 Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Johnson in New York
City and spent the first years of her life in a public housing project in
Manhattan. She made her performing debut at age eight with the Helena Rubinstein
Children's Theatre at the Hudson Guild. After dropping out of high school,
Whoopi Goldberg found work as a summer camp counselor, and in the choruses of
the Broadway shows Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar and Pippin.
In 1974, after a failed marriage, Whoopi Goldberg moved to
California with her young daughter and, the following year, helped found the San
Diego Repertory Theatre and joined the improvisational theater group Spontaneous
Combustion. It was at this time that she adopted her distinctive stage name and
began to develop the character monologues that were to make her famous. After
moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, Whoopi Goldberg joined another
improvisational group, the Blake Street Hawkeyes, acquired a following for her
work as a stand-up comedian, and toured the U.S. and Europe with her one-woman
production, The Spook Show.
In 1983 the legendary director Mike Nichols saw Whoopi Goldberg perform and, the
following year, presented her on Broadway in a one-woman show of her own
creation. The show was an enormous success, and brought her to the attention of
Steven Spielberg, who cast her in the leading role in his film of Alice Walker's
The Color Purple. Making her film debut in this coveted role instantly
established her as one of Hollywood's leading actresses. Her performance in
Ghost won her an Academy Award. Whoopi Goldberg followed this with memorable
performances in the box-office smash Sister Act and the critically
acclaimed Robert Altman film, The Player. Her other film credits include
Made In America; Corinna, Corinna; Star Trek: Generations and Boys on
the Side. In addition to her acting roles, Whoopi Goldberg has hosted her
own television talk show and has earned rave reviews for hosting the annual
Academy Awards telecast.
|
