Whoopi Goldberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whoopi Goldberg
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Goldberg in 2024
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Caryn Elaine Johnson
November 13, 1955 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1982–present |
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Full list |
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Alvin Martin
(m. 1973; div. 1979)David Claessen
(m. 1986; div. 1988)Lyle Trachtenberg
(m. 1994; div. 1995) |
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| Children | Alexandrea Martin |
| Awards | Full list |
| Comedy career | |
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Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known as Whoopi Goldberg, is a famous American actor, comedian, author, and TV host. She has won many awards, including an Emmy Award, Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Tony Award. Winning all four is called an EGOT, and Whoopi is one of the few people to achieve this! In 2001, she also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Whoopi started her career on stage in 1983 with a show called Spook Show. It later moved to Broadway as Whoopi Goldberg. She won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the recording of this show. Her big break in movies came in 1985. She starred as Celie in Steven Spielberg's film The Color Purple. For this role, she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
Later, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a psychic in the movie Ghost (1990). She also won another Golden Globe for this film. Whoopi starred in the comedies Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). She also lent her voice to characters in popular animated movies like The Lion King (1994) and Toy Story 3 (2010).
On stage, Whoopi has appeared in Broadway shows like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. She won a Tony Award as a producer for the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. On TV, she played Guinan in the science fiction series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988–1993) and Star Trek: Picard (2022). Since 2007, she has been a co-host on the talk show The View. She has also hosted the Academy Awards ceremony four times.
Contents
Early Life and Childhood
Caryn Elaine Johnson was born in Manhattan, New York City, on November 13, 1955. Her mother, Emma Johnson, was a nurse and teacher. Her father, Robert James Johnson Jr., was a clergyman. Whoopi grew up in a public housing building in New York City. Her mother raised her and her brother, Clyde, who passed away in 2015.
Whoopi went to a local Catholic school. She later dropped out of Washington Irving High School.
How Whoopi Got Her Name
Whoopi has shared how she got her unique stage name. She said that when she was performing, she sometimes got "gassy." People would joke that she was like a "whoopee cushion." That's where the name "Whoopi" came from!
For her last name, "Goldberg," she said it's part of her family and heritage. She identifies as Jewish, even though she doesn't go to temple. She once said, "I just know I am Jewish."
A Star Trek Fan
When Whoopi was young, she watched Star Trek. She saw Nichelle Nichols playing the character Uhura. Whoopi was so excited to see a Black woman on TV who wasn't a maid. This made her a huge Star Trek fan for life. Later, she even got to play a recurring role as Guinan on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
In the 1970s, Whoopi moved to California. She worked many different jobs, like being a waitress and a bank teller. She also taught comedy and acting classes. In 1978, she saw two planes crash in the air. This event made her afraid of flying.
Whoopi's Amazing Career
Starting Out and First Big Roles
Whoopi trained to be an actor in New York City. She first appeared in a film in 1982. In 1983, she became well-known for her one-woman show called The Spook Show. It was a show where she played many different characters.
A famous director named Mike Nichols saw her perform and helped her bring the show to Broadway. It was renamed Whoopi Goldberg. The show was also filmed for HBO, and Whoopi won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for it. She was the first Black female comedian to win a Grammy!
Her Broadway show caught the eye of director Steven Spielberg. He cast her in the main role of his film The Color Purple (1985). Her performance was highly praised, and she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for this role.
Becoming a Film Star
Between 1985 and 1988, Whoopi was very busy, making seven films. She starred in Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986). She also appeared in Burglar (1987) and Clara's Heart (1988).
In 1990, Whoopi played a psychic in the movie Ghost. For this role, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was the second Black woman to win an Academy Award for acting. She also won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.
Whoopi starred in the popular film Sister Act (1992). It made over $200 million! She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this movie. She also hosted the 34th Annual Grammy Awards that year. The next year, she starred in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. She was one of the highest-paid actresses at that time.
From 1994 to 1995, she appeared in many films, including voicing a character in The Lion King.
In 1994, Whoopi became the first Black woman to host the Academy Awards ceremony. She hosted it three more times in 1996, 1999, and 2002. Many people consider her one of the best hosts of the show.
She also took on roles in films like Bogus (1996) and Ghosts of Mississippi (1996). In 1996, she also performed on Broadway in the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. From 1998 to 2001, she had supporting roles in movies like How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Girl, Interrupted. She also became a popular "Center Square" on the game show Hollywood Squares.
Continuing Her Acting Journey
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In 2001, Whoopi hosted a documentary about A Charlie Brown Christmas. In 2003, she had her own TV show called Whoopi. On her 46th birthday, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2002, Whoopi completed her EGOT! She won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special as a producer for a documentary about Hattie McDaniel. She also won a Tony Award for Best Musical for producing Thoroughly Modern Millie. She is the first Black woman to achieve the EGOT.
Whoopi returned to the stage in 2003, starring as blues singer Ma Rainey in a Broadway play. From 2006 to 2008, she hosted a radio show called Wake Up with Whoopi. In 2010, she starred in the movie For Colored Girls. That same year, she voiced the character Stretch in the animated movie Toy Story 3, which was a huge success.
