The constant professional searches of Whoopi Goldberg and an active life position make her one of the greatest, unclassifiable actresses. She is not a Hollywood prima donna, but a genius devoted to her mastery. Whoopi's success is well deserved, she walked straight, without resorting to banal tricks and dishonest deals. Her motto is: “Take the best that is offered to you - and that’s all you can do.”
Whoopi Goldberg. short biography
Born in New York in 1955, Karin Elaine Johnson (her real name) from the very beginning wanted to become an actress. She played in children's performances at the Hudson Guild Theater at the age of eight. In childhood, she loved movies, sometimes she could even watch three or four films a day. She liked the idea that it was possible to pretend to be someone else, and the audience would like it. But, having reached the age of high school, the girl lost her desire and did not already see herself as an actress in the future. These were the 1960s. Katherine started taking drugs, because, according to her, in those days they were available to everyone. It was Woodstock time. The future Hollywood star dropped out of school and is completely immersed in hippie culture. Realizing the problem, Whoopi found the strength to seek help, underwent a course of treatment and even married the anti-drug movement activist Alvin Martin, who helped her in healing. A year later, they had a daughter, Alexander. But the first marriage was short-lived, in less than a year the family broke up. Katherine was not yet twenty years old.
By the way, at the age of 34, she first became a grandmother. She now has three grandchildren. Whoopi Goldberg biography, Alexandra's children - frequent topics for discussion in the press.
Carier start
In 1974, Whoopi went to California, San Diego, pursuing her childhood dream - to play. She received roles in performances at the San Diego Theater. Then her pseudonym appeared - Whoopi Goldberg. At first, acting did not bring enough money to take care of yourself and your daughter. The young woman had to work as a cashier at a bank, a construction worker, and even a make-up artist in a morgue. For several years she lived on social security benefits.
One actress show
In the late seventies, Goldberg moved north to Berkeley, California, and joined the Blake Street Theater in a comedy vanguard troupe. Finally, her powerful comedic acting abilities were realized. After playing two characters in the production of “Mother Courage”, the actress came up with an interesting idea - to play a one-man show. After all, she was able to fulfill the roles of all 17 characters in the show for one woman. She called the project Spook Show (Ghost Show). It was an incredible success on the West Coast, other cities in America, Canada and Europe. Reviews for this submission were mixed, but mostly positive. The innate ability to transform and the natural charm did not go unnoticed. The ability to completely dissolve in the role, and not just externally imitate the comic types, allowed Whoopi to take some unexpected risks in this show. This performance attracted the attention of the famous Mike Nichols. The director organized her performances on Broadway. The young talent was invited in several productions, including "Jesus Christ is a superstar." Whoopi Goldberg, biography, photos of this actress often appear on the pages of various publications.
Movie debut
Another Hollywood director, enchanted by the talent of the actress, was Steven Spielberg, who at that time was making a film based on the novel “Flowers of the Purple Fields”. To participate in the filming, and Whoopi herself put a lot of effort. Active from birth, she wrote a letter to the author of the novel Alice Walker asking her to play in this African-American version of Gone With the Wind. Whoopi was ready for anything for the filming and was so eager to get a role in this film! Fate presented her with this gift. The writer handed the letter to the director, and Spielberg offered the actress the main role of Celia Johnson. This was her first appearance in the movie. She was very believable in this role, and the powerful game did not go unnoticed. For this role Whoopi Goldberg received the prestigious Golden Globe Award and Oscar nomination. But the film itself was not praised. Most of the criticism was directed at Spielberg. That's how the career of film actress Whoopi Goldberg began. The biography, filmography of the actress will be incomplete without mentioning this fact.
Social activity
Despite the not very warm reception of the film as a whole, the rating of Goldberg herself has increased. In addition to her film awards, she won the Grammy Award in 1985 for the Whoopi Goldberg comedy album and received an Emmy nomination the following year for appearing as a guest guest on the television series Moonlighting Detective Agency (Moonlighting) Wide recognition and recognition allowed Goldberg to engage in social activities, concentrating on the problems that bothered her at a time when she herself needed public assistance. With the growth of her popularity, the possibilities of the actress as a public figure also grew. In 1986, she and actors Billy Crystal and Robin Williams organized the annual Comic Relief event, which raises money for the homeless as part of the Health for the Homeless project. Whoopi Goldberg, biography, family are directly connected with an active lifestyle.
