Whoopi Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in New York City on November 13, 1955. She worked in a funeral parlor and as a bricklayer while taking small parts on Broadway. She moved to California and worked with improv groups, including Spontaneous Combustion. She came to prominence doing an HBO special and a one-woman show as Moms Mabley. She made her film debut in The Color Purple and won a Golden Globe Award for her role as Celie. She also appeared in Sister Act, Sister Act 2, The Lion King, Made in America, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Girl, Interrupted and Rat Race. She won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost. She has won a Grammy, seven Emmys, two Golden Globes, a Tony, an Oscar, a British Academy Film Award, and four People's Choice Awards. She has been the moderator of the daytime talk show The View since 2007. She has also written several books including the Sugar Plum Ballerinas series, Book, and Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There?
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