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‘The View’ Host Ana Navarro Cackles at DeSantis’ ‘Complete Self-Own’ in Shoe-Lift Drama: Thought ‘Men in Heels Are a Threat to Society?’

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Ana Navarro is thoroughly enjoying the drama surrounding Ron DeSantis and his shoes. On Thursday morning’s episode of “The View,” the ABC host delighted in how it’s such a “complete self-own” by the Florida governor, considering he’s made his opinions on men wearing high heels very clear.

For those who haven’t kept up, DeSantis is currently swatting down rumors that he wears lifts in his shoes in order to make himself appear taller, after folks on social media started roasting some odd-looking boots he’s been wearing. DeSantis maintains that he does not wear lifts, and that he’s 5-foot-11.

As moderator Whoopi Goldberg teed up the segment and gave viewers context around the drama that’s been plaguing DeSantis, Ana Navarro could only laugh loudly as each new detail and development was summed up. And, when it came time for her to weigh in on the situation, she wasn’t even a little sorry about it.

“Call me petty, I know you will, that’s never stopped me before! I am relishing and enjoying this story so much,” Navarro said, once she was able to compose herself. “Because, honestly, he has been terrorizing my drag queen friends in Florida well over a year, because he has said that men in heels are a threat to society.”

At that, Navarro paused to laugh a little more at the irony, before pointing out that drag queens might actually have been able to help DeSantis in this situation.

“It’s too bad he has no drag queen friends, ’cause maybe they would have taught him how to walk in heels!” she mocked.

As the discussion went on, host Sara Haines admitted that she doesn’t love that people are picking on DeSantis’ height, because there are so many other things to roast him on. But, Navarro chimed in noting that no one is actually making fun of how tall DeSantis is, just the fact that he’s trying to hide it.

“We’re not picking on his height, he’s picking on his height! This is a complete self-own by Ron DeSantis,” she said. “Donald Trump’s words got into his head, and he is trying to pretend –“

From there, the women started talking over each other and debating more, making the end of Navarro’s sentence mostly inaudible, beyond the phrase “Napoleonic complex.”

The post ‘The View’ Host Ana Navarro Cackles at DeSantis’ ‘Complete Self-Own’ in Shoe-Lift Drama: Thought ‘Men in Heels Are a Threat to Society?’ appeared first on TheWrap .

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Ana Navarro Mocks Ron DeSantis On ‘The View’ Over Rumor That He Wears Cowboy Boot Lifts: “He Has Barbie Feet”

Posted: November 2, 2023 | Last updated: November 2, 2023

On today’s episode of The View, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ‘ height was a Hot Topic thanks to a recent interview he gave addressing rumors that he wears lifts in his boots to appear taller. After DeSantis started sporting cowboy boots on the campaign trail earlier this year, political rivals and media outlets began to accuse him of wearing lifts inside them to appear taller.

View host Whoopi Goldberg presented a clip of DeSantis appearing on the PBD Podcast, where he was asked point blank if he wore lifts, an accusation he denied. “

Those are just standard, off-the-rack Lucchese boots,” DeSantis told podcast host Patrick Bet-David. After the clip played, Goldberg referred to DeSantis as “Yosemite DeSantis” and showed a Photoshopped image of DeSantis’s upper body tacked on to infamously short cartoon character Yosemite Sam’s little legs, and then asked her co-hosts,”Is his height going to be his political liability?”

In response, most of the panelists also criticized DeSantis or outright mocked him for the rumor about his shoes.

“There’s no foot in that boot! He has Barbie feet!” Ana Navarro replied to Goldberg, adding, “Call me petty, and I know you will… I am relishing and enjoying this story so much because honestly, he has been terrorizing my drag queen friends in Florida well over a year because he has said men in heels are a threat to society. It’s too bad he has no drag queen friends because they would have taught him how to walk in heels.”

Alyssa Farah Griffin added that she doesn’t think it’s DeSantis’s height that will be his political downfall, but his lack of charm and charisma: “The reason he’s never gonna be President is not the fact that he’s likely wearing high heels, it’s his answer to that clip… the lack of charisma is astounding.”

Sara Haines dissented from the rest of the panel and pointed out that it felt like bullying to laugh at someone’s physical appearance. “There is plenty to pick apart about Ron DeSantis that I don’t think it’s the right tone to pick on his height,” she said.

Navarro responded, justifying her jokes at his expense, “It was a complete self-own by Ron DeSantis. Donald Trump’s words got into his head that he’s got a Napoleonic complex!”

