Whoopi Goldberg, born Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1955, in New York City, is an American actress, comedian, author, and television personality. She is one of the few entertainers to achieve EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award.

     Goldberg began her career in theater, performing her one-woman show Spook Show in 1983, which later moved to Broadway as Whoopi Goldberg (1984–1985). Her breakthrough came in 1985 when she starred as Celie in The Color Purple, earning a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination.

     She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Ghost (1990) and became the highest-paid actress of the time with Sister Act (1992) and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). Other notable films include Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), Soapdish (1991), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), and Till (2022). She also voiced Shenzi in The Lion King (1994) and appeared in Toy Story 3 (2010).

     Whoopi Goldberg has been a co-host and moderator on The View since 2007, bringing her signature wit, strong opinions, and no-nonsense attitude to the daytime talk show.

     Goldberg portrayed Guinan, the enigmatic bartender, in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988–1993) and reprised the role in Star Trek: Picard (2022). Since 2007, she has co-hosted and moderated The View, winning a Daytime Emmy Award.

      She has been married three times.  Her marriages were to Alvin Martin (1973–1979), David Claessen (1986–1988), and Lyle Trachtenberg (1994–1995). She has one daughter, Alexandrea Martin.

     Goldberg is known for her activism, supporting LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, and humanitarian causes. She received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2001.