Celebrated actor and comedian Whoopi Goldberg has had an impressive career since she hit the scene in her one woman show titled Spook Show on Broadway in 1983. From there she would go on to become one of only 17 EGOTs, meaning she has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award for her work. Not bad for a girl named Caryn Elaine Johnson who was born in 1955 and raised in a public housing project in New York City.
With Goldberg’s extensive work across multiple mediums it can be overwhelming to try and watch everything. For your Goldberg education, start with the 10 performances in television and movies on this list.
Captain Planet and The Planeteers
On the animated cartoon series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Goldberg voiced the character Gaia, who was the physical form of Mother Earth or Mother Nature. Gaia is responsible for promoting peace and harmony between all living things on the planet. In order to accomplish this goal she created Captain Planet and sent rings to his five Planeteers. While it may seem silly to include this ’90s cartoon on the list, it is an example of how Goldberg elevates any project she is a part of. This cartoon opened the eyes of many children about saving our planet, and frankly audiences still need this message.
The Color Purple
The Color Purple was offered to Goldberg shortly after her 1983 Broadway debut and was her first breakout film role. The 1985 film directed by Stephen Spielberg, with a screenplay by Menno Meyjes, was based on Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Goldberg played the central character Celie Harris who finds her way in the world despite several hardships such as rape and domesetic violence. Goldberg was nominated for an Oscar for the role and won a Golden Globe. The Color Purple put her on the map and paved the way for future film roles.
Sister Act
Although Goldberg’s first film role was dramatic, she is quite the talented comedian. To get a full picture of the scope of her career, one has to look at her more comedic roles such as Deloris in the 1992 film Sister Act. Deloris is in some trouble after she witnesses her no-good boyfriend kill someone and is placed in witness protection in a convent for her safety. While there she helps the nuns out musically and rejuvenates their choir. Hilarity ensues along the way as both the nuns and Deloris grow to respect and love each other. Sister Act was a huge commercial hit and began a franchise of sorts with spin off movies and a Broadway musical.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Another comedy of Goldberg’s that is not to be missed is Jumpin’ Jack Flash, the 1986 film that also marked the feature film directorial debut of Penny Marshall. Goldberg plays Terry Doolittle, a bank employee who connects with a mysterious person via her computer who turns out to be a British secret agent in distress. While Terry tries to come to his aid, she attracts the attention of the KGB who will stop at nothing to find out who this secret agent is.
Ghost
The 1990 film Ghost is how Goldberg got the O in EGOT. Goldberg won the Academy Award for her performance as psychic Oda Mae Brown who helps the recently deceased Sam Wheat, played by Patrick Swayze, solve his murder case, protect his girlfriend Molly (Demi Moore), and move on into the afterlife. The pottery scene in Ghost is so iconic that if you don’t watch this movie “you in danger” of becoming a pop culture outcast.
The Long Walk Home
The Long Walk Home, starring Goldberg and Sissy Spacek, got its start at the University of Southern California as a student project written by John Cork. Goldberg stars as Odessa Cotter, who works as a maid and nanny for Spacek’s character Miriam Thompson. The Long Walk Home is set in 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, during a bus boycott protesting segregation in public transportation. Miriam gets involved with the movement and starts offering Odessa rides to and from work so she does not have to walk. This does not go over well with her white friends and husband.
Corina, Corina
Corina, Corina is a film for those looking for a family friendly option. Goldberg plays Corrina Washington, a nanny who is hired by widower Manny, played by Ray Liotta. His daughter, Molly, has refused to speak since her mother’s death. As Corina works with Molly she becomes close to her dad as well and sparks fly, only for society’s prejudice to rear its ugly head.
Ghosts Of Mississippi
Ghosts Of Mississippi tells the difficult but important true story about the 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith (an Oscar nominated James Woods), a white supremacist who murdered civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 1963. Goldberg plays his dedicated widow Myrlie Evers who never gave up on getting justice for her late husband’s murder. Rob Reiner directed this 1996 film which also starred Alec Baldwin and Virginia Madsen.
Boys on the Side
The dramedy Boys on the Side is comparable to Thelma and Louise. Three women. unlikely to ever meet under normal circumstances. form a friendship and take a cross country road trip to Los Angeles. Goldberg stars as night club singer Jane, alongside Mary-Louise Parker as Robin, and Drew Barrymore as Holly. Doesn’t that sound like a fun group to be stuck with for hours? Boys on the Side was the final film Herbert Ross directed with a screenplay by Don Roos.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Goldberg was a Trekkie and campaigned for a role on Star Trek: Generations. As a child she looked up to Nichelle Nichols’ character Uhura on the original Star Trek series. When Denise Crosby’s character Tasha Yar died on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Goldberg saw her opportunity. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, producer Rick Berman, and Goldberg went to lunch and came up with a plan to add a recurring character for her to portray. Guinan works on the Enterprise in the Ten-Forward lounge as a bartender and possesses a mystic knowledge of the unknown forces in the wide galaxy. The role was and continues to be a dream come true for Goldberg, as Guinan can appear in any timeline because of her spiritual nature. She was most recently seen on Star Trek: Picard.