Ten fun facts about Whoopi Goldberg

Fact 1
Whoopi was born Caryn Elaine Johnson. She often suffered from flatulence which was the reason behind her nickname, "Whoopie Cushion." When she eventually entered the show business, she actually kept the first name.

Fact 2
Her last name also has a story behind it. Whoopi’s mother felt that “Johnson” did not sound Jewish enough for a stage actress. She ended up adopting the traditionally Jewish/German last name, Goldberg.

Fact 3
As a teenager, Whoopi was a heroin addict. Very few know that she got into a relationship with Alvin Martin, her drug counselor, went on to marrying him in 1973 and also had a daughter with him.

Fact 4
Like many other actresses, Goldberg’s path to fame wasn’t paved with roses. Before becoming a celebrity, she laid bricks, worked as a bank teller and then as a make-up artist at a local mortuary.

Fact 5
Whoopie is one of only 10 people to have won an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Tony as well as a Daytime Emmy Award.

Fact 6
From 1979-1981, Whoopie lived in East Germany and worked in numerous theatre productions. In the course of her travels, she ended up smuggling different products into the communist country, for artists she lived with.

Fact 7
Whoopi is known for her humor. In 1983, she used this particular talent to develop “The Spook Show”. She would do monologues and make up characters in the show.

Fact 8
Steven Spielberg saw “The Spook Show” on Broadway. Impressed, he cast Whoopi in the 1985 film, “The Color Purple”. She received a Best Leading Actress Academy Award nomination for it.

Fact 9
One of her best-known roles has to be that of Oda Mae Brown. She played the whacky psychic in the 1990 film, “Ghost”.

Fact 10
She suffers from aviophobia. Whoopi always opts to take the bus instead of flying even though it takes her a great deal longer to get around.

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