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The Whoopi years...
Whoopi Goldberg has been performing since the tender age of 8. She was performing with the children's programme at the Hudson
Guild and Helen Rubinstien children's theatre. She worked as a Bricklayer, Waitress and Make up artist at a funeral parlour
while appearing in small broadway parts.
In San Dieago 1975 she appeared in the San Dieago Repetory theatre production
of Brecht's "Mother Courage" and Marsha Norman's "Getting Out". She married, got hooked on heroin,got
divorced, kicked heroin, had a child and chose a unique stage name for herself (referr to her autobiography "Book"
to find out how she got it and why)
Later Whoopi joined the Blake St Hawkeyes theatre in Berkeley alongside David Schein. Shortly she moved into solo performances.
She created "The Spook Show" which first played in San Francisco and toured the USA and Europe. When Performing
in The Spook Show Director Mike Nichols spotted her and gave Whoopi her own one-woman Broadway Show in 1984 an evening of
her own material. The show opened to critical acclaim. Audiences unable to see her New York Show were able to see an HBO Special
"Whoopi Goldberg-Direct from Broadway" The Album won a Grammy Award for best recording of the year.
She
returned to San Francisco to star in "Moms" as Moms Mabley, a one-woman show show she co-wrote based on the Comedienne
Moms Mableys work.
The following year Steven Spielberg found her and cast her as Celie in the film version of the Novel
"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. This won her a Golden Globe for best Actress in a Motion Picture, an oscar nominee
and an NAACP Image award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.
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Since then Whoopi has starred in a long string of hit films including Jumpin Jack Flash, Clara's Heart and GHOST. For her
role as Oda Mae brown in in GHOST She won an oscar for Best Support Actress. She starred in The Long Walk Home, Homer and
Eddie, The Telephone, Kiss shot (TV Film), Soapdish, The Player, Corrina Corrina, Sister Act, (a Huge Box office Smash Hit
which got her a Golden Globe Nomination and earned her an Image Award for Berst Actress) Sarafina, Made in America and Boys
on the Side. The success of Sister Act spawned a whopping $8 million sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,another successfull
film.
Whoopi is also involved in various campaigns for homeless children, Aids, Human Rights and Abuse amongst others.
She recieved an NAACP Entertainer of the year award in 1991. She has co-starred with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams in various
shows for Comic Relief.
In 1999 Whoopi was voted Woman of the year for Essence Magazine
From 1995 onward
Whoopi starred in Moonlight and Valentino, (alongside Rock Singer Jon Bon Jovi) EDDIE, The Associate, How Stella Got Her Groove
Back, Girl Interrupted, The Deep End Of The Ocean, and most recently Rat Race
Whoopi Has also had bit parts in The
Little Rascals and In and Out.
She has also been the star of the TV Shows Star Trek and Bagdad Cafe. She had her
own TV Chat Show in which one of her guest was Sir Elton John. Her chat show ran from 1992-1993 at that time she wrote a childrens
called Alice. She is Centre Square for The American Game Show Hollywood Squares.She also got her Star on The Hollywood Walk
Of Fame on the 13th Nov 2001 (her birthday)
This is one Actress that has definately made it to the top and she deserves
all the credit she can get and every success in the future.
If you want to know more Id recommend you read her stunning
Autobiography entitled BOOK.
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At a Glance
Date of Birth: see Bio
Education: see Bio
Family History: 1 Brother called Clyde and her Daughter
Alexandrea
First Professional Role: As Celie in Alice Walkers Film adaption of the Novel The Color Purple
Astrological Sign: Scorpio
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The Following information is transferred over from "Stacey's Whoopi Pages"
Birth Name: Caryn Elaine Johnson
Birthdate: November 13, 1955 (some sources state the year as 1949)
Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
Brother: Clyde K. Johnson, born 1949, driver (Whoopi's personal driver on
film sets)
Daughter: Alexandrea Martin, born 1973 (father is Alvin Martin) aka Alex
Dean
Movie credits include "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit", "American Intellectuals", "Quest of the Delta Knights" and she
was an extra in "The Color Purple" (sitting near Sophia at the dinner table when Celie is about to leave)--thanks to Danzer
for this information!
Grandchildren: Amarah Skye (girl, born November 13, 1989), Jerzey Martin
(girl, born 1995), and ? (boy)
Mother: Emma Johnson
By Stacey
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