Whoopi Goldberg

Highest Rated: 100% Master of Dark Shadows (2019)

Lowest Rated: 0% Theodore Rex (1995)

Birthday: Nov 13, 1955

Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA

Though best known as an outspoken comedienne, Whoopi Goldberg is also a talented dramatic actress. By virtue of her distinctive appearance and a persona that is both no-nonsense and empathic, Goldberg has emerged as one of the most recognizable celebrities of the '80s and '90s.Born Caryn Johnson on November 13, 1955 in New York City, Goldberg began her long career when she was eight years old, performing with New York's Helena Rubenstein Children's Theater. She then went on to study with the Hudson Guild children's arts program and attended the prestigious High School for the Performing Arts. After graduating, Goldberg occasionally won small parts in Broadway productions such as Hair, Pippin and Jesus Christ Superstar, but also supported herself doing odd jobs like bricklaying and serving as a funeral parlor make-up artist. In 1975, Goldberg moved West and helped found the San Diego Repertory Theater, where she appeared in a number of plays, including Brecht's Mother Courage and Marsha Norman's Getting Out. After several stints with the Spontaneous Combustion improvisational troupe and work in avant-garde productions at Berkeley's Blake Street Hawkeyes theater, Goldberg devised The Spook Show, a one woman satirical production in which she played several characters. The show, which originated in San Francisco, eventually toured the U.S. and Europe, earning acclaim and the attention of director Mike Nichols. Nichols went on to direct a 1984 Broadway version of the show, which earned Goldberg Drama Desk and Theatre World awards, as well as a Grammy for the album recording.Goldberg made an auspicious Hollywood debut with her portrayal of Celie, the lead character in Steven Spielberg's controversial 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker's novel. Goldberg's moving performance was rewarded with an Oscar nomination and Best Actress Golden Globe, as well as instant stardom for the actress. Although Goldberg's film career looked promising, the actress unfortunately spent much of the decade's remainder appearing in terrible action comedies such as Fatal Beauty and Burglar (both 1987) that did not do her comic gifts justice. Her one partial success during this period was her first action comedy, Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986), which did relatively well at the box office and gave her a certain cult status. In 1988, Goldberg took a break from comedy with a memorable turn as a worldly Jamaican nanny in the otherwise unremarkable Clara's Heart. She also made numerous appearances in television specials, most notably as a co-host for the annual Comic Relief benefit for the homeless. Her attempt at sitcoms failed with the short-lived series Bagdad Cafe, but she did find greater television success with a small but crucial recurring role as the sagacious intergalactic bartender Guinan on the syndicated Star Trek: The Next Generation. Around the same time, Goldberg's film career underwent a sharp turn-around. She won acclaim playing a selfless housekeeper opposite Sissy Spacek in the provocative Civil Rights drama The Long Walk Home (1989), and then played an eccentric con artist possessing unexpected psychic powers in the 1990 smash hit Ghost. Goldberg's funny yet moving performance earned her her first Oscar and the widespread opinion that this marked her comeback performance. After a couple of missteps that had a few people rethinking this verdict, Goldberg scored again with the 1992 hit comedy Sister Act. Nominated for Golden Globes and two NAACP awards, the film spawned mass ticket sales and an unsuccessful 1993 sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Meanwhile, Goldberg also continued her television work with a 1992 late night talk show. A laid back affair that ran for 200 episodes, it was praised by critics but failed to secure high ratings and went on permanent hiatus after only six months. However, Goldberg continued to appear on TV with her recurring role as a Comic Relief co-host and as an MC for the Academy Awards ceremony, a role she reprised mu

