Who is actor, comedian and television host Whoopi Goldberg?
Whoopi Goldberg, born Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955, in Manhattan, New York City, is an American actor, comedian, author and television host. Known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg, she rose to prominence through stage comedy before becoming an Academy Award-winning film actor. She is also a longtime co-host of the daytime talk show The View and is one of the few entertainers to have earned competitive Emmy, Grammy, Academy and Tony awards.
Background/biography
Goldberg was raised in the Chelsea area of Manhattan by her mother, Emma Johnson, a nurse and teacher. Her father, Robert James Johnson Jr., was a clergyman. She attended local schools in New York City, including Washington Irving High School, but left school before graduating.
Her early interest in performing developed through theatre and experimental productions. Before her national breakthrough, she worked in San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area, where she developed a one-woman stage show featuring original comic characters. That show, often known as The Spook Show, helped establish her reputation as a distinctive performer and led to wider attention in the 1980s.
Acting and television career
- The Color Purple (1985) — played Celie, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
- Ghost (1990) — played psychic Oda Mae Brown and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
- Sister Act (1992) — starred as Deloris Van Cartier, also known as Sister Mary Clarence.
- Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) — returned as Deloris Van Cartier.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988–1993) — appeared as Guinan in recurring guest roles.
- The View (since 2007) — became a co-host and moderator of the ABC daytime talk program.
Goldberg's breakthrough came after director Mike Nichols saw her solo stage work and helped bring it to Broadway. Her performance in The Color Purple made her a major film presence, while her role in Ghost made her the second Black woman to win an Academy Award for acting, following Hattie McDaniel.
In addition to acting, Goldberg has worked as a comedian, producer, voice performer and author. Her television work has included talk shows, award ceremonies and documentary programming, alongside her continuing role on The View.
An EGOT milestone
Goldberg is among the small number of entertainers who have received competitive Emmy, Grammy, Academy and Tony awards, commonly called an EGOT. Her major awards include a Grammy Award for the recording of her comedy performance, an Academy Award for Ghost, Daytime Emmy Awards connected to television work, and a Tony Award as a producer of the Broadway musical Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Her EGOT achievement is widely recognized as a landmark in American entertainment history, and she is commonly described as the first Black person to attain the distinction.
Did you know?
- Her professional name, “Whoopi,” was inspired by the whoopee cushion; she has said the name reflected her playful stage persona.
- Goldberg won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Ghost in 1991.
- She portrayed Guinan, the bartender and confidante aboard the USS Enterprise, in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- She was inducted into the Disney Legends program in 2017.
- Goldberg has written books for both adult and younger readers in addition to her work in film and television.
