A lot of people over the years have had their own opinion about Whoopi Goldberg and quite honestly they’ve found justification for each and every thing they’ve said no matter how inane it might have been. But getting past the personal and nonsensical things that are written and spoken about anyone in show business you can honestly state that she’s had an impressive career for many years and has shown a great amount of talent and ability when it comes to the craft. Some of her films have been less than noteworthy while others have blown people away they’ve been so good. But one thing about Whoopi is that she’s been unapologetic about each and every role she’s ever taken since that’s just who she is and what she does. She’s not the type to bow and scrape to anyone unless she feels the need, and more often than not she’s going to tell you what’s on her mind and let you deal with the fallout once it’s out there.
Here are a few other things you might not have known about Whoopi.
10. Her real name is Caryn Elaine Johnson.
People that have watched her since back in the day might know this but I’m guessing that many upon many people that have never bothered to check this out wouldn’t have known her given name unless they looked it up for themselves.
9. She was the first woman to host the Academy Awards on her own.
How many people noticed this? She’s been able to host the awards show on her own a few times now and has carried it quite well since she has the kind of personality that’s not always insanely funny but is still present enough to let people know that she’s strong enough for the task and perfectly capable of getting it done.
8. Whoopi hates to fly.
This does present a bit of difficulty if she ever had to go from one continent to another, but otherwise she prefers to ride the bus to each and every location she has to visit. A lot of people don’t care to fly even if they read the statistics that say it’s safer than driving. One thing that a lot of people don’t like is that in the air you have a lot less control than on the ground.
7. At one time she worked in a mortuary.
This sounds kind of grisly but she was the individual that would make the bodies look decent by putting makeup on them so that they could be presented to loved ones for the funeral. It almost seems as though you’d need an iron stomach even for this.
6. She dropped out of high school and became addicted to heroin.
Whoopi was 17 when she dropped out and became an addict. She ended up marrying the counselor that helped her through the bad times, but divorced him when she cleaned up and moved on with her life.
5. Her inspiration to be an actress came from the original Uhura on Star Trek.
It makes a good deal of sense considering that Uhura, despite being in the background for so long, was still a strong black woman that showed that she could get somewhere in a mainstream show. This was also part of Whoopi’s inspiration for trying to get a part on Star Trek, which she did in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
4. She performed all her own musical numbers in Sister Act.
Her costars were impressed at the vocal range she exhibited and every single time she sang it was her, not a voice-over. That alone is pretty impressive since it indicates that she’s not a one-trick pony and can do other things that make her just a little more valuable.
3. Whoopi was a heavy smoker until 2015.
She smoked for 40 years so it’s easy to say that she didn’t just up and quit cold turkey, as this is difficult for even the most strong-willed individuals. But giving it up has no doubt helped her to feel at least a little better about herself since the body does start to heal from the effects after a while.
2. She’s suffered from dyslexia all her life.
It’s amazing to think of how many celebrities have this disorder and how many have been fighting with it for so long. There are a few methods that can be used to help work against it that are tried and true, but the fact is that it never really goes away and has to be worked on continuously throughout life.
1. Whoopi credits Patrick Swayze for her Oscar.
She makes no bones about it when she states that Patrick Swayze is the reason she has her Oscar, that it was due in great part to him that she was able to turn in such a great performance.
She might not be your favorite actor or she might be, but one thing she’s been proven to be throughout the years is a certified star.
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