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Highest Rated Movies

Filmography

Movies

		Credit
No Score Yet	Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration	Actor	—	2019
100%	Master of Dark Shadows	Actor	—	2019
23%	Nobody's Fool	Lola	—	2018
20%	Furlough	Mrs. Stevens	—	2018
No Score Yet	I'm Coming Home	Executive Producer	—	2018
No Score Yet	Hugh Hefner's After Dark: Speaking Out in America	Actor	—	2018
94%	Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind	Actor	—	2018
95%	Gilbert	Actor	—	2017
11%	9/11	Metzie	$0.2M	2017
86%	A Very Sordid Wedding	Abernatha Coleman	—	2017
89%	The Problem with Apu	Actor	—	2017
No Score Yet	Yamasong: March of the Hollows	Yari	—	2017
94%	Floyd Norman: An Animated Life	Actor	—	2016
No Score Yet	King of the Dancehall	Actor	—	2016
No Score Yet	50 Years of Star Trek	Actor	—	2016
38%	Big Stone Gap	Fleeta Mullins	$1.1M	2015
86%	Top Five	Herself	$17.1M	2014
22%	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles	Bernadette Thompson	$164M	2014
36%	Misery Loves Comedy	Actor	$5.8K	2014
No Score Yet	A Day Late and a Dollar Short	Viola Price	—	2014
86%	Richard Pryor: Omit The Logic	Actor	—	2013
No Score Yet	Black Dog, Red Dog	Actor	—	2013
No Score Yet	Moms Mabley: I Got Somethin' to Tell You	Executive Producer Director Producer	—	2013
100%	Under African Skies	Actor	—	2012
95%	Sing Your Song	Whoopi Goldberg	$48.2K	2012
No Score Yet	Why We Laugh: Funny Women	Actor	—	2012
No Score Yet	The Contradictions of Fair Hope	Narrator	—	2012
95%	The Muppets	Herself	$88.7M	2011
95%	Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey	Narrator	$0.4M	2011
No Score Yet	The Little Engine That Could	Actor	—	2011
100%	Teenage Paparazzo	Actor	—	2010
32%	For Colored Girls	Alice/White	$37.8M	2010
98%	Toy Story 3	Stretch	$415M	2010
No Score Yet	The Black List: Volume Three	Actor	—	2010
No Score Yet	The Captain's Summit	Actor	—	2009
27%	Madea Goes to Jail	Herself	$90.5M	2009
No Score Yet	See You in September	Therapist	—	2009
No Score Yet	Letters to Santa: A Muppets Christmas	Actor	—	2008
80%	Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project	Actor	—	2008
No Score Yet	Snow Buddies	Miss Mittens	—	2008
No Score Yet	Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins	Narrator	—	2008
No Score Yet	Farce of the Penguins	Helen	—	2007
No Score Yet	If I Had Known I Was a Genius	Actor	—	2007
42%	Everyone's Hero	Darlin'	$14.5M	2006
No Score Yet	Homie Spumoni	Thelma	—	2006
8%	Doogal	Ermintrude	$7.4M	2006
No Score Yet	The Sophisticated Misfit	Actor	—	2006
No Score Yet	The Last Guy on Earth	Actor	—	2006
No Score Yet	African American Lives	Actor	—	2006
No Score Yet	Movies 101	Actor	—	2005
79%	The Aristocrats	Actor	$6.2M	2005
22%	Jiminy Glick in Lalawood	Herself	$26.2K	2005
35%	Racing Stripes	Franny	$49.2M	2005
No Score Yet	The N-Word	Actor	—	2004
No Score Yet	Pinocchio 3000	Cyberina	—	2004
78%	The Lion King 1 1/2	Shenzi	—	2004
No Score Yet	Richard Pryor - I Ain't Dead Yet #%$#@!! Uncensored	Actor	—	2004
No Score Yet	Uta Hagen's Acting Class	Actor	—	2004
67%	Blizzard	Blizzard	—	2003
57%	Pauly Shore Is Dead	Herself	—	2003
No Score Yet	Good Fences	Producer Mabel Spader	—	2003
No Score Yet	Bitter Jester	Actor	—	2003
38%	Star Trek - Nemesis	Guinan	$43.1M	2002
90%	It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie	Boss	—	2002
80%	Searching for Debra Winger	Actor	—	2002
73%	Showboy	Herself	—	2002
No Score Yet	Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives	Narrator	—	2002
