Ghosts star Danielle Pinnock talks overcoming adversity & Alberta's impact on TV

When you think of Danielle Pinnock, you think of a force of nature in the entertainment world.

With a talent that's as versatile as it is captivating, she's been making waves on both stage and screen. But it's not just about her acting chops — it's about the journey she's taken to get there. Danielle's story is one of grit, determination, and a fierce commitment to representation. In an industry where diversity matters more than ever, she's not just an actress – she's a voice for change, challenging stereotypes and making sure everyone's story gets heard.

In an exclusive interview with Out, the Ghosts actress chats about her journey to fame, the roadblocks she faced, why her character Alberta is so important on broadcast television, the struggles she's dealt with, and recalls a story on how she met John Boyega.

Out:If there's one thing about your Ghosts character Alberta, it's that she’s going to own her space and own the room!

Danielle Pinnock: She is truly the epitome of what Black excellence is. She’s a jazz singer and the things that she had to really fight for in terms of race and segregation at that time, but also as a plus-size Black woman, you know, and when there were these skinny little things coming out there doing their little songs, and she was like, 'Okay, yeah, and I'm here, too.' She's really just allowed me in my own life to take up space as well, too. This character has taught me so much about me because I would probably say that I was a very insecure actor for many years just from hearing all of the no's in my career and not knowing what is it gonna take for me to finally get my big break. I feel like for a long time, I was the cute afterthought. Playing this role of Alberta, she's not an afterthought – she is the front runner and the prize. I had to start showing up in my life in that way. I'm not gonna allow people to disrespect me anymore because Alberta wouldn't. My trajectory has changed because of this character and now changing my way of thinking as well, too.

Alberta's poise and charm, particularly during her solo moment after taking over for Miss Clara, reflect elements reminiscent of soul and jazz singers. Can you share some of the inspirations that helped you embody Alberta's character and persona?

My grandmother. She is probably the most unconventionally funniest person I know. She’s always been plus size since I’ve known her, even when her sisters try to make fun of her, she is so combative and would say 'F them' and say how beautiful she is. Alberta definitely has traces of my grandmother, for sure, but also the great jazz singers of the time like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. I’m trying to get Queen Latifah to recreate that role to this day (laughs). There are so many people in my family and I feel like Alberta is a kaleidoscope of all of them. Alberta is strength, empowerment, boisterous, self-centered, and vulnerable. I think the thing that happens a lot of the time with plus-size Black women, especially plus-size Black actresses, is that we're not given the opportunity to have these 180 dimensional characters, you know? Or is 360? (laughs). Usually we’re given these occupationally driven roles which are the sassy this, the sassy that. The sassy truck driver that's like, 'Come on, pal, get in!' or the sassy librarian. I've been playing that and was grateful because those coins allowed me to pursue my dreams, get into acting classes, go to graduate school, and bring my mama up to LA. I knew that I was trained to do more. I have my degree from a really prestigious graduate school in England. I graduated the only one in my class first distinction honors. I know the entire Shakespearean canon. I've done my own one-woman show for five plus years and was mentored by some of the best theater artists in the world. So when you get those kinds of truck driver roles, you're like, 'Cool, I'm gonna pay my bills, but what else is there for me?' I believe the show Ghosts was that chance for me to really not only show the industry what I've known all this time, but also to really shine and it's given me so many opportunities. I'm so grateful for that character Alberta, because on the page you would think, 'Oh, well, she's just gonna be a sassy jazz singer.'

So how comfortable has it been for you on set with these past seasons as Alberta? Are there any, any other ways that you are able to be creative and bring in some of those nuances that you wanted to add to the character as well?

One of the things I will say is I have to give a huge shout out to Joe Port and Joe Wiseman. These are our incredible showrunners and we have some of the best writers on broadcast TV and the proof is really in the pudding. We're bringing in seven to 10 million people per week to watch this series. We got the numbers (laughs). A lot of people are wondering, like, when are the awards coming? There was a reporter recently that said Ghosts is criminally overlooked. We have a great audience and people are starting to slowly figure out what this show is about and they're becoming fans of it. With both Joes, what they've created is just an incredible history lesson of what America is through these ghosts, but also a lesson in dying in grief as well, too. I feel like for Alberta, specifically, I was able to ask if I could improvise or try this because, let's be real, these are two white men, and they don't have all the answers and were always willing to hear me out or change what was on the page.

