Whoopi Goldberg Shares The Role She's Wanted To Play For 40 Years

Having won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony award (an EGOT) Whoopi Goldberg is one of the most celebrated talents of her generation. But while she’s won the hearts of audiences and critics over the years, she still had one dream job to tick off her bucket list. And she wanted it so much, she said she went to extreme lengths to get it.

Dazzling career

With a career spanning more than 40 years, Goldberg has achieved a lot. Hailing from a Manhattan housing project, the star has enjoyed success in the field of comedy, acting, hosting and even human rights advocacy. And what’s more, she’s enjoyed a number of accolades over the years.

Making history

Among her achievements, Goldberg was the first female to host the Oscars and only the second African-American actress to receive an Academy Award. If that wasn’t enough, the actress is part of an exclusive group of 14 entertainers who’ve bagged themselves an EGOT. But despite all her accomplishments, there was one dream Goldberg still hadn’t fulfilled.

Dream challege

Speaking on a Television Critics Association panel in December 2020, Goldberg revealed there was one challenge she’d been wanting to tackle for four decades. In fact, she said she’d been pleading for such an opportunity for years. And finally, it seems, the actress got her chance.

Growing up poor

Goldberg’s birth name is Caryn Elaine Johnson. She was born on November 13, 1955, in New York City, growing up in a housing project in Chelsea. Hers was a single-parent family, with the would-be actress and her brother, Clyde, being brought up by their mom. To keep the family afloat, Goldberg’s mother worked a series of jobs and was both a teacher and a nurse.