Legendary Actress Whoopi Goldberg Was Born
Award-winning actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg has been entertaining audiences since the 1980s. Goldberg is also a longtime host of the hit daytime talk show, The View, and a human rights advocate known for using her platform to speak out.
Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955, in New York City. Her family lived in a housing project in the city and her father abandoned them which left her mother to work a variety of odd jobs. She also unknowingly suffered from dyslexia, which affected her studies and ultimately led her to drop out of high school at the age of 17.
After deciding her given name was too boring, Caryn Elaine Johnson renamed herself Whoopi Goldberg. Soon after, the young actress moved to California and began working to pursue her career in show business. One of her first awards was a Bay Area Theatre Award for her portrayal of comedian Moms Mabley in a one-woman show. Goldberg returned to New York in 1983 and starred in The Spook Show. The show consisted of her own original comedy material that addressed issues of race in America.
In 1985, Goldberg won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the recording of skits taken from the show. Her acting career took off and she landed the leading female role in The Color Purple. The film earned 10 Academy Awards and five Golden Globe nominations. Goldberg received an Oscar nomination and her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
Her acting credits span decades and she has appeared in more than 150 film and television productions. Other notable roles include her performance in Ghost and Sister Act. Goldberg even hosted her own television talk show, The Whoopi Goldberg Show, in 1992. It ran for 200 episodes featuring interviews from prominent political figures and Hollywood celebrities until the show was canceled due to low ratings.
Goldberg had a chance to relive her talk show days when she joined The View in 2007. She occasionally finds herself in the midst of heated debate but remains an advocate for viewpoints. Despite her commitment to the show, Goldberg has also sought creative opportunities as an author and director. She even ventured into the medical marijuana business in 2016.
In 2013, she directed the documentary Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley, which depicts the life of one of the first successful African-American women in comedy. Whoopi Goldberg continues to make appearances and serves as a prominent voice in daytime television. Goldberg is one of few people to hold “EGOT” status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award.
