Whoopi Goldberg

Born at 12:48pm-EST.

Discovered by director Mike Nichols.

1994: Became the very first woman to host the Academy Awards solo.

2000: Broke up with boyfriend of five years Frank Langella.

Travels to locations by bus since she hates flying.

She won a Grammy Award for "Whoopi Goldberg: Direct From Broadway".

Once worked in a mortuary where her job was applying makeup to corpses.

1985: Listed as one of 12 Promising New Actors of 1985 in "John Williss Screen World", Vol. 37.

Received an honorary degree from Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

Dropped out of high school and became addicted to heroin. She ended up marrying her drug counselor. She cleaned up and later divorced him. In 1974, she moved to California and helped found the San Diego Repertory Company, where she used the name, Whoopi Cushion. Before making it as an actress, she worked as a bank teller, a bricklayer and in a mortuary.

She was inspired to become an actress by watching Nichelle Nichols portrayal of Nyota Uhura on the original "Star Trek" series.

Mother of actress and producer Alex Martin.

Asked Gene Roddenberry for a role on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" because she was a huge fan. She was given the role of Guinan, the head of the Ten-Forward lounge. Her character was named for legendary entertainer/nightclub owner Texas Guinan.

Is an avid Fiesta Ware (china) collector.

2002: Won a Tony Award as a producer for Best Musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie".

1985: Won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Performance Single or Album, Spoken or Musical for "Original Broadway Show Recording".

Was the second African-American woman to win an Academy Award. The first was Hattie McDaniel.

Biography in: "Whos Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 184-186. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.

Has over four different action figures modeled after her character, Guinan from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the Star Trek films.

Is part-owner of Marys Kitchen, a country store/kitchen in Malibu, California. It is staffed by "New Yorkers" and certain furnishings were imported from New York because Whoopi wanted a touch of home in Malibu.

On the British sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous" (episode "Gay"), she played a woman who arranges marriages. In her guest-starring role on "The Nanny" (episode "The Pre-Nup"), she played a wedding planner.

Has a tattoo of Woodstock (the bird from the Charles M. Schulz s "Peanuts" cartoon strip) on her shoulder.

Granddaughter Amarah Skye was born on her 34th birthday.

When she was only 8, she performed with the Childrens Program, the Hudson Guild and the Rubenstein Childrens Theatre.

Member of the Official Competition jury at the 44th Cannes International Film Festival in 1991.

Has her own production company, One Ho Productions, which backs most of her movies and television projects.

Michael J. Fox accompanied her to the 1986 Academy Awards when she was nominated for The Color Purple .

Was one of the eulogists at Gene Roddenberry s funeral in 1991, along with other Star Trek stars Nichelle Nichols and Patrick Stewart.

Has done a private stand-up comedy routine entitled "If E.T. landed in Oakland" in front of, among others, Steven Spielberg and Michael Jackson , which eventually won her the lead in The Color Purple , which Spielberg directed.

Is one of only four actresses who won the quadruple crown of acting: The Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy.

Her performance as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost is ranked #95 on Premiere magazines 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Good friends with Patrick Stewart and Marlon Brando.

She was awarded the Annual Kennedy Centre Mark Twain Prize for Comedy.

Is the first woman to host the Academy Awards on her own. She hosted them in 2002, 1999, 1996 and 1994.

Is one of 10 African-American actresses to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination. The others in chronological order are: Dorothy Dandridge , Diana Ross , Cicely Tyson , Diahann Carroll , Angela Bassett , Halle Berry , Gabourey Sidibe , Viola Davis and Quvenzhan Wallis.

Is one of only 10 individuals who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award (counting Daytime Emmy Awards).

She worked as a dishwasher at a restaurant called "Big Kitchen" at 3003 Grape Street in San Diego, California.

Has performed all her own singing in the Sister Act movies. Her co-stars have claimed that they were surprised at her vocal ability.

Has a brother who is seven years older.

Is one of 7 African-American actresses to have won an Academy Award. The others, in chronological order, are Hattie McDaniel for Gone with the Wind , Halle Berry for Monsters Ball , Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls , MoNique for Precious (2009/II) , Octavia Spencer for The Help and Viola Davis for Fences .

She studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village, New York City.

Grandmother to Amarah Skye (born 1989), Jerzey (born 1995) and Mason , via daughter Alex Martin.

Is an active pro-choice campaigner, having undergone the procedure herself at age 14.

Owns a cat named Oliver.

Is one of two African-American actresses (the other being Viola Davis ) to have been nominated for an Academy Award in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6841 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on July 20, 2001.

