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Whoopi Goldberg

Comedy history · 22 facts, each from at least two of 10 independent sources · last reviewed 2026-10-17

Whoopi Goldberg is a comedian, actress and host of television talk shows.1,2,3 She has won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony.2,4,5,6

Early Life and Name

Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in New York City on November 13, 1955.4,7,8,9,10 The first part of her stage name, Whoopi, is a joke on the whoopee cushion.8,9,10 She took Goldberg as her surname partly because her mother believed Johnson did not sound Jewish enough for a future star.8,9

Stage Beginnings

In the 1970s she relocated to Berkeley, California.1,2 She was a co-founder of the San Diego Repertory Theatre, and she was additionally a member of Spontaneous Combustion, an improvisational comedy group.4,5,6 When she took on the name Whoopi Goldberg, she also started to shape a series of character monologues.5,6,11 Later, she brought The Spook Show on tour across the United States and Europe.2,4

Film and Television

Her performance as the psychic Oda Mae Brown in Ghost brought her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.6,8,10,12,13,14 In 1992 she played the lead in the hit Sister Act, which audiences received well.3,4,5,10,12,15 She also appeared on a recurring basis in Star Trek: The Next Generation.4,5 Together with Robin Williams and Billy Crystal, she fronted Comic Relief specials that raised money for homeless people.6,11

Broadway and The View

In 2002 she received a Tony Award as one of the producers of Thoroughly Modern Millie.5,8 In 2007 she came aboard The View as a co-host.4,5 She also took on the role of moderator for the show.5,14

Sources

  1. Whoopi Goldberg Sells Berkeley Home She Bought When She Was Still Caryn Johnson - CBS San Francisco (cbsnews.com)
  2. Whoopi Goldberg selling her Berkeley home for $1.275M — Berkeleyside (berkeleyside.com) · archived copy
  3. Whoopi Goldberg's 'one really major regret' - CNN.com (cnn.com)
  4. Whoopi Goldberg | Academy of Achievement (achievement.org)
  5. Whoopi Goldberg - Biography on Bio. (thebiographychannel.co.uk) · archived copy
  6. African American Lives . Profiles . Whoopi Goldberg | PBS (thirteen.org) · archived copy
  7. Whoopi Goes Square On Us - CBS News (cbsnews.com)
  8. What Is Whoopi Goldberg's Net Worth? 'The View' Host Faced Struggles Before Becoming a Movie Star (goodhousekeeping.com) · archived copy
  9. Whoopi Goldberg - Hollywood Star Walk - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
  10. Whoopi Goldberg Really Doesn't Care | Glamour (glamour.com)
  11. Whoopi Goldberg - Academy of Achievement (achievement.org) · archived copy
  12. Whoopi Goldberg Offers No Apologies - Orlando Sentinel (orlandosentinel.com) · archived copy
  13. Whoopi Goes Square On Us - CBS News (cbsnews.com) · archived copy
  14. Whoopi Goldberg - Hollywood Star Walk - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) · archived copy
  15. Whoopi Goldberg's 'one really major regret' - CNN.com (cnn.com) · archived copy

Updated November 12, 2026.

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