Known for
Biography
Whoopi Goldberg is an American actress and comedian born on 13 November 1955 in New York City. Among the titles she is known for are Girl, Interrupted (1999) and The Color Purple (1985).
Early life
She went on to study at New York University, Washington Irving High School and HB Studio.
Career
She appears in Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away (1982), the earliest title among her listed credits. Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987, as Guinan) are among her 1980s credits. In the 1990s, she appeared in Ghost (1990, as Oda Mae Brown) and Star Trek Generations (1994, as Guinan). The 2000s brought Rat Race (2001) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). Her 2010s credits include The Muppets (2011) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014).
She has 90 films and 13 TV series on record from 1982 to 2025. Comedy is the most frequent genre among her listed titles (18), followed by drama (11) and fantasy (7). Atrabilious (2025) is the newest entry in her credits. Of her five titles with worldwide box-office figures on record, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) has the highest, at $493 million. The records also name her as writer on Whoopi Goldberg: Fontaine... Why Am I Straight.
Patrick Stewart appears in four of her listed titles, including The Pagemaster (1994). Other co-stars who recur in her credits are Brent Spiner (three titles) and LeVar Burton (three titles).
Her work is filed under political satire and news satire. Work listed as notable includes Sister Act, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit and The View.
Recognition
Her awards include the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (1991) for Ghost. Her other honours include the Golden Globes (1986) and the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (1986). The nominations list includes the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1986 for The Color Purple. The records list 20 awards won and 3 nominations for her.
Public roles
Her public roles include UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Personal life
Former marriages on record are to Alvin Martin (1973 to 1979), David Claessen (1986 to 1988) and Lyle Trachtenberg (1994 to 1995). She is the mother of Alex Martin.
Filmography
103 credits| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Atrabilious | Film | |
| 2024 | Outlaw Posse | Film | |
| 2023 | Ezra | Jayne | Film |
| 2023 | The Color Purple | Film | |
| 2022 | Till | Alma Carthan | Film |
| 2021– | Harlem | TV series | |
| 2020 | Miss Americana | Film | |
| 2020–2021 | The Stand | TV series | |
| 2019– | Godfather of Harlem | TV series | |
| 2018– | Instinct | Joan Ross | TV series |
| 2018 | Nobody's Fool | Film | |
| 2017 | 9/11 | Film | |
| 2017 | Descendants 2 | Film | |
| 2017 | The Problem With Apu | Film | |
| 2017 | The Truth Is in the Stars | self | Film |
Show all 103 credits
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Beatles: Eight Days a Week | Film | |
| 2014 | And the Oscar Goes To... | Film | |
| 2014 | Big Stone Gap | Film | |
| 2014 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Film | |
| 2014 | Top Five | Film | |
| 2013 | Blackfish | Film | |
| 2013– | Once Upon a Time in Wonderland | TV series | |
| 2013 | Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic | Film | |
| 2011 | A Little Bit of Heaven | Film | |
| 2011 | The Little Engine That Could | Film | |
| 2011 | The Muppets | Film | |
| 2010 | For Colored Girls | Film | |
| 2010 | New York Street Games | Film | |
| 2010 | Teenage Paparazzo | Film | |
| 2009–2018 | The Middle | TV series | |
| 2008 | Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins | Film | |
| 2008 | Snow Buddies | Film | |
| 2007 | Farce of the Penguins | Film | |
| 2007 | If I Had Known I Was a Genius | Film | |
| 2006 | Homie Spumoni | Film | |
| 2005 | The Aristocrats | Film | |
| 2004 | Jiminy Glick in Lalawood | Film | |
| 2004 | Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 | Film | |
| 2004– | Whoopi's Littleburg | TV series | |
| 2003 | Bitter Jester | Film | |
| 2003 | Blizzard | Film | |
| 2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Film | |
| 2002 | Searching for Debra Winger | Film | |
| 2002 | Star Trek: Nemesis | Film | |
| 2001 | Call Me Claus | Film | |
| 2001 | Kingdom Come | Film | |
| 2001 | Monkeybone | Film | |
| 2001 | Rat Race | Film | |
| 2000 | More Dogs Than Bones | Film | |
| 2000 | The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | Film | |
| 1999– | Alice in Wonderland | Cheshire Cat | TV series |
| 1999 | Get Bruce | Film | |
| 1999 | Girl, Interrupted | Film | |
| 1999 | The Deep End of the Ocean | Film | |
| 1999– | The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns | TV series | |
| 1998 | A Knight in Camelot | Film | |
| 1998 | Alegría | Baby Clown | Film |
| 1998 | How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Film | |
