Whoopi Goldberg
- Born: Caryn Elaine Johnson
Whoopi Goldberg is an American actress and a recipient of various accolades, including an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award and a Tony Award. She rose to fame in 1985 after portraying Celie in Steven Spielberg’s period drama film The Color Purple.
She said that her stage forename “Whoopi” was taken from a whoopee cushion. “When you’re performing on stage, you never really have time to go into the bathroom and close the door. So if you get a little gassy, you’ve got to let it go. So people used to say to me, ‘You’re like a whoopee cushion.’ And that’s where the name came from,” the actress said.
