Profile of the Day: Whoopi Goldberg

Posted November 13, 2015 by Amanda | No Comment

Whoopi Goldberg

Happy birthday, Whoopi Goldberg! Today The View co-host turns 60.

She was born Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955 in Manhattan, New York. Ever the comedian, she chose the stage name Whoopi after a whoopee cushion due to her self-admitted gassiness. The name Goldberg is attributed to her family history.

Whoopi got her big break when she was cast in the Steven Spielberg film, The Color Purple. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including a Best Actress nod for Whoopi. In 1990, she co-starred in the Patrick Swayze–Demi Moore hit Ghost. She went on to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a psychic, becoming only the second African American woman to win the Oscar for acting.

Over the course of her career, she’s starred in a wide variety of roles in both television and film and is one of the few entertainers to have earned the coveted EGOT, an award in each of the top four major entertainment honors: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony.

Did you know Whoopi is a great grandmother? Her granddaughter gave birth to a baby girl in 2014.

Explore Whoopi Goldberg’s family tree and discover how your related to the talented star!