted | Rachel Landry  | Episode: "Abby"
2004  | Star Trek: Enterprise | Alicia Travers  | Episodes: "Storm Front: Part 1 & 2"
2005  | Eve | LaDonna  | Episode: "Testing Testing HIV"
2008  | CSI: Miami | Pam Dashell  | Episode: "And How Does That Make You Kill?"
2011  | The Exes | Bree Miller  | Episode: "Pilot"
2012  | In Sickness and in Health | Hope  | TV movie
2012–13  | Hart of Dixie | Ruby Jeffries  | Recurring cast: Season 2
2014  | Second Chance Christmas | \-  | TV movie
2014–16  | Hollywood Divas | Herself  | Main Cast
2015  | In the Cut | Dawn  | Episode: "The Beat Goes On"
Nicki | Monique  | Episode: "Pilot"
2015–16  | Blunt Talk | Vivian  | Recurring cast
2018  | 5th Ward The Series | Erica Ward  | Episode: "Flossin'"
Ladies of the Law | Monique  | Main Cast
2019  | I Am the Night | Jimmie Lee Greenwade  | Main Cast
Black-ish | Malika  | Episode: "Feminisn't"
2020  | BET Her Presents: The Waiting Room | Cynthia Howard  | Episode: "A Long Look in the Mirror"
2021  | Station 19 | Vivienne  | Episodes: "Say Her Name" & "Forever and Ever, Amen"
2022  | The Good Doctor | Dr. Isabel Barnes  | Episode: "Boys Don't Cry"
2023  | Saturdays | Deb Johnson  | Main Cast
2024  |  Power Book II: Ghost | Janet  | Season 4: Episodes 1-3

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Awards  | Category  | Recipient  | Outcome

|
|
|
|

2003  | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | "Girlfriends"  | Nominated
2004  | BET Awards | BET Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | "Girlfriends"  | Won
2005  | Black Reel Awards | Black Reel Award for Best Actress in the Independent Film | "Motives"  | Nominated
2008  | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | "Girlfriends"  | Nominated
2011  | American Black Film Festival | American Black Film Festival Award for Best Actress | "The Inheritance"  | Won

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Golden Brooks Biography". Buddytv.com. 1970-12-01. Archived from the original on 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
2. ^ "Golden Brooks Credits". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
3. ^ "Golden Brooks | Movies and Biography - Yahoo Movies". Movies.yahoo.com. 2011-04-20. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
4. ^ "Breaking News - Development Update: Thursday, August 7". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
5. ^ "Golden Brooks Gets Scary!? The Inheritance, Career Moves and More! Exclusive Interview!". UrbLife.com. April 11, 2011.
6. ^ Tambay A. Obenson (16 May 2014). "TV One Expands 'Diva' Franchise w/ Launch of 'Hollywood D - Shadow and Act". Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
7. ^ "Golden Brooks Talks 'Hollywood Divas' Drama - The Michigan Chronicle". The Michigan Chronicle. 8 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
8. ^ Denise Petski (24 February 2015). "Ed Begley Jr., Sharon Lawrence & More Join Seth MacFarlane's 'Blunt Talk' - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
9. ^ Elizabeth Wagmeister (5 March 2015). "'Blunt Talk': Elisabeth Shue & Jason Schwartzman to Guest Star on Starz Comedy - Variety". Variety. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
10. ^ Nellie Andreeva (19 February 2016). "'Lethal Weapon' Fox Pilot: Golden Brooks Cast As Trish - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
11. ^ Nellie Andreeva (17 March 2016). "Lethal Weapon' Fox Pilot: Keesha Sharp Replaces Golden Brooks In Recasting - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
12. ^ McNary, Dave (4 April 2017). "Golden Brooks Joins Amandla Stenberg's Dystopian Thriller 'Darkest Minds' (EXCLUSIVE)". Retrieved 5 April 2017.
13. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (4 April 2017). "'Mission: Impossible 6' Adds Frederick Schmidt; Golden Brooks Cast In 'The Darkest Minds'". Retrieved 5 April 2017.
14. ^ Otterson, Joe (10 August 2017). "Paramount Network's 'Yellowstone' Casts 'Girlfriends' Alum Golden Brooks (EXCLUSIVE)". Retrieved 17 October 2017.
15. ^ Petski, Denise (13 October 2017). "'One Day She'll Darken': India Eisley, Jefferson Mays Set As Leads; Five More Cast In TNT Series". Retrieved 17 October 2017.
16. ^ Otterson, Joe (13 October 2017). "TNT's 'One Day She'll Darken' Casts Seven to Star Alongside Chris Pine, Including 'Training Day' Alum". Retrieved 17 October 2017.
17. ^ GOLDEN, KARRIS. "Drama points out complicated history of church adoptions". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
18. ^ "'I Am the Night': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
19. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (September 16, 2019). "ABC Reunites Cast Members From TV And Film With "Cast From The Past" Week".
20. ^ "Tracee Ellis Ross to Reunite With 'Girlfriends' Cast on 'Black-ish'". September 12, 2019.
21. ^ "Trailer to Hot Girl Winter starring Golden Brooks". BlackFilmandTV.com.
22. ^ "Hot Girl Winter | Official Trailer | A Tubi Original" - via www.youtube.com.
23. ^ "It'S A Baby Girl For Actors Golden Brooks And D.B. Woodside » Black Celebrity Kids". Blackcelebkids.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
24. ^ Michaud, Sarah (2014-03-31). "Golden Brooks, D.B. Woodside Welcome a Daughter - Babies, D.B. Woodside, Golden Brooks". People. Archived from the original on 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2014-04-16.

## External links

[edit]

* Golden Brooks at IMDb
* Golden Brooks on X
* Golden Brooks at AllMovie

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* Israel
* United States

People|

* Deutsche Synchronkartei