Whoopi Goldberg

American actress, comedian, author and television personality

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Born 1955 · age 71United States

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Wikipedia
93 languages
Cross-language footprint
Age
71
Born 1955
Known for
The Lion King
1994

Summary

Updated 2026-08-30

One of 28 people to close the EGOT — and she got there by way of a one-woman show, a psychic in a pottery scene, and a nun who can't quite stay out of trouble.

Biography

About

Caryn Elaine Johnson started with one-woman shows on stage, and a recording of her 1984–1985 Broadway run won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album. Steven Spielberg cast her as a mistreated woman in The Color Purple, earning her a Golden Globe, then she played Guinan on Star Trek: The Next Generation and an eccentric psychic in Ghost — the latter won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, making her the second African-American woman with that win. Sister Act and its sequel made her the highest-paid actress at the time, and she kept working: Soapdish, a hyena in The Lion King, Girl, Interrupted…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg

said8 Mar 2014

Well, when I was nine years old, Star Trek came on, I looked at it and I went screaming through the house.

— "“When I was 9 years old, Star Trek came on…” ~ Whoopi Goldberg" March 8, 2014.

Whoopi Goldberg

said8 Jun 2010

For many, many, many years, there were not Jews in Israel. Okay?

— 8 June 2010 archived here on 18 August 2011 "My View on Helen Thomas, Israel and the Terror Flotilla"; as quoted by Miriam Metzinger,

Whoopi Goldberg

said17 Apr 2009

Normal is nothing more than a cycle on a washing machine.

— 17 April 2009 "Whoopi Goldberg in full flight". Interview with Cole Morton of The Guardian

Whoopi Goldberg

said20 Apr 1998

Most of all, I dislike this idea nowadays that if you're a black person in America, then you must be called African-American.

— The Daily Telegraph interview, 20 April 1998

Whoopi Goldberg

said1990

Thanks! Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted this! You don't know...my brother sitting there, he says "Thank God we don't have to listen to anymore...

— Best Supporting Actress of 1990 Acceptance Speech, for Ghost

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

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