'OITNB' Star Danielle Brooks Reveals Why She Almost Turned Down Her Role

Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson is one the prominent characters in Orange Is the New Black, and that's mostly due to actress Danielle Brooks' portrayal of the character. However, Brooks recently revealed there was a point she thought she was going to turn down the role.

Brooks told PEOPLE the she was taken aback by the role possibly including nudity. She was very close to walking away from the show then, but decided to see it through.

"To be honest I didn't know Orange was going to be one of those dream jobs," she said. "I almost turned it down in the beginning because there was possibility for nudity, but I'm really glad I didn't do that."

So far in the show's five seasons, Brooks hasn't had to be filmed nude, and she's kickstarted her career as a part of one of TV's most acclaimed ensembles.

"Getting to work with so many incredible women and getting to play this character that has just grown tremendously throughout the season — I just pray for 100 times more chances like this in my career," she said.

Despite those initial hesitations, Brooks has connected with rest of OITNB's cast in a way she never could have predicted. She says they are all so close, which can make filming a bit too fun at times.

"Honestly, all of us are really close friends now, so when we get together we love laughing until our stomachs hurts, so just remembering to rein it back can be challenging work," she said. "Somehow we find a way to pull it together."

All of Orange Is the New Black's five seasons are currently streaming on Netflix.