Remove ads
Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson; November 13, 1955) is an American actress, comedienne, author and talk show host. She made her movie debut in The Color Purple which she won a Golden Globe Award. Goldberg was partners with Frank Langella from 1996 until they separated in 2001. She is currently a co-host on The View.
| Whoopi Goldberg | |
|---|---|
 Goldberg on February 8, 1998 | |
| Birth name | Caryn Elaine Johnson |
| Born | November 13, 1955 New York City, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up comedy, movie, television, theatre, musical theatre, books |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy, black comedy, insult comedy, surreal humor, character comedy, satire |
| Subject(s) | African-American culture, American politics, race relations, racism, marriage, sex, everyday life, popular culture, current events |
| Spouse |
Alvin Martin
(m. 1973; div. 1979)David Claessen
(m. 1986; div. 1988)Lyle Trachtenberg
(m. 1994; div. 1995) |
| Children | Alexandrea Martin |
| Signature |  |
In 2022, Goldberg was temporarily banned from The View for making insensitive comments regarding the Holocaust.[1] In 2024 Goldberg claimed that a Staten Island Holterman Bakery [in business for 142 years] did not fulfill her order because of her policital positions (Kamala Harris supporter); in fact the order could not be fulfilled because the bakery had equipment problems with their 1930 boiler[2]
Remove ads
Goldberg had a daughter when she was 18 years old. She became a grandmother when she was 34.[3]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away | ||
| 1985 | The Color Purple | Celie Harris Johnson | Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture National Board of Review Award for Best Actress Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress Nominated – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress |
| 1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | Terri Doolittle | |
| 1987 | Burglar | Bernice Rhodenbarr | |
| Fatal Beauty | Rita Rizzoli | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | |
| 1988 | The Telephone | Vashti Blue | Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst Actress |
| Clara's Heart | Clara Mayfield | ||
| 1989 | Comicitis | Herself | Short subject |
| Beverly Hills Brats | Herself | Cameo | |
| Homer and Eddie | Eddie Cervi | ||
| 1990 | Ghost | Oda Mae Brown | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated – TV Land Award for Favorite Character from the "Other Side" |
| The Long Walk Home | Odessa Cotter | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | |
| 1991 | Wisecracks | Herself | Documentary |
| Blackbird Fly | Herself | Short subject | |
| Soapdish | Rose Schwartz | ||
| House Party 2 | The Professor | Uncredited | |
| Dragon and Slippers | Matilda the Witch (voice) | English version | |
| 1992 | Sister Act | Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence | American Comedy Award for Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Comedy or Musical Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance |
| The Player | Detective Susan Avery | ||
| Sarafina! | Mary Masembuko | ||
| The Magical World of Chuck Jones | Herself | Documentary | |
| 1993 | National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon | Sgt. Billy York | Uncredited cameo |
| Naked in New York | Tragedy Mask on Theater Wall | ||
| Made in America | Sarah Mathews | ||
| Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence | Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance | |
| 1994 | Liberation | Narrator | Documentary |
| The Lion King | Shenzi | Voice | |
| The Little Rascals | Buckwheat's Mom | ||
| Corrina, Corrina | Corrina Washington | ||
| Star Trek Generations | Guinan | Uncredited Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| The Pagemaster | Fantasy | Voice | |
| 1995 | Boys on the Side | Jane Deluca | |
| The Celluloid Closet | Herself | Documentary | |
| Moonlight and Valentino | Sylvie Morrow | ||
| Theodore Rex | Katie Coltrane | Fantafestival Award for Best Actress Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst Actress | |
| 1996 | Eddie | Edwina "Eddie" Franklin | Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst Actress |
| Bordello of Blood | Hospital Patient | Uncredited | |
| Bogus | Harriet Franklin | Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst Actress | |
| The Associate | Laurel Ayres/Robert S. Cutty | ||
| Ghosts of Mississippi | Myrlie Evers | Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | |
| 1997 | Pitch | Herself | Documentary, uncredited |
| Mary Pickford: A Life on Film | Host/narrator | Documentary | |
| A Christmas Carol | The Ghost of Christmas Present | Voice | |
| Destination Anywhere | Cabbie | ||
| In the Gloaming | Nurse Myrna | ||
| In & Out | Herself | Uncredited | |
| An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn | Herself | Special appearance Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple (with any combination of two people playing themselves) | |
| 1998 | Titey | The Iceberg | Voice |
| Alegría | Baby Clown | ||
| A Knight in Camelot | Dr. Vivien Morgan/Sir Boss | ||
| How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Delilah Abraham | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated – Acapulco Black Film Festival Black Film Award for Best Actress Nominated – American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | |
| Junket Whore | Herself | Documentary | |
