Age: 64
Birthday: 13th November
Whoopi Goldberg is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality. A recipient of many awards and honors, she is one of fifteen entertainers to have won an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award.
Goldberg's breakthrough came in 1985 for her role as Celie, a mistreated woman in the Deep South, in Steven Spielberg's period drama film The Color Purple, for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her first Golden Globe Award. For her performance in the romantic fantasy film Ghost (1990) as an eccentric psychic, Goldberg won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the second black woman to win an Academy Award for acting, and a second Golden Globe, her first for Best Supporting Actress. In 1992, Goldberg starred in the comedy Sister Act, earning a third Golden Globe nomination, her first for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. She reprised the role in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), making her the highest-paid actress at the time.
A theatre performer and producer, Goldberg has performed in Broadway productions, one of which produced a comedy album that earned her a Grammy Award. She has also won a Tony Award as a producer of the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. Goldberg was to return to the role of Deloris in the Stage Musical of Sister Act in London, with Jennifer Saunders. Due to lockdown this has been postponed, so we'll still get the chance to see Goldberg in 2021.
In television, Goldberg is known for her role as Guinan on Star Trek: The Next Generation and for co-hosting and moderating the talk show The View since 2007, for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS: 2 - WINS: 1
1991 - WIN: Best Supporting Actress: GHOST
1986 - Best Leading Actress: THE COLOR PURPLE
BAFTA AWARD NOMINATIONS: 1 - WINS: 1
1991 - WIN: Best Supporting Actress: GHOST
GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS: 3 - WINS: 2
1993 - Best Leading Actress: SISTER ACT
1991 - WIN: Best Supporting Actress: GHOST
1986 - WIN: Best Leading Actress: THE COLOR PURPLE
How do you rate Whoopi Goldberg's movies?
WATCH WHOOPI GOLDBERG THIS WEEK
ON TV:
FILM: Sister Act (1992) / Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
Tuesday 16th June, Sky Cinema Greats, 1:15pm / 3:00pm
Friday 19th June, Sky Cinema Greats, 8:25am / 10:10am One of Whoopi's most popular roles as club singer Deloris who goes into hiding as as Nun. It's been turned into a fabulous musical also.
ON NETFLIX:
FILM: Ghost (1990) (12)
Goldberg won the Oscar for her hilarious turn here. It's been turned into a musical, so has the Colour Purple - the other film that Goldber was Oscar nominated for..... hmm....
ON AMAZON PRIME:
FILM: Made in America (1993) (12)
Goldberg co-stars with our other Actor of the Week, Will Smith in this early 90s comedy.
FILM: Bogus (1996)
Goldberg stars in this family comedy about a boy with an imaginary friend - a french chef played by Gerard Depardieu - not been turned into a musical.
What's your favourite Whoopi Goldberg performance / film?
