Whoopi Goldberg is 70!
Born on Nov. 13, 1955 in New York, Goldberg got her start as a comedian, performing in improv groups before gaining notoriety for her one-woman show. She scored the role of Celie in The Color Purple back in 1985, which launched her career as a serious actress as well. Goldberg would eventually the coveted EGOT (an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award) for her incredible work.
In her personal life, Goldberg shares a daughter, Alex Martin, with her first husband. And though she would be married two more times following their divorce in 1979, she later admitted to realizing marriage wasn’t for her, famously telling The New York Times, “I’m much happier on my own. I can spend as much time with somebody as I want to spend, but I’m not looking to be with somebody forever or live with someone.”
She added, “I don’t want somebody in my house.”
As the screen legend marks her 70th birthday today, look back at her incredible life in photos.
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Whoopi Goldberg’s Early Days
Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in Manhattan, New York to Emma Harris, a teacher and Robert James Johnson Jr., a Baptist clergyman. (See some of her cutest baby pics here.)
Whoopi Goldberg Becomes a Mother
Whoopi Goldberg married her first husband, Alvin Martin in 1973. Martin had been her drug counselor, as the actress was battling addiction at the time. They welcomed their only daughter, Alexandrea (pictured with her mom in 1993) that same year, and eventually divorced six years later in 1979.
Whoopi Goldberg Goes West
After training under Uta Hagen in the early ’80s, Johnson moved to the West Coast, where she worked with improv groups and honed her skills as a comedian. Around the same time, she began garnering attention for her work portraying Moms Mabley in a one-woman show.
By this point, she had changed her name into the one she’s known for today, for one very specific reason.
“Here’s the thing. When you’re performing on stage, you never really have time to go into the bathroom and close the door. So if you get a little gassy, you’ve got to let it go. So people used to say to me, ‘You are like a whoopee cushion.’ And that’s where the name came from,” she told the New York Times in 2006.
The actress revealed that her stage moniker was initially Whoopie Cushión (yes, with a little French flair). However, her mother told her no one would take her seriously, and recommended she pick a surname with more meaning, she said on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
“[My mother] said, ‘Well, there’s a lot of family names, we’ve got a lot of different people in our family, I like Goldberg.’ And I said, ‘Okay well we’ll try it.’”
Whoopi Goldberg and Friends
Above, the actress is pictured on stage with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams as they perform during a Comic Relief fundraising concert in 1986.
Whoopi Goldberg Wins a Grammy
Goldberg took her first step into EGOT status back in 1986, when she made history as the first Black woman to win Best Comedy Recording for Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway, the recording of her one-woman show.
Whoopi Goldberg Breaks Through
In 1985, Goldberg made her major acting debut, playing Celie in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple. The film scored a whopping 11 Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress in a Leading Role for Goldberg.
Whoopi Goldberg Wins a Golden Globe
Though she lost out at the Oscars, she took home the gold at the Golden Globes, snagging the trophy for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama.
Whoopi Goldberg Stars in ‘Ghost’
In 1990, Goldberg hit box office gold again, starring in Ghost alongside Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Tony Goldwyn. The film would score her another Golden Globe, this time for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
Whoopi Goldberg Wins an Oscar
She also won big at the Oscars that year, taking home the statue for Best Supporting Actress.
Whoopi Goldberg in ‘Sister Act’
In 1992, Goldberg landed yet another hit, playing nightclub-singer-turned-Catholic-sister in Sister Act. She earned another Golden Globe nod and the film would get a sequel the following year. (She recently said she’d like to do a third!)
Whoopi Goldberg, the EGOT
In 2002, the powerhouse actress officially became an EGOT, winning a Tony for her work as a producer on Thoroughly Modern Millie. That same year, she also won an Emmy for hosting Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel.
Whoopi Goldberg Joins ‘The View’
Ever-opinionated, Goldberg joined The View as a host in 2007, following Rosie O’Donnell’s departure. She would garner a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2009.
Whoopi Golberg, the GOAT
These days, Goldberg continues to work steadily as an actor, producer and entertainment exec (she recently helped launch the All Womens’ Sports Network), lending her talents to Till, Harlem and The Godfather of Harlem while still hosting The View. In 2011, the actress also revealed she became a great-grandmother while on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
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