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

2000: Broke up with boyfriend of five years Frank Langella. 1994: Became the very first woman to host the Academy Awards solo. Born at 12:48pm-EST. Travels to locations by bus since she hates flying. Once worked in a mortuary where her job was applying makeup to corpses. 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. 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. Is dyslexic. 2002: Hosted the Oscar ceremonies. Spokesmodel of the "got milk?" campaign. 2002: Won a Tony as a producer for Best Musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie.". Was the second African American woman to win an Oscar. The first was Hattie McDaniel. Has over 4 different action figures modeled after her character, Guinan, from the "Star Trek" series and the films. In the "Absolutely Fabulous" (1992) series episode "Gay," she played a woman who arranges marriages. In her guest-starring role in "The Nanny" (1993) (episode "The Pre-Nup"). she played a wedding planner. Granddaughter Amarah Skye was born on her 34th birthday. Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991 Michael J. Fox accompanied her to the 1986 Academy Awards when she was nominated for The Color Purple (1985). Did a private stand-up comedy routine entitled "If E.T. landed in Oakland" in front of, among others, Steven Spielberg and Michael Jackson, which eventually won her the lead in The Color Purple (1985), which Spielberg directed. Her performance as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost (1990) is ranked #95 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time. She was awarded The Annual Kennedy Centre Mark Twain Prize for Comedy. Is one of eight 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, Halle Berry, and Gabourey Sidibe. Worked as a Dishwasher at a restaurant called "Big Kitchen" at 3003 Grape St in San Diego. Has a brother who is seven years older than her.