Whoopi Goldberg
Biography
Whoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedian, and television personality with a wide-ranging career across film, stage, and broadcasting. Born in New York City, she trained under Uta Hagen and first drew national attention with solo stage shows; a recording of her Broadway show won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. Her breakthrough came as Celie in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), earning a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination. She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Ghost (1990) and headlined the hit comedies Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). Among her many film roles are Soapdish (1991), Corrina, Corrina (1994), the voice of Shenzi in The Lion King (1994), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), and Till (2022). On television she played Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation and co-hosted The View, winning a Daytime Emmy. She is an EGOT recipient.
70years old
Turns 71 on November 13in 32 days
- Born New York City
- Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
- Caryn Elaine Johnson (birth name)
Movie Career
- Films
- 91
- Career span
- 39 years1985 to 2024
Genres
- Comedy58%, 53 films
- Drama32%, 29 films
- Documentary21%, 19 films
- Family19%, 17 films
- Adventure16%, 15 films
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First role
Goldberg made her screen debut in the 1982 avant-garde ensemble film Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away, directed by San Francisco filmmaker William Farley.
Big break
In 1983 Goldberg put together The Spook Show, a solo performance made up of various character monologues. Mike Nichols, a director, came across her while she was performing.
Big break
While Goldberg was appearing in The Belly Room at The Comedy Store, Steven Spielberg noticed her Broadway work. He then cast her as the lead in his film The Color Purple, which came from Alice Walker's novel.
A first
In 1994, Goldberg hosted the Academy Awards ceremony for the first time, the 66th Oscar telecast, and she was the first black woman to do so.
Behind the award
Goldberg completed the EGOT in 2002 with a Daytime Emmy for producing Beyond Tara and a Tony for producing Thoroughly Modern Millie, becoming the first Black woman to do so.
Whoopi Goldberg movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Tyler Perry directed three of these films, Jerry Zucker two and Christopher Reeve two. Kathy Najimy appears in six of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Kathy Najimy's page
William H. Macy's page
Frank Welker's page
Jim Cummings's page
Robin Williams's page
Sylvester Stallone's page
All films by Tyler Perry
Jerry ZuckerDirector, 2 films, 1990 to 2001
All films by Christopher Reeve
Also three films together7 more actors
- James BelushiSnow Buddies (2008), Homer and Eddie (1989) and Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
- Tim CurryJackie's Back! (1999), The Rugrats Movie (1998) and A Christmas Carol (1997)
- Loretta DevineFor Colored Girls (2010), Kingdom Come (2001) and Jackie's Back! (1999)
- Lily TomlinRichard Pryor: Omit the Logic (2013), Why We Laugh: Funny Women (2013) and The Celluloid Closet (1995)
- Nathan LaneA Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008), The Lion King 1 1/2 (2004) and The Lion King (1994)
- Richard LawsonFor Colored Girls (2010), Jackie's Back! (1999) and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
- Bill BarrettaBeing Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011), A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008) and It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Whoopi Goldberg's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$3.3 billion
46 of the 91 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 91 films: 46 worldwide figure; 12 us gross only; 14 never in cinemas; 2 streaming, short cinema run; 17 figure not found.
- 46Worldwide figure
- 12US gross only
- 14Never in cinemas
- 2Streaming, short cinema run
- 17Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 74% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$763M23.3% of the total
- 2$505M15.4% of the total
- 3$485M14.8% of the total
- 4$232M7.1% of the total
- 5$146M4.5% of the total
- 6$105M3.2% of the total
- 7$100M3.1% of the total
- 8$91M2.8% of the total
$844 millionfrom the other 38 films with a worldwide figure, 26% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1986 to 2017, seven of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1991 | Best Supporting Actress | Ghost | Won |
| Golden Globes | |||
| 1986 | Awards | Won | |
| BAFTA | |||
| 1990 | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Ghost | Won |
| Emmy Awards | |||
| 2009 | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host | The View | Won |
| Tony Awards | |||
| Tony Awards | Won | ||
| Grammy Awards | |||
| 1986 | Best Comedy Album | Won | |
| Grammy Awards | Won | ||
| Other honors | |||
| 2017 | Disney Legends | Honored | |
| 2001 | Crystal Award | Won | |
| 2001 | Mark Twain Prize for American Humor | Won | |
| 1999 | GLAAD Vanguard Award | Won | |
| 1993 | Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year | Won | |
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.