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie | Stormella, The Evil Ice Queen | ||
| The Rugrats Movie | Ranger Margaret | ||
| Alice in Wonderland | Cheshire Cat | ||
| 1999 | Get Bruce | Herself | Documentary |
| The Deep End of Ocean | Candy Bliss | ||
| Girl, Interrupted | Valerie Owens, R.N. | ||
| 2000 | The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | Judge Cameo | Not listed in final credits |
| A Second Chance at Life | Narrator | Documentary | |
| More Dogs Than Bones | Cleo | ||
| 2001 | Golden Dreams | Calafia, the Queen of California (Narrator) | Short subject |
| Kingdom Come | Raynelle Slocumb | Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | |
| Monkeybone | Death | ||
| Rat Race | Vera Baker | ||
| The Hollywood Sign | Woman at Funeral | Cameo | |
| Call Me Claus | Lucy Cullin | ||
| 2002 | Searching for Debra Winger | Herself | Documentary |
| Showboy | Herself | Cameo | |
| My Fair Madeline | Miss Clavel | Voice | |
| Star Trek: Nemesis | Guinan | Uncredited | |
| It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | The Boss | ||
| 2003 | Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives | Narrator | Documentary |
| Pauly Shore Is Dead | Herself | ||
| Bitter Jester | Herself | ||
| Beyond the Skyline | Herself | Short subject | |
| Blizzard | Blizzard | Voice | |
| 2004 | Pinocchio 3000 | Cyberina | Voice |
| The N-Word | Herself | Documentary | |
| SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 | Herself | ||
| Jiminy Glick in Lalawood | Herself | ||
| The Lion King 1½ | Shenzi | Voice | |
| 2005 | The Aristocrats | Herself | Documentary |
| Racing Stripes | Frannie | Voice | |
| Doogal | Ermintrude The Cow | Voice | |
| Everyone's Hero | Darlin' | ||
| Farce of the Penguins | Helen | ||
| 2007 | Homie Spumoni | Thelma | |
| If I Had Known I Was a Genius | Mrs. Reed | ||
| Nuremberg: A Vision Restored | Herself | Documentary | |
| Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project | Herself | Documentary | |
| Our Country USA to Z | Herself | Voice; short subject | |
| The Sophisticated Misfit | Herself | Documentary | |
| 2008 | Stream | Jodi Quinn | |
| Snow Buddies | Miss Mittens | Voice | |
| Descendants | Red Flower | Voice | |
| 2009 | Madea Goes to Jail | Herself | Cameo |
| Stream | Jodi | ||
| 2010 | Toy Story 3 | Stretch | Voice Nominated – IGN Movie Award for Best Ensemble Cast |
| For Colored Girls | Alice | Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | |
| Teenage Paparazzo | Herself | ||
| New York Street Games | Herself | Documentary | |
| 2011 | A Little Bit of Heaven | God | |
| The Little Engine That Could | Tower | ||
| The Muppets | Herself | ||
| Big Stone Gap | Fleeta | ||
| Top Five | Herself | ||
| A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Viola | ||
| TCB Baby | Dr. Reynolds | ||
| 2016 | A Warrior's Tail | Mom Jozee | Voice, English version |
| King of the Dancehall | Loretta Brixton | ||
| 2017 | 9/11 | Metzie | |
| 2018 | Furlough | Mrs. Stevens | |
| Nobody's Fool | Lola |
Remove ads
Won
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama for The Color Purple (1985)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for The Color Purple (1985)
- National Board of Review Award for Best Actress for The Color Purple (1985)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for Fatal Beauty (1987)
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Ghost (1990)
- American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Ghost (1990)
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Ghost (1990)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for Ghost (1990)
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for Ghost (1990)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for Ghost (1990)
- Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for Ghost (1990)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for The Long Walk Home (1990)
- American Comedy Award for Funniest Actress in a Motion Picture for Sister Act (1992)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for Sister Act (1992)
- Fantafestival Award for Best Actress for Theodore Rex (1995)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
- Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Vanguard Award (1999)
- Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (2001)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for Good Fences (2003)
- Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host for The View (2009) - she shares it with Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters.
Nominated
- Academy Award for Best Actress for The Color Purple (1985)
- Razzie Award for Worst Actress for The Telephone (1988)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Comedy or Musical for Sister Act (1992)
- MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance for Sister Act (1992)
- MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance for Sister Act (1992)
- MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance for Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
- Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for Star Trek Generations (1994)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
- Acapulco Black Film Festival Black Film Award for Best Actress for How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
- American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for Kingdom Come (2001)
- Black Reel Award for Television: Best Actress for Good Fences (2003)
Remove ads
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
Remove ads