An actress can only play a woman. I'm an actor, I can play anything.
And I don't believe that I have to stay on one side of the fence or the other. I don't believe that there is any good career move or bad career move. I believe there are only the things that make me happy.
Because I knew I wasn't stupid, and I knew I wasn't dumb. My mother told me that. Everybody told me I wasn't stupid or dumb.
Because if you're a successful human being, everything else is gravy, I think.
Born ham, that's basically me.
But I did love stories. I love fairy tales and I love spooky stories. Anything with a good 25 to 30-minute brain trip for me to go on. I still like to be read to.
For some reason, all artists have self-esteem issues.
I am an artist, art has no color and no sex.
I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said, you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That's exactly what I've done.
I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities.
I don't have pet peeves, I have whole kennels of irritation.
I don't look like Halle Berry. But chances are, she's going to end up looking like me.
I don't really view communism as a bad thing.
I grew up in a time when it would never have occurred to anyone to tell me there was anything I couldn't do.
I think the NAACP is trying to gather some momentum. But you have to have a direction. And the only people who can tell us the direction are the young people.
I told her her I would play a Venetian blind, dirt on the floor, anything.
I used my imagination to make the grass whatever color I wanted it to be.
I want Carl Sagan to explain the sky to me.
I was a teapot. I was a small teapot, short and stout, here was my handle, this was my spout. And I was like seven. It was the greatest. I was just bowing, and bowing.
I was comfortable. I knew we weren't Rockefellers, but it was never an issue because we went to places we needed to go - Coney Island, we went on the Circle Line, we had Central Park. There were things you could do without tons of money.
I'm at the place where I only want to work three weeks on any given movie, no more.
I'm dyslexic, so there weren't a whole lot of books in my early life.
I'm fighting the label of "Black" actress simply because it's very limiting in people's eyes, especially people who are making movies.
I've had my hair like this from day one, mostly because it's much more comfortable and it looks good on my head.
If every American donated five hours a week, it would equal the labor of 20 million full-time volunteers.
If you read to me, I could tell you everything that you read.
It's being willing to walk away that gives you strength and power - if you're willing to accept the consequences of doing what you want to do.
It's easy to be unpopular with unpopular people, but it's harder to be unpopular with popular people.
My mom told me. I'd forgotten it. She also tells the story of my birth. I'm almost half kidding when I say, I came out and waved. My mother says that I came out head, arm, other arm, thumb in mouth, immediately. They were astounded, because generally that's not what you do.
Normal is in the eye of the beholder.
Normal is nothing more than a cycle on a washing machine.
Once upon a time, we were very clear in this country about the direction we were going, and we were united, not just with our own, but with others who understood what the struggle is.
One theory I believe is that when people die the spirit flies from them and fragments, and goes into people who are just coming into being. I believe I got hit with a lot of fragments from various people, that's my first theory.
Sitting at the table during Color Purple and looking up and suddenly realizing I was acting in front of Steven Spielberg, was pretty cool. It was pretty good.
So, I truly don't know what my mom was doing financially. I know that we ate, and times weren't like they are now. I don't know that my mother could have achieved all she achieved on her income today. In today's market, at her income level, I'm sure we would be dirt poor. But back then we weren't.
That's the thing about Mother Nature, she really doesn't care what economic bracket you're in.
The art of acting is to be other than what you are.
The words are the same words that we use with a little different implementation.
There's only one me. And you know, they've tried to get others.
Things happen to you out of luck, and if you get to stick around it's because you're talented.
We're born with success. It is only others who point out our failures, and what they attribute to us as failure. I think the idea that you know who your inner self is on a daily basis, because... you know. What's good for you 25 years ago may not be good for you now.
When I listen to these women, it makes what I thought were my hard knocks feel like little nudges.
When I started, I knew I didn't fit any visual that anyone was going to lie down and take their clothes off about. Work doesn't come to me; I go out and look for it.
When John Kennedy was running for president he came to my neighborhood. It was the hottest day in a century, it was like 9,000 degrees. People came from all over Manhattan to my neighborhood to see this guy who talked about my country, and my part in it. This was the coolest thing.
When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire.
Write things for yourself. Come on, it's a great way to spend time. It's a great way to learn history. It's a great way to learn all kinds of things. But only come if you're coming to play. If you're not coming to play, you should get another gig to supplement your acting.
You have to come as an original. If you come in and you're imitating everyone else, you get swept away in the game. But if you're coming as one unto yourself, they can't replace you; they can only try to get somebody who's like you.
You know, be an actor because you love to act. Don't be an actor because you think you're going to get famous, because that's luck.
You've got to vote for someone. It's a shame, but it's got to be done.
When talking about critics while on the Queen Latifah show - "You can say whatever you want about me but talk about my daughter and I'll beat your ass up."
Babe: Pig in the City. Wasn't that the Linda Tripp Story?" -said while she was hosting the 1999 Academy Awards
My family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic. I don't believe in man-made religions.
