Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg, born Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955, in New York City, is an American actor, comedian, author and television personality. She is one of the few entertainers to have achieved the EGOT, winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar (Academy Award) and a Tony Award. Her other accolades include a BAFTA and two Golden Globes. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2001, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2010, and the Disney Legend Award in 2017.

She began her career on stage with a series of one-woman shows, and a recording of her Broadway show Whoopi Goldberg (1984–1985) won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. In 1985 she played a mistreated woman in the Deep South in Steven Spielberg's period drama The Color Purple, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress and earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She followed this with leading roles in Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986) and Clara's Heart (1988), and played Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988–1993). Her portrayal of an eccentric psychic in the romantic fantasy Ghost (1990) won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the second African-American woman to win an Oscar.

She headlined the comedy Sister Act (1992) and its sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), becoming the highest-paid actress at the time. Her other films include Soapdish (1991), Corrina, Corrina (1994), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) and Girl, Interrupted (1999).