Whoopi believes homelessness in America is just disgusting. She appeared on Capitol Hill along with Senator Edward Kennedy in a forum against the proposed reduction in federal subsidies. Protests are not limited to issues of social inequality. Goldberg also runs campaigns to protect the environment, people in starving countries, AIDS and drug abuse awareness, and women's free choice. She has been awarded several humanitarian awards. The actress does not hide her radical social views, she actively advocates the equality of cultures and religions.
Career development
The first success was followed by other roles. However, the number of roles did not increase success. She continued to act in films attacked by film critics: Jack the Springbok, Thief, The Fatal Beauty, Telephone, Clara’s Heart, and Homer and Eddie. It seemed that as soon as she managed to rise, she fell again. For rescue needed "own lifeboat." Whoopi was annoyed by gossip and rumors that Hollywood was ready to write it off. To keep calm, a woman simply stopped listening to ill-wishers. She believed that she starred in good films that she herself liked. And still, what others think about it. Yes, and many believed that the reason for the failure of films at the box office was not at all her play, because "Miss Goldberg is funny, even when she is given half the chance."
Ghost
It seemed that the actress simply needed a suitable “vehicle” that could convey to the audience her comic approach to everything. Chance came with the 1990 Ghost film. Whoopi finally got the opportunity to fully demonstrate her best acting abilities. She sought the roles of the bright eccentric psychic Oda May Brown from the studio management for more than six months, and the perseverance paid off. Ghost became the highest grossing film of 1990. Goldberg received an Academy Award for this work and became the second black woman in the Academy to receive such an honor (the first was Hattie McDaniel, who won an Academy Award for her role in Gone With the Wind in 1939).
Long haul
Goldberg acted as the final recognition of the widest acting range, followed immediately by the comedic role in Ghost, a dramatic role in the film The Long Way Home. This film is a vivid memory of the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955, a key event in the American civil rights movement. The complexity of the role was the lack of words. It was possible to play only with high acting skills. And she did it.
1992 also brought a series of successful movie roles. Whoopi began the year, portraying a murder investigator in the long-awaited and subsequently famous Hollywood satire "Player" directed by Robert Altman.
She also got the lead role in "Act, Sister!", The comedy-winner of the highest grossing box office of the year. And in the fall she again returned to the dramatic role in the film "Sarafina". Filming took place entirely in South Africa.
The actress starred in many films, including Made in America, Act, Sister - 2 (for which she was paid eight million dollars), Corrina, Corrina, Shalopai, Guys Sideways and others worldwide. famous paintings. To date, she has been actively acting in films and participating in theater projects. Today, the biography of actress Whoopi Goldberg is still of interest. She is still in demand and highly paid, unique in her way.
A television
Goldberg also confirmed her dubious talent on television. Since the 1988-89 season, she has been rewarded for occasionally appearing as a team member on the successful Star Trek: The Next Generation series.
Although her stay in the series “Bagdad Cafe” in 1990 was short-lived, Goldberg took the coveted post of host of the talk show in 1992. Whoopi devoted each program to only one guest, she interviewed actress Elizabeth Taylor , heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield and many other celebrities, the show was canceled in 1993.
Presenter of the Oscars
In 1994 and 1996, Goldberg appeared as the host of the Academy Awards. This required tremendous courage, given that she was the first African American and the first woman to host this event alone. The award show is watched by more than one billion people. In 1994, critics and observers expressed Woopie's unanimous approval for her vivid comments, good jokes, and her ability to host a three-hour show fun.
In 1996, large-scale protests swept over the absence of African American voters and candidates. Against this background, the Academy Award Ceremony with Whoopi Goldberg as its savvy host established new traditions for the Oscars.
Personal life and interesting facts
Few people know, but her great-great-grandmother is an emigrant from Odessa.
Whoopi is a nickname from a difficult childhood and means “pillow-fart”, and Goldberg is the family name in the Jewish line, designed to give it significance in his acting career.
Despite the external data far from ideal, Whoopi Goldberg, her biography, her personal life has always been stormy. She has three official marriages. Alvin Martin is the first husband and father of her only daughter. The second marriage with photographer David Cassin lasted two years. The third time Goldberg went down the aisle with businessman Michael Trachtenberg, but this alliance was short-lived. Her novels are known with actors Timothy Dalton, Ted Danson, Frank Langella, Eddie Gold.