I'm a big old egoistical baby and that's okay. I can accept it.
I told her her I would play a Venetian blind, dirt on the floor, anything." [about Alice Walker, author of "The Color Purple", in which Goldberg eventually played a leading role
Actors have no color. That's the art form.
On African-American actors in Hollywood: "I don't know if I'm the one who should be commenting on the situation. I can't complain about the amount of work that's out there. I am black. But I didn't become black yesterday. I'm black and I'm getting the work and I'm doing some good things, but I realize many black actors and actresses are not being given the opportunities. The industry has got to stop thinking in terms of black and white and has to start thinking in terms of who is right, regardless of color, for the role." (1994 interview)
About Star Trek: "I know I'm never going up [for real] in anybody's rocket ship. I know this, because I hate to fly. Gene Roddenberry's vision always included a multi-ethnic group of people. I thought that was pretty amazing. Being on Star Trek has been a great way to sort of expand on the universe and be a part of it." (1994 interview)
On how she got cast in Star Trek: the next generation: "I did it because, frankly, I couldn't get any other work then. I like the show, so I asked if I could be on it. As a matter of fact, I asked twice. The first time, I sent a message to LeVar Burton asking him to tell the producers that I would really like to be on the show. He got the message to the producers and they said, 'Yeah, right. Whoopi wants to do Star Trek.' One of the members [Gates McFadden] left the show and I heard about it, so I approached the show's producers again and said, 'Listen, I don't know if you know it or not, but I've been trying for a long time now to get on this show.' They said LeVar had told them about it and they thought he was kidding. I told them I can't do all the episodes but I would like to do some of them. 'Can I have the job?' They finally said, 'Sure, we'll build you a bar.' And they built me Ten-Forward. I got to go in and be really sage and wear great hats. I also got to hang out with some extraordinary people, like Patrick Stewart, LeVar and Jonathan Frakes." (1994 interview)
On working with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation: "The connections between us is family. Its just family. And its unshakable, you know. Because you look around and you see a great part of your active adult life. Great part of my active adult life was spent with the cast and crew of Star Trek." (2002 interview from Star Trek: Nemesis)
Broke up with boyfriend of five years, Frank Langella. [2000]
Discovered by director Mike Nichols.
Became the very first woman to host the Academy Awards when she did so in 1994.
Dated Ted Danson.
Born at 12:48pm-EST.
Daughter: Alexandrea; Granddaughters: Amarah and Jerzey.
Travels to locations by bus since she hates flying.
She won a Grammy for "Whoopi Goldberg: Direct From Broadway."
Once worked in a mortuary where her job was applying makeup to corpses.
Listed as one of twelve Promising New Actors of 1985 in "John Willis's Screen World," Vol. 37.
Was nicknamed Whoopi (as in "whoopi-cushion") because of being overly flatulent. She added the name Goldberg, taken from the Jewish side of her family.
Holds an honorary degree from Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa.
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's portrayal of Uhura on "Star Trek" (1966).
Is dyslexic.
Mother of actress Alex Martin.
She hosted the 2002 Oscars.
Asked Gene Roddenberry for a role in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987) because she was a big fan. She was given role of "Guinan", the head of the Ten-Forward lounge. Her character was named for real life 19th Century bartender Texas Guinan.
Spokesmodel of the "got milk?" campaign.
Is an avid Fiesta Ware (china) collector.
Won a Tony in 2002 as a producer for Best Musical, "Thoroughly Modern Millie."
Won a Grammy in 1985 for Best Comedy Performance Single or Album, Spoken or Musical for "Original Broadway Show Recording."
Was the second African American woman to win an Oscar. The first was Hattie McDaniel.
Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 184-186. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.
Has over 4 different action figures modeled after her character, Guinan, from the "Star Trek" series and the films.
Is part-owner of Mary's 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.
In the "Absolutely Fabulous" (1992) series episode "Gay," Whoopi Goldberg played a woman who arranges marriages. In her guest-starring role in "The Nanny" (1993) (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 Children's Program and the Hudson Guild and The Rubenstein Children's Theatre.
Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1991
Has her own production company, One Ho Productions, which backs most of her movies and television projects that she produces.
Michael J. Fox accompanied her to the 1986 Academy Awards when she was nominated for The Color Purple (1985).
Was one of the eulogists at Gene Roddenberry's funeral in 1991, along with other Star Trek stars Nichelle Nichols and Patrick Stewart.
Did a private stand-up comedy routine entitled "If E.T. landed in Oakland" in front of, among others, Steven Spielerg and Michael Jackson which eventually won Whoopi the lead in The Color Purple.
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" (1990) is ranked #95 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.
Is good friends with Patrick Stewart.
She was awarded The Annual Kennedy Centre Mark Twain Prize for Comedy.
The first woman to host the Academy Awards on her own. She hosted them in 2002, 1999, 1996 and 1994.
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