No Score Yet	Fighting for Freedom: Revolution & Civil War	Narrator	—	2002
No Score Yet	Madeline: My Fair Madeline	Miss Clavel	—	2002
No Score Yet	Call Me Claus	Lucy Cullins Executive Producer	—	2001
44%	Rat Race	Vera Baker	$55.9M	2001
28%	Kingdom Come	Raynelle Slocumb	$22.6M	2001
19%	Monkeybone	Death	$5M	2001
No Score Yet	What Makes a Family	Terry Harrison Executive Producer	—	2001
No Score Yet	Chuck Jones: Extremes and Inbetweens - A Life in Animation	Actor	—	2000
No Score Yet	More Dogs Than Bones	Cleo	—	2000
43%	The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle	Judge Cameo	$0.5M	2000
No Score Yet	Journey to the Stars	Actor	—	2000
No Score Yet	Our Friend, Martin	Mrs. Peck	—	1999
No Score Yet	Mary Pickford: A Life on Film	Actor	—	1999
54%	Girl, Interrupted	Valerie	—	1999
No Score Yet	Jackie's Back	Ethyl	—	1999
No Score Yet	The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns	Grand Banshee	—	1999
71%	Get Bruce	Herself	—	1999
43%	The Deep End of the Ocean	Candy Bliss	—	1999
33%	Alice in Wonderland	Cheshire Cat	—	1999
No Score Yet	Alegría	Baby Clown	—	1999
59%	The Rugrats Movie	Ranger Margaret	—	1998
No Score Yet	A Knight in Camelot	Vivien Morgan	—	1998
40%	Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie	Stormella	—	1998
49%	How Stella Got Her Groove Back	Delilah	—	1998
8%	An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn	Herself	—	1998
No Score Yet	Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella	Queen Constantina	—	1997
72%	In & Out	Herself	—	1997
No Score Yet	In the Gloaming	Myrna	—	1997
No Score Yet	A Christmas Carol	Ghost of Christmas Present	—	1997
No Score Yet	Century of Black Cinema	Actor	—	1997
43%	Ghosts of Mississippi	Myrlie Evers	—	1996
28%	The Associate	Laurel	—	1996
44%	Bogus	Harriet Franklin	—	1996
12%	Tales from the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood	uncredited	—	1996
18%	Eddie	Eddie	—	1996
96%	The Celluloid Closet	Interviewee	—	1996
0%	Theodore Rex	Katie Coltrane	—	1995
15%	Moonlight and Valentino	Sylvie Morrow	—	1995
74%	Boys on the Side	Jane	—	1995
21%	The Pagemaster	Fantasy	—	1994
47%	Star Trek Generations	Guinan (uncredited)	—	1994
No Score Yet	Liberation	Actor	—	1994
39%	Corrina, Corrina	Corrina Washington	—	1994
23%	The Little Rascals	Buckwheat's Mom	—	1994
93%	The Lion King	Shenzi	$94.3M	1994
42%	Naked in New York	Tragedy Mask on Theater Wall	—	1994
No Score Yet	Sesame Street: The Best of Elmo	Actor	—	1994
7%	Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit	Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarence	—	1993
31%	Made in America	Sarah Mathews	—	1993
No Score Yet	Wisecracks	Actor	—	1993
17%	National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1	Sgt. York	—	1993
60%	Sarafina!	Mary Masembuko	—	1992
73%	Sister Act	Deloris Van Cartier	$139.7M	1992
98%	The Player	Detective Avery	—	1992
No Score Yet	Koi and the Kola Nuts	Narrator	—	1992
21%	House Party 2	Professor	—	1991
No Score Yet	Kiss Shot	Sarah Collins	—	1991
69%	Soapdish	Rose	—	1991
87%	The Long Walk Home	Odessa Cotter	—	1990
73%	Ghost	Oda Mae Brown	—	1990
0%	Homer & Eddie	Eddie Cervi	—	1989
No Score Yet	Beverly Hills Brats	Actor	—	1989
38%	Clara's Heart	Clara Mayfield	—	1988
No Score Yet	The Telephone	Vashti Blue	—	1988
23%	Fatal Beauty	Rita Rizzoli	—	1987
27%	Burglar	Bernice Rhodenbarr	—	1987
29%	Jumpin' Jack Flash	Terry Dolittle	—	1986
81%	The Color Purple	Celie	—	1985
No Score Yet	Dr. Duck's Super Secret All-Purpose Sauce	Actor	—	1985
72%	The Sunshine Boys	Nurse	—	1975

