Whoopi Goldberg is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.
She is known for her versatile and socially conscious roles in films such as The Color Purple, Ghost, Sister Act and The Lion King.
She is also the co-host of the hit talk show The View and is an active advocate for causes as diverse as human rights, AIDS awareness and animal welfare.
contour
- Full name: Karin Elaine Johnson
- Aliases: Whoopi Goldberg
- Date of Birth: November 13, 1955
- Age: 68
- Gender: Female
- Birthplace: New York City, USA
- Country: United States
- Occupation: Actor, comedian, author, and television personality
- Height: 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm)
- Parents: Emma Harris (mother) and Robert James Johnson Jr. (father)
- Siblings: Clyde Johnson (brother)
- Spouses: Alvin Martin (m. 1973; divorced 1979), David Claessen (m. 1986; divorced 1988), Lyle Trachtenberg (m. 1994; divorced 1995)
- Children: Alexander Martin (daughter)
- Relationship status: Single
- Net worth: $50 million
Early life and education
Karin Elaine Johnson, popularly known as Whoopi Goldberg, is 68 years old and was born on November 13, 1955, in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.
Her mother, Emma Harris, was a teacher and nurse, and her father, Robert James Johnson Jr., was a minister.
Whoopi’s immediate family is from Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. She had a brother named Clyde who died in 2015. She chose the last name Goldberg as a nod to her Jewish heritage.
Whoopi, who suffered from dyslexia, dropped out of high school at age 17. She moved to California and worked a variety of jobs, including as a bricklayer, bank teller, makeup artist, and funeral home assistant.
She also joined several improvisation groups, such as Spontaneous Combustion, and developed her skills as a stand-up comedian.
She used the fart pad as her stage name Whoopi because people often said she was like “Fart in the storm.“
Personal life
Whoopi Goldberg has been married and divorced three times. Her first husband was Alvin Martin, whom she married in 1973 and divorced in 1979. They have one daughter, Alexander Martin, who is also an actress and producer.
Her second husband was cinematographer David Claessen, whom she married in 1986 and divorced in 1988. Her third husband was union organizer Lyle Trachtenberg, whom she married in 1994 and divorced in 1995.
Whoopi has also dated celebrities including Ted Danson, Frank Langella, Timothy Dalton and Danny Glover. She is currently single and lives in New Jersey. She has four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
She is a vegetarian and smokes marijuana. She is also a self-confessed former drug user and has spoken openly about her experiences with heroin, cocaine and LSD.
Profession
Whoopi Goldberg began her career as a comedian in the early 1980s. She performed in various clubs and theaters and became widely recognized for her one-man show, The Ghost Show, in which she portrayed characters such as a surfer girl, a valley girl, a drug addict, and a disabled child.
She also played the famous black comedian Moms Mabley in an HBO special and a Broadway show.
Whoopi makes film debut Citizen: I Didn’t Lose My Mind, I Just Gave Up My Reason (1982)But her breakthrough role was The Color Purple (1985)directed by Steven Spielberg.
Her critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated performance as Celie, a poor and abused black woman in the South, made her a major star and a household name.
Whoopi went on to star in many films, mostly comedies, e.g. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (1986), “Burglar” (1987), “Fatal Beauty” (1987), “The Telephone” (1988) and “Clara’s Heart” (1988).
She also voiced characters in animated films, such as Pager (1994) and The Lion King (1994). She won an Oscar for her role as psychic con artist Oda Mae Brown in Ghost (1990).
She also received another Oscar nomination for her role as Deloris Van Cartier, a bar singer who joins a convent. Sister Act (1992) and its sequelsSister Act 2: The Reunion (1993).
Whoopi has also starred in the following TV series The Long Way Home (1990), Sarafina! (1992), The Player (1992), Subnautica (1999), Girl, Interrupted (1999) and For Colored Girls (2010).
She has also starred in some action and fantasy films, such as Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Partners (1996), How Stella Got Her Way Back (1998), Rat Race (2001) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014).
Whoopi has also had a successful career in television. She has been a co-host of The View since 2007 and has won multiple Emmy Awards for her work.
She has also appeared in many television shows, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1993), Moonlight Blue (1988), The Simpsons (1992), The Magic School Bus (1994-1997), The Muppets Tonight (1996-1997), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2006), Glee (2012-2013) and The Good Fight (2017-2018).
She has also produced and hosted several documentaries and specials, such as Billy Connolly with Whoopi Goldberg (1999), Whoopi: Back on Broadway for the 20th Anniversary (2005), Mammy Mabel with Whoopi Goldberg (2013), and I Have Something to Tell You (2013).
Whoopi is also the author of several books, e.g. Alice (1992), Books (1997), Whoopi’s Book of Etiquette (2006), Is It Just Me? Or Is It Crazy Out There? (2010) and The Unqualified Hostess (2019)She is also Sugar Plum Ballerina Series (2008-2013) and Whoopi’s World series (2016-2017).
dispute
Whoopi Goldberg has been involved in several controversies and scandals during her career. Some of them are:
She faced backlash for her relationship with then-married Ted Danson in 1993. She also defended Danson when he performed blackface comedy at a roast held in her honor.
In 2004, she was fired as a spokesperson for the weight-loss product SlimFast after she made some jokes about President George W. Bush at a fundraiser for John Kerry.
In 2007, she joined The View as a co-host and frequently clashed with her co-hosts and guests on topics including politics, religion, race and sexuality.
She has also been criticized for some of her views, such as defending Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby and Mel Gibson, and questioning the moon landing and the Holocaust.
In 2009, she was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee who claimed she had touched him inappropriately and made lewd comments. She denied the allegations and settled out of court.
In 2016, she was sued by Levity Entertainment Group, which claimed she had breached her contract by leaving the agency without notice. She countersued them for fraud and racketeering, and the case was settled in 2018.
net worth
Whoopi Goldberg’s net worth is estimated at $50 million by Celebrity Net Worth. Her wealth is the result of her successful career as an actress, comedian, author, and television personality.
She has also invested in several businesses such as a medical marijuana company called Whoopi & Maya, a clothing line called DUBGEE, and a book publishing company called Whoopi’s Books.
Social Media
- Instagram account: @whoopigoldberg
- Twitter: @WhoopiGoldberg
Filmography
- Purple
- Jumping Jack Flash
- thief
- Fatal Beauty
- Telephone
- Clara’s Heart
- ghost
- The long journey home
- Soap box.
