Whoopi Goldberg
Who Whoopi Goldberg is
Whoopi Goldberg is an actor, comedian, author and TV host from New York City who began with one-woman character shows; her Broadway show, taped by HBO as Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway, won the Grammy for Best Comedy Album, making her the first Black female comedian to win it. She went on to star in The Color Purple and Sister Act, won an Academy Award for Ghost, hosted HBO's Comic Relief specials with Robin Williams and Billy Crystal, and is one of the few entertainers to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. Since 2007 she has moderated and co-hosted The View.
At a glance
- Born
- 1955
- Style
- Character theater
- Came up through
- The Comedy Store
- Stand-up specials
- Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway
- Albums
- Original Broadway Recording, Fontaine: Why Am I Straight? and Live on Broadway: The 20th Anniversary Show
- Podcasts
- Book, Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There? and Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me
- On screen
- Comic Relief, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Academy Awards and 13 more
On stage
No dated show on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now.
Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →
Specials, shows and podcasts
Stand-up specials
- Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway HBO
Albums
- Original Broadway Recording 1985
- Fontaine: Why Am I Straight? 1988
- Live on Broadway: The 20th Anniversary Show 2005
On screen
- Comic Relief co-host, late 1980s, HBO
- Star Trek: The Next Generation Guinan, 1988–1993
- Academy Awards host, four times
- Whoopi 2003
- The View moderator and co-host, 2007–present
- Star Trek: Picard Guinan, 2022
- Ghost Oda Mae Brown, 1990
- The Color Purple Celie Harris Johnson, 1985
- Sister Act Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence, 1992
- Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence, 1993
- The Lion King Shenzi, voice, 1994
- Jumpin' Jack Flash Teresa "Terry" Doolittle, 1986
- Toy Story 3 Stretch, voice, 2010
- Hollywood Squares center square; also executive producer, 1998–2002
- Captain Planet and the Planeteers Gaia, the Spirit of Earth, voice, 1990–1992
- Girl, Interrupted Valerie Owens, R.N., 1999
Podcasts
- Book autobiographical essays, 1997
- Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There? book, 2010
- Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me autobiography, 2024
Where they got their start
- The Comedy Store performed in its Belly Room; one of its new voices of the 1980s and ’90s, 1980s–90s
Came up the same way
Other comedians in SUCDb who came through The Comedy Store:
Comedians like Whoopi Goldberg
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Elayne Boosler also in Comic Relief
- Bob Hope also in Academy Awards
- Buddy Hackett also in Hollywood Squares
- Caroline Rhea also in Hollywood Squares
- Chris Rock also in Academy Awards
- Gilbert Gottfried also in Hollywood Squares
- Gina Brillon also in The View
- Jeff Garlin also in Toy Story 3
Career timeline
- 1955Born
- 1985The Color Purple (Celie Harris Johnson, 1985) On screen
- 1985Original Broadway Recording (1985) Album
- 1986Jumpin' Jack Flash (Teresa "Terry" Doolittle, 1986) On screen
- 1988Star Trek: The Next Generation (Guinan, 1988–1993) On screen
- 1988Fontaine: Why Am I Straight? (1988) Album
- 1990Ghost (Oda Mae Brown, 1990) On screen
- 1990Captain Planet and the Planeteers (Gaia, the Spirit of Earth, voice, 1990–1992) On screen
- 1992Sister Act (Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence, 1992) On screen
- 1993Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence, 1993) On screen
- 1994The Lion King (Shenzi, voice, 1994) On screen
- 1997Book (autobiographical essays, 1997) Podcast or book
- 1998Hollywood Squares (center square; also executive producer, 1998–2002) On screen
- 1999Girl, Interrupted (Valerie Owens, R.N., 1999) On screen
- 2003Whoopi (2003) On screen
- 2005Live on Broadway: The 20th Anniversary Show (2005) Album
- 2007The View (moderator and co-host, 2007–present) On screen
- 2010Toy Story 3 (Stretch, voice, 2010) On screen
- 2010Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There? (book, 2010) Book
- 2022Star Trek: Picard (Guinan, 2022) On screen
- 2024Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me (autobiography, 2024) Book
Questions about Whoopi Goldberg
Where is Whoopi Goldberg performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now.
What stand-up specials have they released?
Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway.
What podcast do they host?
Book, Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There? and Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me.
What TV shows and films are they in?
Comic Relief, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Academy Awards, Whoopi, The View and Star Trek: Picard, among 16 credits.
Where did they get their start?
The Comedy Store (performed in its Belly Room; one of its new voices of the 1980s and ’90s).
When were they born?
In 1955.
Who are some comedians like them?
Elayne Boosler (also in Comic Relief), Bob Hope (also in Academy Awards), Buddy Hackett (also in Hollywood Squares), Caroline Rhea (also in Hollywood Squares) and Chris Rock (also in Academy Awards).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Whoopi Goldberg ↗ Birth year, Manhattan, one-woman shows, Broadway show and HBO taping, Grammy, films and Oscar, Comic Relief, EGOT, The View since 2007, Star Trek,…
- Wikipedia — Whoopi Goldberg on screen and stage ↗ Ghost (Oda Mae Brown, 1990); The Color Purple (Celie Harris Johnson, 1985); Sister Act (Deloris Van Cartier / Sister Mary Clarence, 1992); Sister Act 2: Back…
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026