Whoopi Goldberg
A brash, shape-shifting performer who broke barriers to become one of a handful of EGOT winners, using her platform for unapologetic social commentary.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American actor and comedian·Birthday: November 13·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born Caryn Elaine Johnson in Manhattan, Whoopi Goldberg's path to stardom was anything but conventional. She worked in a funeral parlor and as a bricklayer before her one-woman show, 'The Spook Show,' catapulted her to national attention. Steven Spielberg saw it and cast her in 'The Color Purple,' a role that earned her an Oscar nomination and announced a major new talent. Goldberg defied easy categorization, moving from dramatic roles to blockbuster comedies like 'Ghost,' for which she won her Oscar, and becoming a staple on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation.' Her voice became a defining feature of daytime television for over a decade as a moderator on 'The View,' where her blunt, often controversial opinions sparked national conversations. Beyond entertainment, she has been a tireless activist, particularly for homeless rights and HIV/AIDS awareness.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Whoopi was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Whoopi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Whoopi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Oda Mae Brown in 'Ghost' (1990).
- Achieved the rare EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.
- Served as a co-host and moderator on ABC's daytime talk show 'The View' from 2007 to 2022.
- Received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2010 for her impact on comedy.
Did You Know?
Her stage name 'Whoopi' is derived from the whoopee cushion, as a friend said she was as funny as one.
She is one of the very few black women to have won the 'Triple Crown of Acting' (Oscar, Emmy, and Tony).
She was the first woman to host the Academy Awards ceremony solo, in 1994.
She owned a small line of marijuana products called 'Whoopi & Maya' aimed at relieving menstrual discomfort.
“We're here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.”
