Whoopi Goldberg

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 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. Among her many charitable activities, Whoopi is a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations.

Born and raised in New York City, Whoopi worked in improvisational theater 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 that 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, GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI, HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK, GIRL INTERRUPTED, KINGDOM COME, RAT RACE and RACING STRIPES.

On television, Whoopi appeared for five seasons on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” she costarred 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 NBC sitcom, “Whoopi,” which she executive produced with Carsey-Werner-Mandabach and Bonnie and Terry Turner. She was also seen recently 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 produced.

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,” currently in its fifth season and has already been picked up for a sixth, the longest-running original drama created for basic cable and the first cable show to go into syndication. The network has also ordered a spinoff of the successful medical drama, titled “StrongMedicine: First Response.”

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” and the Showtime original “Good Fences.” Whoopi is also an executive producer of the musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” which 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. Her wax likeness currently resides in Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and she will be honored by the Landmark Society of NYC.

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 three-book publishing deal with Jump at the Sun, an imprint of Hyperion Books for Children.

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 commemorated the 20th anniversary of her original one-woman show with a limited engagement production on Broadway last year and the HBO broadcast of the show was nominated for an Emmy Award.

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.

The Weinstein Company and Pathé Pictures