During this recent season, one of the ghosts in the series, Flower, departs and moves on to the afterlife to which the ghosts now have to grieve. How do you think that this show is maybe helping somebody deal with grief and in what ways has it helped you deal with grief?

I think this show, first of all, is so fun for the whole family, but it also brings up really great discussions for the family as well, too, one of which is what happens in the afterlife. Maybe the afterlife is just a bunch of your friends and relatives all quarantined together in one big old mansion. That would be the dream. The thing that is also so beautiful about this series is that our two lead characters, Sam and Jay, played by Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar, are giving these ghosts life even in their afterlife. Their lives were very mundane in the afterlife and all they were talking about was cod, and that was really it. This season, Alberta has a love interest who was played by Lamorne Morris.

The poltergeist Saul and, we also find out with Hetty, how she died and we find out that she committed suicide. For me, that that episode in particular was very jarring and very triggering because I had a suicide attempt in 2011, so seeing her play out these scenes in real time, I was like, 'Dear God, I am so grateful to be alive.' What I've learned most from this show is the gratitude in living, the gratitude in having breath in my body, the gratitude to see my dreams come to fruition because in 2011, I couldn't even imagine a future for myself. Also as an actor being on the show, questions that I had about death or the afterlife or just the gratitude that I have to live now because a lot of these ghosts died young. Alberta died in her thirties, never having kids, and finding out her bootlegger’s lover killed her which was such a messy death. It has also made me want to make sure that I'm good with all of my friends and checking in. I have to do these check-ins because I know for me, my father passed away when I was 16 years old and the day before he passed, me and him were in an argument. That is something that I carried with me for many years. Did he love me? Was he upset at me? Those are some of the questions that may come up on this series. This show is one of the best comedies on broadcast TV right now because there are no shows that are actually dealing with these kinds of subject matters in a real and funny comedic way.

We can skip over this if you would like to, but for the folks who are reading this right now who may have felt the way you did in 2011, what was it for you that made you not take your own life and say your time on Earth isn’t finished yet?

The scripture for me was 'weeping may endureth for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.' It was my aunt and my family that gathered around me. There was just a very dark time in my life where I did not see a future for myself as this industry is very difficult and life was very difficult at that time. I know what it means to be in those dark spaces, especially as an artist. I want to just encourage those who are reading this to just remind themselves that, yes, today is a dark time, but tomorrow doesn't have to be and your tomorrow may not be immediately tomorrow. It may be next year. Through help, through community and therapy, you can get through it. You can get through. Let me be a testament to that, because 2011 was so dark for me and if I could even only imagine the things that will come to fruition for me for this time. I'm at a loss for words. It's truly God’s grace. I'm so grateful to be here and to be chatting with you, Ty.

Obviously you are married, but if you could have one night with a celebrity ghost of your choosing, who are we going with?

(laughs) It’s a cross between Malcolm X, because he’s stunning and that ginger moment he had. I'm also going to say Josephine Baker was fine and I have to know what’s happening. If we could get a little ghostly threesome happening that would be even better. I would need to be stretching before that moment because the way the sciatica is set up and Josephine was doing them little dances, so I need to do my little, you know. (laughs)

It’s clear you have a charm for John Boyega and, despite your husband’s one request, you still engaged with John. Who is your “one request” for your husband?

This is the thing about John Boyega: I've been such a fan for such a long time. In the pandemic, me and my dear friends Bria Simone Henderson, who's on The Good Doctor, Camille Coutinho, who is one of the producers of P-Valley, and Loy Webb, who works on The Ms. Pat Show, we did this cute virtual short film called Boyega Brides where these two women were vying for John Boyega's attention. It went so viral that he ended up following all of us, so we're like, 'Okay, that's really cute.' Then I was in this restaurant, and he walked in with Kyla Pratt and a bunch of celebrities, and I was like, 'Oh, my God, that's John Boyega.' He came right to me. He was like, 'Oh, my days! I love you, I love you, I love you.' He continued and shared with me how he and his mom talk about me all the time because apparently I did this sketch that I completely forgot about where I was, like, playing my mom during the holidays and I was like, 'Oh, yup, Danielle, you see John Boyega just bought his mama a $30 million house so where’s my house?' (laugh) He said he and his mom discuss that sketch weekly. He shared how he’s such a huge fan and asked to take a picture with me. It was just such an honor to know that I don't know who's watching the stuff that I do online, but to know that it has that kind of reach where some of my heroes or people that have been on my vision board that I want to work with are liking the work. It's just really inspiring and makes me want to continue going. He’s gorgeous, but also, like, I want to be in a film with him. I could play his best friend or something like a buddy comedy.

