Born Caryn Elaine Johnson on Nov. 13, 1955, in New York, N.Y., the future Whoopi Goldberg worked odd jobs while taking small acting roles on Broadway. She eventually moved to California to hone her improv and acting skills.Goldberg's one-woman show brought her national attention and led to her being cast as the lead in The Color Purple (1985), for which she received a Best Actress Oscar nomination. A string of film comedies led to her Oscar-winning supporting role in the blockbuster Ghost (1990), which resulted in more substantial parts in Soapdish (1991) and Sister Act (1992).
After memorable voice work in The Lion King (1994), Goldberg shined again in Ghosts of Mississippi (1996). From 1998 to 2002, she occupied the center square on "Hollywood Squares" and took supporting roles in movies such as The Deep End of the Ocean (1999), Girl, Interrupted (1999) and Rat Race (2001).
The Color PurpleWhoopi Goldberg stars as Celie, a Southern woman whose correspondence with her sister in Africa helps her escape an abusive husband (portrayed with a scary edge by Danny Glover) and a life of bitter circumstance. Steven Spielberg directs this Oscar-nominated drama, a sterling adaptation of Alice... Read More
Sister ActSongbird Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) needs protection after inadvertently seeing her gangster boyfriend, Vince (Harvey Keitel), commit murder. She's rechristened Sister Mary Clarence and stashed in a convent, where her heretical behavior shakes up the order -- especially starchy Mother... Read More
Sister Act 2: Back in the HabitNow that nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier is out of the witness protection program, Mother Superior wants her back in the habit -- this time, to help save an ailing parochial school. Read More
Boys on the SideLooking to jump-start her career, lesbian night-club singer Jane (Whoopi Goldberg) answers an ad placed by a woman named Robin (Mary-Louise Parker), an AIDS sufferer who wants a companion to drive from the Big Apple to Los Angeles. En route, they pick up Jane's friend Holly (Drew Barrymore), who's... Read More
Jumpin' Jack FlashTerry (Whoopi Goldberg), a banker with an international clientele, gets a cryptic message from an unknown source. After decoding the missive, Terry finds herself in the middle of an international espionage ring with bodies piling up faster than the line at a faulty ATM machine. Directed by Penny... Read More
