Whoopi Goldberg, born Caryn Elaine Johnson in 1955, hails from Manhattan, New York City. She is the daughter of Robert James Johnson Jr., a clergyman, and Emma Johnson, who worked as both a teacher and nurse. Raised primarily by her mother in the Chelsea-Elliot Houses along with her brother Clyde, Goldberg credits her mother as a strong and wise woman who brought them up as a single parent.
Her family roots trace back to Faceville, Georgia, and Palatka, Florida, before settling in Virginia. Goldberg dropped out of Washington Irving High School and later worked various jobs, including as a phone sex operator. She adopted the stage name “Whoopi” inspired by whoopee cushions, while “Goldberg”—though not her family name—was chosen to evoke a more professional image.
Whoopi Goldberg is a comedian, actress, and television host of African-American descent. She is one of the few entertainers in history to have won all four major American entertainment awards: a Tony Award, an Oscar, a Grammy Award, and an Emmy Award. Her diverse talents in comedy, acting, and production have earned her over 13 Emmy Award nominations.
She became the second Black woman to win an Academy Award for acting, following Hattie McDaniel. Goldberg received critical acclaim early in her career for her role as Celie in the 1985 drama film The Color Purple, portraying a mistreated African-American woman in the Deep South. This performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
In 1990, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Oda Mae Brown, a psychic who helps a slain man communicate with his lover, in the romantic fantasy film Ghost.
| Birth Date: | 13 Nov, 1955 |
| Age: | 64 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Manhattan |
| Education: | New York University |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | American actress |
| Twitter Id: | WhoopiGoldberg |
| Net Worth 2021: | 60 million |