TV

		Credit
No Score Yet	The View 1997	Appearing Host Host (2007-present)	2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
No Score Yet	Late Night With Seth Meyers 2014	Guest	2019 2017
No Score Yet	Ask the StoryBots 2016-2019	Voice	2019 2016
No Score Yet	The Late Show With Stephen Colbert 2015	Guest	2019 2018 2017 2016 2015
No Score Yet	The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon 2014	Guest	2019 2018 2016 2015 2014
54%	Instinct 2018	Joan Ross	2018
No Score Yet	The Daily Show With Trevor Noah 2015-2019	Guest	2018 2017
No Score Yet	Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen 2009-2019	Guest	2018 2017 2016
No Score Yet	Desus & Mero (2016) 2016-2018	Guest	2017
No Score Yet	The Graham Norton Show 2007	Guest	2017
82%	When We Rise 2016-2017	Pat Norman	2017
No Score Yet	Blue Bloods 2010	Regina Thomas	2017 2016
No Score Yet	Harry 2016-2018	Guest	2017 2016
No Score Yet	The Chew 2011-2018	Guest	2017 2015 2012 2011
No Score Yet	The Wendy Williams Show 2008	Guest	2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2011 2010
No Score Yet	Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle 2016-2018	Judge	2016
No Score Yet	Nightcap 2016-2017		2016
No Score Yet	StarTalk 2015	Guest	2016
No Score Yet	Rachael Ray 2015	Guest	2016 2015
No Score Yet	20/20 1978	Appearing	2016 2013
90%	Nashville 2012-2018	Herself	2016 2014 2013
No Score Yet	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 1999	Janette Grayson	2015
71%	Glee 2009-2015	Carmen Tibideaux	2015 2014 2012
No Score Yet	Late Show With David Letterman 1993-2015	Guest	2014
63%	Once Upon a Time in Wonderland 2013-2014	Voice Mrs. Rabbit	2014 2013
No Score Yet	The Dr. Oz Show 2009	Appearing Guest	2014 2010
No Score Yet	Great Performances 2000	Appearing	2013
No Score Yet	Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 2009-2014	Guest	2013 2011 2010 2009
No Score Yet	The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 1992-2014	Guest	2013 2001
58%	666 Park Avenue 2012-2013	Maris Elder	2012
No Score Yet	Independent Lens 1999	Narrator	2012
No Score Yet	The Middle 2009-2018	Jane Marsh	2012
No Score Yet	Would You Rather? With Graham Norton 2011-2012	Guest	2012
No Score Yet	The Electric Company 2009-2011	Appearing	2010
85%	30 Rock 2006-2013	Herself	2009
No Score Yet	The Cleaner 2008-2009	Pauline Kmec	2009 2008
72%	American Idol 2002-2016	Appearing	2008
66%	Entourage 2004-2011	Herself	2008
No Score Yet	Hell's Kitchen 2005-2019	Appearing	2008
77%	Life on Mars 2008-2009	Brother Lovebutter	2008
No Score Yet	The Naked Brothers Band 2007-2009	Herself	2008
No Score Yet	Law & Order: Criminal Intent 2001-2011	Chesley Watkins	2006
81%	So NoTORIous 2006	Mama Belle	2006
95%	Everybody Hates Chris 2005-2009	Louise	2006 2005
No Score Yet	Strong Medicine 2000-2006	Executive Producer Creator Lydia Emerson Dr. Lydia Emerson	2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
No Score Yet	Real Time with Bill Maher 2003	Panelist	2005
26%	Whoopi 2003-2004	Executive Producer Mavis Rae	2004 2003
No Score Yet	Liberty's Kids 2002-2003	Voice	2003 2002
No Score Yet	Whose Line Is It Anyway? 1998	Guest Performer	2002 2001
No Score Yet	Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist 1995-1999	Voice	2002 1998
45%	The Academy Awards 1978		2002 1999 1996 1994
No Score Yet	America's Funniest Home Videos 1989	Appearing	2001
No Score Yet	The Chris Rock Show 1997-2000	Guest	1997
No Score Yet	Captain Planet and the Planeteers 1990-1996	Voice	1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
89%	Star Trek: The Next Generation 1987-1994	Guinan	1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988
82%	Tales from the Crypt 1989-1996	Guest	1991
No Score Yet	A Different World 1987-1993		1991 1990
97%	Moonlighting 1985-1989		1986
50%	Bagdad Cafe	Brenda
No Score Yet	Delores & Jermaine 2015	Executive Producer Producer Delores
No Score Yet	Whoopi's Littleburg 2004	Mayor Whoopi

QUOTES FROM Whoopi Goldberg CHARACTERS

Oda Mae Brown says: You don't think that I am going to give this money to a bunch of nuns! They can't even buy underwear!!

Oda Mae Brown says: You don't think that I am going to give this money to a bunch of nuns! They can't even buy underwear!

Fleeta Mullins says: Is anyone at this wedding sober?

Fleeta Mullins says: You know less about men then you know about cosmetics.

Fleeta Mullins says: I don't know why you out here honking the horn, I'm standing out here black as night I know you can see me.

Fleeta Mullins says: At this point you just got to take whatever you can get.

Myrlie Evers says: (Quoting Medgar Evers) When you hate, the only one that suffers is you because most of the people you hate don't know it and the rest don't care.

Myrlie Evers says: I don't know if I'm goin' to heaven or to hell, but I'm goin' from Jackson.

Jane says: The farther away from the body I get, the happier I'll be.

Robin says: Don't you knock.

Jane says: Not in a public toilet, no.

Jane says: She's holding you back, man. Everyone says so. She's like Yoko with bangs.

Shenzi says: Whoa! Whoa! Wait, Wait Wait! I know you, you're Mufasa's little stooge..

Simba says: Rooooar Roooar Rooar!

Shenzi says: What!? Is that it? Do it again, come on.

Celie says: The jail you plan for me who's the one you're gonna rot in.

Celie says: Everything you've done to me, already been done to you.

