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Whoopi GoldbergAdd to My CelebsAge 56 Birthday Nov. 13th, 1955 Born in New York City, New York, USA Height 5' 5 |
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB
Whoopi Goldberg was born in the Chelsea section of Manhattan in 1955 as Caryn Elaine Johnson. She worked in a funeral parlor and as a bricklayer while taking small parts on Broadway. She moved to California and worked with improv groups, including Spontaneous Combustion, and developed her skills as a stand-up comedienne. She came to prominence doing an HBO special and a one-woman show as 'Moms Mabley'. She has been known in her prosperous career as a unique and socially conscious talent with articulately liberal views. Among her boyfriends were 'Ted Danson' and 'Frank Langella'. She was married three times and was once addicted to drugs.
Whoopi Goldberg first came to prominence with her starring role in The Color Purple (1985). She received much critical acclaim, and an Oscar nomination for her role and became a major star as a result. Subsequent efforts in the late 1980s were, at best, marginal hits. These movies mostly were off-beat to formulaic comedies like Burglar (1987) The Telephone (1988), and Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986). Goldberg made her mark as a household name and a mainstay in Hollywood for her Oscar-winning role in the box office smash Ghost (1990). Whoopi Goldberg was at her most famous in the early 1990s, making regular appearances on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987). She admitted to being a huge fan of the original "Star Trek" (1967) and jumped at the opportunity to appear in "The Next Generation."
Goldberg received another smash hit role in Sister Act (1992). Her fish out of water with some flash seemed to resonate with audiences and was a box office smash. Whoopi starred in some highly publicized and moderately successful comedies of this time, including Made in America (1993) and Soapdish (1991). Goldberg followed up to her success with Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), which was well-received but didn't seem to match up to the first.
As the late 1990s approached, Goldberg seemed to alternate between lead roles in straight comedies such as Eddie (1996) and The Associate (1996), and took supporting parts in more independent minded movies such as The Deep End of the Ocean (1999) and How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998). Goldberg never forgot where she came from, hosting many tributes to other legendary entertainment figures. Her most recent movies include Rat Race (2001) and the quietly received Kingdom Come (2001/I). Goldberg contributes her voice to many cartoons, including The Pagemaster (1994) and "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" (1990), as Gaia, the voice of the earth. Alternating between big-budget movies, independent movies, tributes, documentaries, and even TV movies (including Theodore Rex (1995).
Whoopi Goldberg is accredited as a truly unique and visible talent in Hollywood. Perhaps she will always be remembered as well for Comic Relief, playing an integral part in almost every benefit concert they had. Currently Whoopi Goldberg is the center square in "Hollywood Squares" (1998) and frequently hosts the Academy Awards. She also is an author, with the book "Book."
TRIVIA:
- Mother of actress 'Alex Martin (I)' (qv).
- Did a private stand-up comedy routine entitled "If E.T. landed in Oakland" in front of, among others, 'Steven Spielberg' (qv) and 'Michael Jackson (I)' (qv), which eventually won her the lead in _The Color Purple (1985)_ (qv), which Spielberg directed.
- Spokesmodel of the "got milk?" campaign.
- Was one of the eulogists at 'Gene Roddenberry' (qv)'s funeral in 1991, along with other Star Trek stars 'Nichelle Nichols' (qv) and 'Patrick Stewart (I)' (qv).
- Is part-owner of Mary's Kitchen, a country store/kitchen in Malibu, California. It is staffed by "New Yorkers" and certain furnishings were imported from New York because Whoopi wanted a touch of home in Malibu.
- Was nicknamed Whoopi (as in "whoopi-cushion") because of being overly flatulent. She added the name Goldberg, taken from the Jewish side of her family.
- 'Michael J. Fox (I)' (qv) accompanied her to the 1986 Academy Awards when she was nominated for _The Color Purple (1985)_ (qv).
- 1985: Won a Grammy for Best Comedy Performance Single or Album, Spoken or Musical for "Original Broadway Show Recording.".
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