| 1998 | Jackie Chan : My Story | Film | |
| 1998 | Junket Whore | Film | |
| 1997 | A Christmas Carol | Film | |
| 1997 | An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn | Film | |
| 1997 | Cinderella | Film | |
| 1997 | Destination Anywhere | Film | |
| 1997 | In & Out | Film | |
| 1997 | In the Gloaming | Film | |
| 1997 | Pitch | Film | |
| 1996 | Bogus | Film | |
| 1996 | Bordello of Blood | Film | |
| 1996 | Eddie | Film | |
| 1996 | Ghosts of Mississippi | Myrlie Evers-Williams, Myrlie Evers | Film |
| 1996 | The Associate | Film | |
| 1995 | Boys on the Side | Film | |
| 1995 | Moonlight and Valentino | Film | |
| 1995 | The Celluloid Closet | Film | |
| 1995 | Theodore Rex | Katie Coltrane | Film |
| 1994 | Corrina, Corrina | Film | |
| 1994 | Star Trek Generations | Guinan | Film |
| 1994 | The Little Rascals | Film | |
| 1994 | The Pagemaster | Film | |
| 1993 | Loaded Weapon 1 | Film | |
| 1993 | Made in America | Film | |
| 1993 | Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Film | |
| 1993–1999 | The Nanny | TV series | |
| 1992 | Sarafina! | Film | |
| 1992 | Sister Act | Film | |
| 1992 | The Player | Film | |
| 1991 | Soapdish | Film | |
| 1990– | Bagdad Cafe | TV series | |
| 1990 | Ghost | Oda Mae Brown | Film |
| 1990 | The Long Walk Home | Film | |
| 1989 | Homer and Eddie | Film | |
| 1989 | My Past Is My Own | Film | |
| 1988 | Clara's Heart | Film | |
| 1988 | The Telephone | Film | |
| 1988 | Whoopi Goldberg: Fontaine... Why Am I Straight | Writer | Film |
| 1987 | Burglar | Film | |
| 1987 | Fatal Beauty | Film | |
| 1987–1994 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Guinan | TV series |
| 1986 | Jumpin' Jack Flash | Film | |
| 1985 | The Color Purple | Film | |
| 1984–1995 | Rabbit Ears Productions | TV series | |
| 1982 | Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away | Film |
Awards and nominations
20 won, 3 nominated| Year | Award | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Disney Legends | Won | |
| 2009 | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host | The View | Won |
| 2001 | Crystal Award | Won | |
| 2001 | Mark Twain Prize for American Humor | Won | |
| 1999 | GLAAD Vanguard Award | Won | |
| 1993 | Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year | Won | |
| 1991 | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | Ghost | Won |
| 1991 | Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award | Won | |
| 1991 | Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress | Ghost | Won |
| 1990 | BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role | Ghost | Won |
| 1986 | Golden Globes | Won | |
| 1986 | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album | Won | |
| 1985 | Theatre World Award | Won | |
| Drama Desk Awards | Won | ||
| Drama League Award | Won |
Show all 23 entries
| Year | Award | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmy Award | Won | ||
| Grammy Awards | Won | ||
| honorary doctor of Brandeis University | Won | ||
| star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Won | ||
| Tony Awards | Won | ||
| 1991 | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | Ghost | Nominated |
| 1989 | Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress | The Telephone | Nominated |
| 1986 | Academy Award for Best Actress | The Color Purple | Nominated |
Whoopi Goldberg on Social Media
Counts with the date they were readInstagram stats
- Followers
- 2.2M @whoopigoldberg
- Engagement rate
- 2.24% well above average for accounts this size
- Average likes
- 48,617
- Average comments
- 1,109 Based on the last 12 posts
Figures from public Instagram data via the official Meta API; refreshed about every 30 days.
Whoopi Goldberg Photos
-
Photo: David Shankbone from USA · CC BY 2.0 -
Photo: PhilipRomano · CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Photo: PhilipRomano · CC BY-SA 4.0
Frequently asked questions
How old is Whoopi Goldberg?
Whoopi Goldberg is 70 years old, born on 13 November 1955 in New York City.
What is Whoopi Goldberg known for?
Whoopi Goldberg is known for Girl, Interrupted (1999) and The Color Purple (1985).
What is Whoopi Goldberg’s nationality?
Whoopi Goldberg is American, born in New York City.
How tall is Whoopi Goldberg?
Whoopi Goldberg is 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall.
Who has Whoopi Goldberg been married to?
Whoopi Goldberg’s marriages on record are to Lyle Trachtenberg (1994 to 1995), David Claessen (1986 to 1988) and Alvin Martin (1973 to 1979).
What is Whoopi Goldberg’s net worth?
Whoopi Goldberg’s net worth is estimated at $45 million (2011 figure).
Sources
- Wikidata (Q49001), accessed October 2026
- Follower counts: dated individually above
- Photo: Photographer is Daniel Langer, dlanger on flickr.com. Copyright is held by Daniel Langer and Comic Relief, Inc. · CC BY-SA 2.0
Last checked by the Wiki of Celebs editorial team
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Also born on 13 November
