Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg trained at the HB Studio in New York City under acting teacher Uta Hagen. She made her first onscreen appearance in the avant-garde film Citizen: I’m Not Losing My Mind, I’m Giving It Away (1982). In 1983 she created the one-woman stage show The Spook Show, which led to the Broadway production Whoopi Goldberg, running from October 1984 to March 1985 and later filmed as the HBO special Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway (1985). Her breakthrough film role came when she starred as Celie in The Color Purple (1985), directed by Steven Spielberg.

Goldberg starred in several films throughout the late 1980s, including Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), Burglar (1987), Fatal Beauty (1987), The Telephone (1988), and Clara’s Heart (1988). She also appeared in the short film for Michael Jackson’s song “Liberian Girl” and hosted HBO’s Comic Relief specials with Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. In television, she starred in the CBS sitcom Bagdad Cafe (1990–1991). Her performance as Oda Mae Brown in the film Ghost (1990) earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. During the early 1990s she also appeared in films including Soapdish (1991), The Player (1992), Sarafina! (1992), Made in America (1993), and Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). She had a recurring role as Guinan on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988–1993).

Throughout the mid-1990s, Goldberg appeared in numerous film projects including Corrina, Corrina (1994), The Lion King (1994, voice role), The Little Rascals (1994), The Pagemaster (1994, voice role), Boys on the Side (1995), and Moonlight and Valentino (1995). In 1996, she starred in Bogus, Eddie, The Associate, and Ghosts of Mississippi, and also appeared on Broadway in the revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996). Later film roles included How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Kingdom Come (2001), and Rat Race (2001). From 1998 to 2002, she appeared on the television game show Hollywood Squares, where she also served as an executive producer.

In the 2000s, Goldberg expanded her work across television, stage, and production. She hosted the documentary short The Making of A Charlie Brown Christmas (2001) and starred in the sitcom Whoopi (2003). She produced the television drama Strong Medicine (2000–2006) and the children’s series Whoopi’s Littleburg. In 2002, she completed EGOT status after winning a Daytime Emmy Award for producing Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel and a Tony Award for producing the Broadway musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. She returned to Broadway in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2003). During this period she also hosted the radio program Wake Up with Whoopi (2006–2008) and appeared in projects such as The Naked Brothers Band (2008) and the Broadway musical Xanadu (2008).

Goldberg continued working across television and film in the 2010s. She appeared in the film For Colored Girls (2010) and voiced a character in Pixar’s Toy Story 3 (2010). She made her West End debut as Mother Superior in Sister Act: The Musical (2010). Her television appearances during the decade included recurring roles on Glee (2012–2013), guest appearances on The Middle (2012), voice work on The 7D, and roles in films such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), Top Five (2014), Big Stone Gap (2014), Nobody’s Fool (2018), and Furlough (2018). She also executive-produced the reality series Strut (2016) and voiced Ursula in the television film Descendants 2 (2017).

In the 2020s, Goldberg reprised the role of Guinan in Star Trek: Picard (2022) and appeared in the miniseries The Stand (2020). She produced and starred in the film Till (2022) and had voice and guest roles in projects including Amphibia. She appeared in the film The Color Purple (2023) in a cameo role and in the films Ezra (2023) and Outlaw Posse (2024). She returned to the stage as Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie at The Theater at Madison Square Garden (2024–2025) and began filming a recurring role on the Italian soap opera Un posto al sole in 2025. She has also served as moderator and co-host of the daytime talk show The View since 2007.