How has playing the role of Sofia changed you?

"Sofia's helped me so much. There's this big number called 'Hell No' that she sings, and it's basically a women's empowerment song. When I sing that, I think about my journey. I wasn't raised in a family of abuse, but when I think about the things that I've had to fight for in my life, it's helped me to say 'hell no,' to feeling like I can't accomplish things, or 'hell no,' to feeling like I'm not enough, or that whatever I'm going through that day — whether it's a weight thing, a relationship thing — it reminded me, 'No, Danielle, you can do this, and you will do this.'"

You're in such a unique position because you are in two of the most diverse casts in theater and television right now.

"It's interesting because it kind of just fell in my lap. I've always felt like I am more than what people think I am and I'm capable of more than what you might first see when you look at me. I've always felt like I can do and play anything. When I came into Orange is the New Black, I didn't realize at the time, I just wanted a job. I felt really nervous about playing something that I thought might end up being stereotypical. I decided to take the journey because after speaking to some people, they were like, 'We promise, this is not gonna be what you think it's gonna be. You're not necessarily gonna play the sassy black woman that's always angry.' I got into this world with these women, and I am blown away at how diverse this cast is — from race, to age, to transgender, to sexual preference. I am in a position where I can be very selective of the material that I want to be a part of. It's very important to me that I align myself with projects that are inclusive. That's what my focus is about, working on material like Masters of None with Aziz [Ansari], on Girls with Lena Dunham, working with Jenji Kohan, working with John Doyle directing The Color Purple. I want to make sure I’m doing things that people look at and say, 'Damn, I never thought to cast her, but that was brilliant.'"