Whoopi Goldberg was born in the Chelsea section of Manhattan in 1955 as Caryn Elaine Johnson. She worked in a funeral parlor and as a bricklayer while taking small parts on Broadway. She moved to California and worked with improv groups, including Spontaneous Combustion, and developed her skills as a stand-up comedienne. She came to prominence doing an HBO special and a one-woman show as Moms Mabley. She has been known in her prosperous career as a unique and socially conscious talent with articulately liberal views. Among her boyfriends were Ted Danson and Frank Langella. She was married three times and was once addicted to drugs.

Whoopi Goldberg first came to prominence with her starring role in The Color Purple. She received much critical acclaim, and an Oscar nomination for her role and became a major star as a result. Subsequent efforts in the late 1980s were, at best, marginal hits. These movies mostly were off-beat to formulaic comedies like Burglar, The Telephone, and Jumpin' Jack Flash. Goldberg made her mark as a household name and a mainstay in Hollywood for her Oscar-winning role in the box office smash Ghost. Whoopi Goldberg was at her most famous in the early 1990s, making regular appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation. She admitted to being a huge fan of the original _"Star Trek" (1967) _ and jumped at the opportunity to star in "Next Generation."

Goldberg received another smash hit role in Sister Act. Her fish-out-of-water with some flash seemed to resonate with audiences and was a box office smash. Whoopi starred in some highly publicized and moderately successful comedies of this time, including Made in America and Soapdish. Goldberg followed up to her success with Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, which was well-received but didn't seem to match up to the first.

As the late 1990s approached, Goldberg seemed to alternate between lead roles in straight comedies such as Eddie and The Associate, and took supporting parts in more independent minded movies such as The Deep End of the Ocean and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Goldberg never forgot where she came from, hosting many tributes to other legendary entertainment figures. Her most recent movies include Rat Race and the quietly received Kingdom Come. Goldberg contributes her voice to many cartoons, including The Pagemaster and Captain Planet and the Planeteers, as Gaia, the voice of the earth. Alternating between big-budget movies, independent movies, tributes, documentaries, and even TV movies (including Theodore Rex (1995)).

Whoopi Goldberg is accredited as a truly unique and visible talent in Hollywood. Perhaps she will always be remembered as well for Comic Relief, playing an integral part in almost every benefit concert they had. Currently Whoopi Goldberg is the center square in Hollywood Squares and frequently hosts the Academy Awards. She also is an author, with the book "Book."
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993): $7,000,000
Broke up with boyfriend of five years, Frank Langella. [2000] Discovered by director Mike Nichols. Became the very first woman to host the Academy Awards when she did so in 1994. Dated Ted Danson. Born at 12:48pm-EST. Daughter: Alexandrea; Granddaughters: Amarah and Jerzey. Travels to locations by bus since she hates flying. She won a Grammy for "Whoopi Goldberg: Direct From Broadway." Once worked in a mortuary where her job was applying makeup to corpses. Listed as one of twelve Promising New Actors of 1985 in "John Willis's Screen World," Vol. 37. Was nicknamed Whoopi (as in "whoopi-cushion") because of being overly flatulent. She added the name Goldberg, taken from the Jewish side of her family. Holds an honorary degree from Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa. Dropped out of high school and became addicted to heroin. She ended up marrying her drug counselor. She cleaned up and later divorced him. In 1974 she moved to California and helped found the San Diego Repertory Company, where she used the name, Whoopi Cushion. Before making it as an actress, she worked as a bank teller, a bricklayer and in a mortuary. She was inspired to become an actress by watching Nichelle Nichols's portrayal of Uhura on Star Trek. Is dyslexic. Mother of actress Alex Martin. She hosted the 2002 Oscars. Asked Gene Roddenberry for a role in Star Trek: The Next Generation because she was a big fan. She was given role of "Guinan", the head of the Ten-Forward lounge. Her character was named for real life 19th Century bartender Texas Guinan. Spokesmodel of the "got milk?" campaign. Is an avid Fiesta Ware (china) collector. Won a Tony in 2002 as a producer for Best Musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie." Won a Grammy in 1985 for Best Comedy Performance Single or Album, Spoken or Musical for "Original Broadway Show Recording." Was the second African American woman to win an Oscar. The first was Hattie McDaniel. Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 184-186. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387. Has over 4 different action figures modeled after her character, Guinan, from the "Star Trek" series and the films. Is part-owner of Mary's Kitchen, a country store/kitchen in Malibu, California. It is staffed by "New Yorkers" and certain furnishings were imported from New York because Whoopi wanted a touch of home in Malibu. In the Absolutely Fabulous series episode "Gay," Whoopi Goldberg played a woman who arranges marriages. In her guest-starring role in The Nanny (episode "The Pre-Nup"). she played a wedding planner. Has a tattoo of Woodstock (the bird from the Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts" cartoon strip) on her shoulder. Granddaughter Amarah Skye was born on her 34th birthday. When she was only 8, she performed with the Children's Program and the Hudson Guild and The Rubenstein Children's Theatre. Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991 Has her own production company, One Ho Productions, which backs most of her movies and television projects that she produces. Michael J. Fox accompanied her to the 1986 Academy Awards when she was nominated for The Color Purple. Was one of the eulogists at Gene Roddenberry's funeral in 1991, along with other Star Trek stars Nichelle Nichols and Patrick Stewart. Did a private stand-up comedy routine entitled "If E.T. landed in Oakland" in front of, among others, Steven Spielerg and Michael Jackson which eventually won Whoopi the lead in The Color Purple. One of only four actresses who won the quadruple crown of acting: The Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy. Her performance as Oda Mae Brown in "Ghost" (1990) is ranked #95 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. Is good friends with Patrick Stewart. She was awarded The Annual Kennedy Centre Mark Twain Prize for Comedy. The first woman to host the Academy Awards on her own. She hosted them in 2002, 1999, 1996 and 1994. Is one of only 7 African-American actresses to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination. The others in chronological order are: Dorothy Dandridge, Diana Ross, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Angela Bassett and Halle Berry. She is one of only 10 individuals who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award (counting Daytime Emmy Awards).