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This comical genius (aka Karen Johnson) was born on November 13, 1949 in New York City. Goldberg raised in the Chelsea housing
projects was always a talented child but not a very good student. She
struggled with her studies and was diagnosed with dyslexia while in
Junior High school. Determined to succeed she advanced on into High
school with an agenda to learn but her will was not strong enough and
she dropped out. She spent her adolescence surrounded by the fashions,
credos, and drugs of the flower child movement in the 60's. However
she manage and became involved in the theatre staring in Broadway productions
of Hair, Pippin, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Inspired by the words from one of her idols famed Black comedian Jackie "Moms" Mabley "If you keep doing what you always did, you'll keep getting what you always got!" and in 1974 Whoopi Goldberg packed up her bags and moved to California to pursue a more intense acting career. Goldberg worked a variety of jobs during the day and night trying to support herself while auditioning for small acting parts all over California. Determined not to wait for fame to come to her Whoopi went to fame. Helping to found the San Diego Repertory Theatre, she began performing one-woman shows, including Moms, which showcased the life of her idol Moms Mabley. Goldberg's talent for portraying character types attracted the attention of many including award winning director and producer Mike Nichols, who helped her to stage numerous shows on Broadway. While in New York, Goldberg caught the eye of another renowned director by the name of Steven Spielberg.
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Spielberg
impressed by the phenomenal talent that Goldberg possessed cast her
as the main character "Ms. Celie" in his 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker's
novel The Color Purple. Goldberg has won an Oscar for her role in the
1993 award-winning movie "Ghost" as Oda Mae Brown, a Black psychic draw
into the world of an unsettled white male ghost. Goldberg is also involved
in various charitable activities including the well-known benefit show
called "Comic Relief" that benefits the homeless in America.