While working as a waitress at San Diegos "Big Kitchen" caf in 1978, she witnessed PSA flight #182 falling from the sky in flames following a mid-air collision. The sight was so traumatic, that to this day she will not fly on an airplane.

Is one of only 14 individuals who are an "EGOT", meaning that she has received at least one of all of the four major entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. The other recipients, in chronological order, are Richard Rodgers , Barbra Streisand , Helen Hayes , Rita Moreno , Liza Minnelli , John Gielgud , Audrey Hepburn , Marvin Hamlisch , Jonathan Tunick , Mel Brooks , Mike Nichols , Scott Rudin and James Earl Jones. However, three of the 14 recipients did receive one non-competitive award: Barbra Streisand won a Special Tony, Liza Minnelli won a Special Grammy, and James Earl Jones won a Special Oscar.

Is a staunch liberal Democrat.

Was the 101st actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Ghost at The 63rd Annual Academy Awards on March 25, 1991.

Great-granddaughter Charlie Rose was born March 15, 2014.

Close friends with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams.

When signing autographs, she only signs her first name Whoopi.

Longtime friends with Joan Rivers. She even attended Rivers funeral, on September 7, 2014.

As of 2015, has appeared in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Color Purple , Ghost and Toy Story 3 .

Is one of 22 Oscar-winning actresses to have been born in the state of New York. The others are Alice Brady , Teresa Wright , Anne Revere , Celeste Holm , Claire Trevor , Judy Holliday , Shirley Booth , Susan Hayward , Patty Duke , Anne Bancroft , Barbra Streisand , Jane Fonda , Lee Grant , Beatrice Straight , Mercedes Ruehl , Marisa Tomei , Mira Sorvino , Susan Sarandon , Jennifer Connelly , Melissa Leo and Anne Hathaway.

Is left-handed.

She and fellow The Lion King cast member Jeremy Irons were both nominees for the first ever Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator in 2014; Irons won.

30 years after winning the Golden Globe for playing Celie in "The Color Purple," winner of "Vintage Performance by an Actress in 1985" at the first Vintage Film Awards.

Ironically, she used to lie about her age to seem OLDER - by six years, claiming a 1949 birthdate. Such is almost unheard of, since most public figures prefer their ages to be younger in print.

Counts Robert De Niro as a longtime close friend and confidant (big brother).

Credits friend Joy Behar with vouching for her team position on the popular TV series "The View" , a post she commenced on 4 September 2007 replacing Rosie ODonnell.

Suffers from dyslexia, a condition that affected her studies and ultimately prompted her to drop out of high school at the age of 17.

Lived and worked for significant parts of the years 1979, 1980 and 1981 in the former East Germany where she was part of an acting troupe.

One of her favorite movies is Valley of the Dolls .

Her mentor was the late Joan Rivers.

Smoked cigarettes for over forty years, she quit completely in 2015.

In a 2017 interview on the British television chat show "Loose Women" , she revealed that she is a big fan of the long-running BBC series "EastEnders" and "Doctor Who" / "Doctor Who" , and as a child she had wanted to live in England because it was where The Beatles came from.

Her nickname "Whoopi" evolved during a time when she used to do stand-up comedy in small clubs that didnt have much room backstage for changing, so she would fart a lot during her routines and people would quip that she was like a "Whoopee Cushion".

Great part of my active adult life was spent with the cast and crew of,Star Trek.

Nobody ever encouraged me in this business. I encouraged myself. I was a,very dull and shy child. I was the last person you would expect to be a,success in this business. But I always felt if I kept going something,would happen. But I even surprised myself at times. When I was doing,ensemble theater and comedy work, I felt I had some talents. But when I,started doing my shows in Berkeley and found that I could be funny on,my own, I was shocked.

I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities.

Most kids give you a watch or a wallet on your birthday, or a pocketbook,or some flowers. My kid gave me a granddaughter instead. It was the,best gift she could ever have given me.

[At age 11, coming home late after seeing "The Nutcracker" on her own],And then you have to decide if you were going to tell the truth or if,you were going to lie. I had a mother who demanded that you tell the,truth or be insanely creative abut lying. It had to be a good story. If,it was a terrible story, you and the risk of really having her,disappointed in your lack of imagination.

Because of Patrick Swayze, I have an Oscar.

People have the power we give them. Words have the power we give them.

Art is long, life is short. Unless your funding is f%$ked, in which case all our days are numbered.

Art is long, life is short.

If I was doing a talk show, I would do the kind of show that comes on just once a month, with amazing guests.

I used my imagination to make the grass whatever color I wanted it to be. .