No but actually (laughs) You had such a beautiful award season with these amazing looks. Who are some brands and designers that are your go-to’s and who in the future would you like to go-to?

It’s a dream of mine to be styled by Wayman + Micah. What they've done this past awards season is unmatched, from Da’Vine Joy Randolph to Colman Domingo to Taraji P. Henson. They’re so smart and truly can dress all body types, which I love. I’ve been working with a stylist named Arielle Tunnel. I love her so much because I've had really bad stylists’ moments in my career, because I am plus-size, and people don't know how to dress past a double zero a lot of the times. I've also been made to feel, like, really undesirable or ugly or ashamed because of my size. I have to give a huge shout out to her because she's one of the few stylists that I've worked with where she just has everything ready. She's just always on her Zoom and also does a lot of research.She knows I love Black-owned businesses and so she always has a Brandon Blackwood or she'll find, like, a Caribbean accessory store. She's doing the work. I love Eloquii. They have been with me since day one. When I can't get a stylist, I'm usually there. I love Anthropologie and Burlington as well. I’m a Burlington Coat Factory girl through and through, let’s be clear. Just because your girl is on television, doesn’t mean I’m not scanning through the racks. (laughs) I think it's really important for me, as a Black plus-sized woman, to show that we are capable of just more than floral prints. We're more than just the wrap dresses. So every time I'm on the carpet, I want to be very intentional, from my makeup to my hair. I just have to give a huge shout out to my hair team and all the people that I've worked with, especially doing natural hairstyles. It is really important for me, too, to show people that that is an option as well. It feels really good to be acknowledged for that because your girl is working, I'm working, and I think that’s what makes me happy.

Like I said earlier, in anything that I have seen you've done and that you will continue to do, you're very intentional with the message you want to put out with it. What’s your relationship with intentionality and why is it so important not only for yourself, but seeing your counterparts be as intentional?

I've been waiting in the wings for my big break for 20 plus years, and that gives you a lot of time to learn what you like, what you don't like, and what you want to strive for. For me personally, as an actress, as a plus-size actress, as a Black actress, it really has given me the conditioning to know I'm enough, and this is what I'm going to fight for. Those two things in particular are how I manifest. I used to do these walks with some of my actor friends before I booked Ghosts and we would go and hike and sit out in nature and say out loud what we wanted and being really specific with what we want. The other thing about that is while we're waiting on that thing is to start preparing. Even when I didn't have anything, even when I was performing for three people and hoping those three people would come back at intermission after that stage show, I had what attorney I wanted to be with. When I finally ended up on television, I was researching. I saw Issa Rae, whose work I love, and researched who she was repped by. I had the agents, I had the names, and I was just walking around, and people thought I was crazy. They were like, 'Girl, you're never going to LA.' Now they're gagged. I remember before I moved to Los Angeles, I was up for this role at the Geffen Playhouse that Colman Domingo was directing. I had a friend, we were going in for the same role, and she was the smaller friend. I said I went in for the lead. I don't know if I'll get it because I know they're only looking for understudies. She replied, asking me if I thought I was the size for the lead. That’s the other beauty of 20 plus years in the industry, because you learn who your actual community is. This is no shade to her, but it needed to happen at that time, because what God was positioning me to do was massive. When I got that understudy position, I literally made networking connections with all the actors on that show. That job got me my first gig on This Is Us. You want to make sure you're preparing for when that thing does come because a big break truly is an incredible thing, but it will try to break you as well so you want to be prepared.

Ghosts airs Thursdays on CBS.