Whoopi Goldberg Biography
(Actress, Comedian and Host; Best Known for Her Role in 'The Color Purple' and 'Ghost')Birthday: November 13, 1955 (Scorpio)
Born In: Chelsea, New York, United States
Advanced SearchNot many black actresses can claim to have as flamboyant and successful a career as Whoopi Goldberg. A star in her own right, she is one of the fourteen entertainers ever to have an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony in her kitty, a feat that select few can boast of. What differentiates Goldberg from her contemporaries is the excellence that she portrayed in all the mediums of entertainment, be it television, theatre, films or radio. She created history by becoming the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award for best supporting actress in nearly fifty years. Furthermore, she is only the second African-American actress to win an Academy Award for acting. In her career which spanned across three decades and more, she has served as an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, Broadway star, political activist, author and talk show host. Goldberg suffered from dyslexia during her early years. She also overcame drug addiction to achieve the high profile star status that she enjoys today. Her prolific career is filled with some impressive performances in films and television.
Quick FactsAlso Known As: Caryn Elaine Johnson
Age: 68 Years, 68 Year Old Females
Family:Spouse/Ex-: Alvin Martin (m. 1973–1979), David Claessen (m. 1986–1988), Frank Langella (1996–2001), Lyle Trachtenberg (m. 1994–1995)
father: Robert James Johnson Jr.
mother: Emma
children: Alex Martin
Born Country: United States
Quotes By Whoopi Goldberg Actresses
Height: 5'5" (165 cm), 5'5" Females
Notable Alumni: Washington Irving High School
Personality: ENTJ
U.S. State: New Yorkers, African-American From New Yorkers
More Factseducation: Washington Irving High School
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American PeopleBlack ActressesTalk Show HostsStand-up ComediansBlack Stand-up Comedians Childhood & Early LifeWhoopi Goldberg was born as Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955, to Emma and Robert James Johnson in Manhattan. Her mother was a nurse and a teacher while her father served as a clergyman.
She was raised in the Chelsea-Elliot Houses by her mother alone after her father disbanded the family when she was young. She studied until her teen years and later dropped out of school.Her tryst with acting started young. It was during her stage performance that people complimented her by saying that she looked like whoopee cushion. It was from there that she took the stage name Whoopi and adopted Goldberg as her surname to sound more Jewish. Her stage name, Whoopi Goldberg stayed with her for the rest of her life.She ended the 1980s, decade with ‘Clara’s Heart’ released in 1988, and ‘Homer & Eddie’ in 1989. Both the films were critically successful. Other than films, she also featured in HBO specials of Comic Relief.
Continue Reading BelowShe started the 1990 decade by starring in the sit-com ‘Bagdad Cafe’. Later, she followed this up with ‘The Long Walk Home’ and ‘Ghost’. While in the former she portrayed the role of a woman in civil rights movement, in the latter she played a psychic, a role which earned her, her first Academy Award and second Golden Globe.
She followed this up with the films, ‘Soapdish’, ‘The Player’, ‘Sister Act’, ‘Sarafina!’, ‘Made in America’ and the sequel, ‘Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit’. She was also seen playing Guinan in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ a role which she reprised in two Star Trek movies.Other than starring in the movies, she launched herself on television with her flagship talk show, ‘The Whoopi Goldberg Show’. The format of the show had her taking one-to-one interview with political VIPs and Hollywood big shots. The show continued for 200 episodes before being terminated.In 1994, she created history by becoming the first African-American female to host the Academy Awards show. She repeated the feat in 1996, 1999 and 2002.Around this time, she was seen in numerous films such as ‘Corrina, Corrina’, ‘Boys on the Side’, ‘Moonlight’, ‘Valentino’, ‘Bogus’, ‘Eddie’, ‘The Associate’ and ‘Ghosts of Mississippi’Other than acting, she also ventured into the world of books and co-wrote a book along with ghostwriter Daniel Paisner titled, ‘Book’. It contained a collection of stories, featuring insights and opinions.Her 1998, appearance on the celebrity game show, Hollywood Squares earned her two consecutive Emmy Awards.
From 1998 to 2001, she appeared in several supporting roles in ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’, ‘Girl’, ‘Interrupted’, ‘Kingdom Come’ and ‘Rat Race’. Additionally, she appeared in television and film ventures such as ‘The Magic Schoolbus’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘A Knight in Camelot’ and ‘Call Me Claus’In 2004, she returned to Broadway to star in a self-titled one-woman show.Continue Reading BelowHer career zoomed up again in 2007, when she served as the moderator and co-host of daytime talk show ‘The View’. Though the show did not have as big a start as during the time of Rosie O’Donnell, it soon picked up and moved past the latter.
Meanwhile, from August 2006 to March 2008, Goldberg hosted ‘Wake Up With Whoopi’, a nationally syndicated morning radio talk and entertainment program. In the recent years, she has curtailed her acting and has been an active human rights activist.Lately, she has guest starred as Jane Marsh in the TV series, ‘The Middle’. She also played a role in the independent short film ‘Indecisive’.She has been in a romantic relationship with a couple of men including Frank Langella and Ted Danson.
She has admitted to being a ‘high functioning’ drug addict initially. She also suffered from dyslexia.She has been active supporter of gay and lesbian rights. She has worked for transgender and bisexual community and raised awareness about AIDSShe is the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award for best supporting actress and second to win an Academy Award for acting.
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