Boris Badenov says: We don't need computer weapon to kill moose and squirrel. We've been trying to kill moose and squirrel for 35 years.

Natasha Fatale says: And we've never even come close.

Judge says: Exactly.

Fearless Leader says: How many times in the past have they stood between me and my dreams of glory? How many times have they foiled my plans with their bungling interference

Fearless Leader says: How many times in the past have they stood between me and my dreams of glory? How many times have they foiled my plans with their bungling interference.

Boris Badenov says: Er... 28

Boris Badenov says: Er... 28.

Judge says: Quiet, idiot

Judge says: Quiet, idiot.

Sofia says: Now you want a dead son-in-law, Miss Celie? You keep on advisin him like you doin.

Celie says: Dis life be ova soon. Heaven last always.

Sofia says: Girl, you betta bash Mister's head open and think about Heaven later.

Celie says: The jail you plan for me is the one your gonna rot in.

Banzai says: Oh, Scar, it's just you.

Shenzi says: We were afraid it was somebody important.

Banzai says: Yeah, you know, like Mufasa.

Scar says: I see.

Banzai says: Now that's power.

Shenzi says: Tell me about it. I just hear that name and I shudder.

Banzai says: Mufasa!

Shenzi says: Ooooh! Do it again!

Banzai says: Mufasa!

Shenzi says: Ooooh!

Banzai says: Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa!

Shenzi says: Ooooh! [breaks into laughter]

Shenzi says: And it tingles me!

Scar says: I'm *surrounded* by idiots.

Buckwheat's Mom says: Winner by a hair!

Shenzi says: I like that. he's not king but he's still soo proper!

Shenzi says: Ohh, I like that. He's not king, but he's still so proper.

Archer Lincoln says: Do you know what a pawn is?

Terry Doolittle says: Yeah, it's a shrimp!!!

Terry Doolittle says: Yeah, it's a shrimp!

Archer Lincoln says: That's a p r a w n.

Terry Doolittle says: Do the world a favor...get yourself an office....with a desk...and a lamp!

Daniel's Boss says: When you write the laws of the universe you know where all the loopholes are.

Whoopi Goldberg says: The thing that people love about Elmo, is he needs them.

Scar says: Ahh, my friends...

Scar says: Ahh, my friends.

Shenzi says: Friends? I thought he said that we are the enemy!

Banzai says: Yeah, that's what I heard. (with Shenzi) Ed?

Banzai says: Yeah, that's what I heard. [with Shenzi] Ed?

Ed says: (Laughing slowly and maniacally)

Ed says: [laughing slowly and maniacally]

Scar says: No. Let... no. Let me explain. No, you don't understand! No, I didn't mean to... no, NO!!! (speaking his way out of this, then gets eaten by the hyenas)

Scar says: No. Let... no. Let me explain. No, you don't understand! No, I didn't mean to... no. NO! [speaking his way out of this, then gets eaten by the hyenas]

Shenzi says: Ya know, it wasn't exactly like they are alone, Scar.

Banzai says: Yeah, so what are supposed to do? Kill Mufasa?

Scar says: Precisely...(Smiles)

Scar says: Precisely. [smiles]

Celie says: Shug likes honey. And now I'm just like a bee.

Banzai says: Can we order meal to go?

Banzai says: Hey, did we order this dinner to go?

Shenzi says: No, why?

Shenzi says: Because there they go!

Shenzi says: Cause there it goes!

Celie says: I'm poor, I'm black, I may even be ugly, but dear Lord, here I am! Here I am!

Celie says: I'm poor, black, I might even be ugly, but dear God, I'm here. I'm here.

Celie says: The grave you dig for me is the one you're gonna rot in!

Celie says: Everything you done to me, already been done to you

Celie says: Everything you done to me, already been done to you.

Oda Mae Brown says: Why don't you go haunt a house? Rattle some chains or something.

Deloris Van Cartier/Mary Clarence says: Now listen, I know you've got to think about your image, cause image is important to you, because of course your friends are gonna dictate your actions through the rest of your lives, and I wouldn't want you to step away from them and become an individual, that would almost be too much!

Deloris Van Cartier/Mary Clarence says: If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention.

Deloris Van Cartier/Mary Clarence says: Good morning. Ladies and gentlemen. Please take your seats. Do it quickly and quietly. Welcome to the first day of your new scholastic lives. This is no longer a bird course. The bird has flown. If you want to pass this course, you gonna have to earn it,'cause I have no problems not one. Failing each and every one of you.

Deloris Van Cartier/Mary Clarence says: Do you know what I hate most about this place? There is nothing to pick up and throw.