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In 2002, Whoopi Goldberg became one of a very elite group of artists who have won the Grammy ("Whoopi Goldberg," 1985), the Academy Award ("Ghost," 1991), the Golden Globe ("The Color Purple," 1985 and "Ghost," 1991), the Emmy (as host of AMC's "Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel," 2002) and a Tony (Producer of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," 2002). She is equally well-known for her tireless humanitarian efforts on behalf of children, the homeless, human rights, education, substance abuse and the battle against AIDS, as well as many other causes and charities.
Born and raised in New York City, Whoopi worked in theatre and improvisation in San Diego and the Bay Area, where she performed with the Blake Street Hawkeyes theatre troupe. It was there that she created the characters which became "The Spook Show" and evolved into her hit Broadway show, Grammy Award-winning album and the HBO special that helped launch her career.
Whoopi made her motion picture debut in Steven Spielberg's film version of Alice Walker's "The Color Purple," for which she earned an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award. Her performance in "Ghost" earned her the Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Whoopi has also appeared in such films as "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Clara's Heart," "The Long Walk Home," "Soapdish," "The Player," "Sarafina!," "Sister Act," "Made in America," "Corrina, Corrina," "The Lion King," "Boys on the Side," "Eddie," "The Associate" and "Ghosts of Mississippi," "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and "Girl, Interrupted." Additional films include "Kingdom Come" and "Rat Race," which reunited her with her "Ghost" director, Jerry Zucker.
On television, Whoopi appeared for five seasons on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," she co-starred with Jean Stapleton in "Bagdad Café" and hosted her own syndicated late-night talk show. She appeared in the Emmy-nominated HBO drama, "In the Gloaming," directed by Christopher Reeve, as well as "The Wonderful World of Disney's Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" and "A Knight in Camelot" and appeared in the mini-series "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns." She recently starred in the new NBC sitcom, "Whoopi," which she executive produced with Carsey-Werner-Mandabach and Bonnie and Terry Turner. She can also be seen on Nick Jr's "Whoopi's Littleburg," a series of three, half-hour TV specials set in "The Preschool Capital of the World," which she also produces.
As she has in every other facet of her career, Whoopi has made her mark as a producer. She executive produces the Lifetime original drama series "Strong Medicine," which is currently in its fourth season and is one of the highest rated series on basic cable. From 1998-2002, she executive produced and appeared in the center square on the Emmy Award-winning "Hollywood Squares." She executive produced the Lifetime original movie, "What Makes a Family," Showtime's "Ruby's Bucket of Blood" and executive produced and starred in the TNT Original Movie, "Call Me Claus." Whoopi is also an executive producer of the musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," which is currently running on Broadway and won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Whoopi has appeared on many television series and specials, including her own HBO specials, three-time host of ABC's "A Gala for the President at Ford's Theatre" and eight "Comic Relief" telecasts with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams. Whoopi received Emmy Award nominations for hosting the 66th, 68th and 71st "Academy Awards" telecasts and returned to host the 2002 telecast at the new Kodak Theatre.
Whoopi was seen most recently in the television movies, "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie" for NBC and Showtime's "Good Fences," co-producing and co-starring with Danny Glover. In early 2003, Whoopi returned to Broadway, co-starring with Charles "Roc" Dutton in August Wilson's acclaimed "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," which she also produced. She had last appeared on Broadway in 1997, in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
In addition to the Oscar, the Grammy and two Golden Globe Awards, Whoopi has been honored with multiple NAACP Image Awards, numerous People's Choice Awards (including a special tribute in 1998) and an unprecedented five Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards as "Favorite Movie Actress," as well as various awards and honors for her many humanitarian efforts. She was honored with Women in Film's 2001 Crystal Award and became the first woman to be honored with the prestigious Mark Twain Prize.
In 1992, Whoopi made her debut as an author with her first children's book, "Alice." Her second literary endeavor, simply entitled "Book," became a bestseller in the U.S. and around the world. She recently signed a multi-book publishing deal with Jump at the Sun, an imprint of Hyperion Books for Children which will appear in Fall 2005.
She returned to Broadway in 1997, garnering rave reviews in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." In 2001, Whoopi returned to her performing roots, on tour for the first time in over 10 years, performing one-night-only engagements across the U.S., including the famed Apollo Theater. In 2003, Whoopi produced and starred in the title role of the Broadway revival of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
Whoopi has placed prints of her hands, feet and braids in the forecourt of the famed Grauman's Chinese Theatre and received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which resides in front of the Kodak Theatre.
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