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Whoopi also had a recurring role on the TV series Glee. In 2014, she appeared in the superhero film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In 2016, she helped produce a TV show called Strut about transgender models. In 2017, she voiced Ursula in the TV movie Descendants 2.
Recent Projects
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In 2020, Whoopi returned to her role as Guinan in the series Star Trek: Picard. She also starred in The Stand, a TV series based on a book by Stephen King. It was also announced that Whoopi will return for Sister Act 3, which will be on Disney+.
Whoopi also starred in the film Till (2021), where she played Emmett Till's grandmother. In 2023, she had a small role in the musical film The Color Purple. She also appeared in the drama Ezra (2023) and the western Outlaw Posse (2024).
Whoopi returned to the stage in December 2024, playing Miss Hannigan in the musical Annie in New York City. Her performance was highly praised by critics.
Other Activities
Helping Others and Activism
Whoopi Goldberg is a strong supporter of human rights. She has spoken at events about how social networks can help fight violence. She also spoke at the UN about human rights and children.
In 2010, Whoopi joined Cyndi Lauper to raise awareness about discrimination against the LGBT community. She has supported LGBT rights and AIDS activism since 1987. In 2017, she spoke in favor of transgender rights.
Whoopi is also on the board of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service. She has spoken at the 2017 Women's March in New York City.
Media and Public Appearances
In 2000, Whoopi played Califia, the Queen of California, for a show called Golden Dreams at Disney California Adventure Park. In 2006, she became the main host of the Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour.
She has also made guest appearances on TV shows like 30 Rock. In 2008, she performed in the Broadway musical Xanadu. She also helped produce the musical Sister Act: The Musical in London.
Whoopi has been a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World. She also appeared in Michael Jackson's music video for "Liberian Girl". In 2010, she performed in the musical The Lion King for one night.
The View
On September 4, 2007, Whoopi Goldberg became the new main host of the talk show The View. She replaced Rosie O'Donnell. Her first show as host brought in 3.4 million viewers. In 2009, Whoopi won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her work on The View. She shared the award with her co-hosts.
In January 2022, Whoopi made some comments on the show about the Holocaust. She later apologized for her words on Twitter and on the show. She was suspended from The View for two weeks because of these comments.
Whoopi's Personal Life
Whoopi has been married three times. She has said that she does not plan to marry again. She believes some people are not meant to be married, and she is one of them. She explained that she was never truly in love with the men she married.
On May 9, 1974, Whoopi had a daughter named Alexandrea Martin. Alex is also an actress and producer. Whoopi has three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter through her daughter.
In 2010, Whoopi's mother, Emma Johnson, passed away after having a stroke. In 2015, Whoopi's brother, Clyde, died.
Whoopi has dyslexia, which means she sometimes has difficulty with reading. She lives in New Jersey and also has a summer home in Sardinia. She prefers to be called an "actor" instead of "actress" because she feels an actor can play any role, not just a woman. In 2019, Whoopi shared that she had been very sick with pneumonia and sepsis.
On a TV show called Finding Your Roots, it was discovered that Whoopi Goldberg and former football player Tony Gonzalez are distant cousins!
Awards and Achievements
Whoopi Goldberg has acted in over 150 films. She is one of only 19 people to achieve the EGOT. This means she has won all four major American awards for entertainers: an Emmy (for TV), a Grammy (for Music), an Oscar (for Film), and a Tony (for Theater). She is the first Black woman to win all four of these awards.
She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one for Ghost. She is the first African-American actor to be nominated for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. She has won two Golden Globe awards. For Ghost, she also won a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Whoopi won a Grammy Award in 1985 for her comedy album. She was the first African-American woman to win this award by herself. She won a Tony Award in 2002 as a producer for the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has also won two Daytime Emmy awards. In 2009, she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host for The View.
She has won three People's Choice Awards and two American Comedy Awards. She also won the Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress three times. In 2001, she was the first African-American woman to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
In 1990, the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team made Whoopi an honorary member. In 1999, she received the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Vanguard Award for her support of the gay and lesbian community. In 2017, Whoopi was named a Disney Legend for her work with the Walt Disney Company.
Discography
- 1985: Original Broadway Recording (Geffen/Warner Bros. Records)
- 1985: The Color Purple (Qwest/Warner Bros. Records)
- 1988: Fontaine: Why Am I Straight? (MCA Records)
- 1989: The Long Walk Home (Miramax Films)
- 1992: Sarafina (Qwest/Warner Bros. Records)
- 1992: Sister Act – Soundtrack (Hollywood/Elektra Records)
- 1993: Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit – Soundtrack (Hollywood/Elektra Records)
- 1994: Corrina Corrina (New Line Cinema)
- 2001: Call Me Claus (One Ho Productions)
- 2005: Live on Broadway: The 20th Anniversary Show (DRG Records)
See also
In Spanish: Whoopi Goldberg para niños
- Broadcast journalism
- List of people who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards
- List of Black Academy Award winners and nominees
- List of Black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
- New Yorkers in journalism
