Whoopi Goldberg’s Hollywood career has been one fascinating joy ride, from her film debut in the 80s to her venture into show-hosting and comedy. Her showbiz conquests easily made the star into a living legend widely celebrated to date.
Entertainment icon, Whoopi Goldberg is anything but ordinary. As a black woman in Hollywood, this 65-year-old has achieved what most could only ever dream of.
Aside from her numerous ventures including acting, entrepreneurship, comedy, voice-acting, television hosting, and even music, this legendary star holds a Hollywood royalty status.
Throughout her career, Goldberg has snagged the four most coveted showbiz awards, making her one of a few people in the world to become EGOT winners. Her journey to attaining such prestigious status is even more fascinating than her trailblazing feats.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG’S CAREER
Born in Manhattan, New York in 1955, Whoopi Goldberg experienced a stern upbringing, eventually dropping out of high school. Eventually, she enrolled in an acting class conducted by Utah Hagen at the HB Studio, New York.
After moving to Southern California, the actress joined the Blake Street Hawkeyes theatre troupe. During her stay in California, she did some odd jobs to make a living. She also gave acting and comedy lessons to equip prospective entertainers with the right skills.
By 1882, the legend landed her first onscreen appearance on “Citizen: I’m Not Losing My Mind, I’m Giving It Away.”
Her remarkable acting prowess landed her a lead role on “The Color Purple,” which earned her an Oscar nod for Best Actress.
She went on to star in “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” “Fatal Beauty,” “Clara’s Heart,” “The Long Walk Home,” “Gone With the Wind,” “Eddie,” and “Ghosts Of Mississippi.”
Additionally, starring in such movies as “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Ghost,” “Sister Act,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “For Colored Girls,” and “Nobody’s Fool,” made Whoopi Golberg a celebrated name in Hollywood.
While pursuing her acting dreams, the star did several comedy shows, hosted TV shows like “The View,” and even tried her hands on entrepreneurship.
BECOMING AN EGOT WINNER
Notably, Whoopi Goldberg is one of sixteen showbiz legends to achieve the EGOT status, a term used to classify professional entertainers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, the four most renowned American Entertainment awards.
Goldberg remains the only black woman to snag all four awards to date. She achieved her Grammy win in 1985, winning the award for Best Comedy Recording for her performance in “Whoopi Goldberg: Direct From Broadway.”
In 1991, Whoopi Goldberg took home her Academy Award win in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in “Ghost.” Prior to that, Whoopi Goldberg landed an Oscar nod in the Best Actress category for “The Color Purple,” but lost the award.
Goldberg’s Tony Award win came in 2002, having produced the Broadway musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”
The showbiz legend also won the Daytime Emmy Award that same year for hosting the made-for-TV special, “Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel,” hence sealing her EGOT status for good. She landed a second Emmy win for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her work on “The View,” in 2009.
While several Hollywood legends actively craved the prestigious title and work toward it, Goldberg only discovered she was an EGOT winner in 2009 while guest-appearing as herself in an episode of “30 Rock.”
WHOOPI GOLDBERG’S WORK ON “THE COLOR PURPLE”
Even before becoming a household name, Goldberg undeniably had her raw acting and comedic prowess. Yet, it was her role in “The Color Purple” that marked the turning point in her career by putting her name on every lip.
Staring as Celie in the Steven Spielberg-directed movie notably earned the icon her first Golden Globes win. She also landed her first Oscar nomination in the . Goldberg portrayed a black American woman impregnated by her father at the age of fourteen, who went through hell and deep waters for the next 30 years.
Combining her antics as a renowned stand-up comedian and a talented actress, Goldberg was able to scale through the audition. Ultimately, she landed the lead role in the movie, which marked the actress’ film debut. She rendered her role so well that critics tagged it one of the most amazing debut performances in movie history.
Over three decades later, Goldberg remains one of the most iconic entertainers to walk the earth.
