Whoopi Goldberg was born in New York City in 1955, as Caryn Elaine Johnson. She was born in Chelsea, in New York City. She worked in a funeral parlor, and as a bricklayer, while taking small parts on Broadway . She moved to California and worked with improv groups, including Spontaneous Combustion, and developed her skills as a stand up comedienne. She came to prominence doing an HBO special, and a one woman show as Moms Mabley. She has been known in her prosperous career as a unique and socially conscious talent with articulately liberal views. Among her boyfriends were Ted Danson and Frank Langella . She was married three times, and was once addicted to drugs .

Whoopi Goldberg first came to prominence with her supporting role in The Color Purple (1985). She received much critical acclaim for her role, and became a major star as a result. Subsequent efforts in the late eighties were at best marginal hits. These movies mostly were off-beat to formulaic comedies like Burglar (1987), The Telephone (1988), and Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986). Goldberg made her mark as a household name and a mainstay in Hollywood for her Oscar winning role in the box office smash Ghost (1990). Whoopi Goldberg was at her most famous in the early 1990s, as she made regular appearances on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987). She admitted to being a huge fan of the show and jumped at the opportunity to star in the Next Generation.

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