Goldberg, Whoopi

Goldberg, Whoopi (b. Caryn Johnson)

(1955– ) movie actress, comedian; born in New York City. Raised in a Manhattan housing project, she dropped out of high school and became active in the civil rights movement. In the mid-1970s, she cofounded the San Diego Repertory Theatre. During that time she changed her name in order to protect her privacy and to promote her comic persona. Her one-woman show, Whoopi Goldberg, ran on Broadway (1984–85). Her movie credits include The Color Purple (1985) and Ghost (1990), for which she won an Academy Award.