Haines continued to plead her case that short men are often perceived as less competent, though her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Finally, Griffin got in one of the last words in the argument, stating, “Donald Trump is very tall and he was incredibly incompetent.”

The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.

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Reflections of an EGOT Winner: Whoopi Goldberg on ‘Ghost’ and the 30th Anniversary of Her Oscar Triumph

Photographs by The Tyler Twins for Variety

Exactly 30 years to the day since Whoopi Goldberg officially became an Oscar winner, the entertainer is reliving the moment over Zoom.

Watching a clip from the 1991 Academy Awards telecast from her home in New Jersey, Goldberg breaks into a big smile as Denzel Washington opens the envelope and declares her the best supporting actress for her performance as psychic Oda Mae Brown in “ Ghost .”

Listening intently, Goldberg takes in her earnest acceptance speech — which, though she’s been asked to recall the experience over the years, she hasn’t seen in a while — and shares her takeaways.

“I looked really good,” she says. “My hair was cool. Dress was cute.”

Goldberg chose a black sequined column gown from veteran costume designer Nolan Miller (with whom she’d worked on 1991’s “Soapdish” and who designed clothes for her mentor Elizabeth Taylor): “I couldn’t look glamorous like other people look glamorous. I wasn’t thin and I wasn’t a white lady, so I had to find my own style.”

The video also brought back more personal memories. “My brother, who’s no longer with us [Clyde Johnson died in 2015], that was great to see him and my daughter [Alex],” she says. “[I remember] just being happy to be there, get the speech out of the way and get off the stage.”

“Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted this,” Goldberg said onstage. “My brother’s sitting there. He says, ‘Thank God we don’t have to listen to [her] anymore.’” She then thanked the film’s director, Jerry Zucker, and co-stars Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore.

“I want to thank everybody who makes movies,” Goldberg concluded. “I come from New York. As a little kid, I lived in the projects, and you’re the people I watched. You’re the people that made me want to be an actor. I’m so proud to be here. I’m proud to be an actor, and I’m gonna keep on acting.”

Among the 42 million viewers watching the speech at home was a preteen Tiffany Haddish, who’d idolized Goldberg since 1986’s “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

“When I saw [her win], I was like, ‘She’s amazing,’” Haddish says. “I didn’t understand the enormity of what an Oscar was at that time. All I knew was that she deserved it.”

Both as an aspiring entertainer and a young Black girl, Haddish viewed the Oscar as a dream greater than the trophy itself.

“For so many hundreds of years, we’ve been told, ‘You can’t do this. You can’t do that. You’re restricted ’cause of this,” she explains. “But when you see someone [like Goldberg] do it, you think, ‘If they can do it, I can do it too.’”

Goldberg’s win was not only aspirational; it was historic. On that March night, she became the first Black woman to receive an Oscar in 50 years. Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win in any category in 1940 (for supporting actress in “Gone With the Wind”). After that, only three Black people received the honor: Sidney Poitier (who won best actor in 1964 for “Lilies of the Field”), Louis Gossett Jr. (1983’s best supporting actor for “An Officer and a Gentleman”) and Washington (the best supporting actor in 1990 for “Glory”).

Of course, Goldberg had been down this road before, having earned a best actress nomination in 1986 for her big-screen debut in “The Color Purple.” For “Ghost,” she hoped to distance herself from the horse-race conversation. Though she had already won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA, she knew the Oscar wasn’t guaranteed.

“I didn’t want to jinx it,” she explains. “I just thought, ‘You’ve got to go in this without any expectations, and whatever happens, happens.’”

In truth, Goldberg’s Oscar win almost didn’t happen, but not because of any jinx. The real touch-and-go moment came before she landed the part.

Zucker, who had co-helmed “Airplane!” with his brother David, wasn’t sure he wanted to cast a comedian for his first solo directorial effort, a genre-bending romantic dramedy about a murdered banker (Swayze) who comes back to warn his girlfriend (Moore) that she’s in danger via a charlatan psychic (Goldberg).

“All the casting in that movie was agonizing,” Zucker says, but finding the right Oda Mae was incredibly important. As the comedic relief in the romantic tale, the role was the glue that held the movie together.

As Goldberg tells it, practically every Black woman in Hollywood (including Tina Turner and Patti LaBelle) was considered for the part, but Swayze fought for her to get it. The actor and Zucker flew to Alabama, where Goldberg was filming “The Long Walk Home” with Sissy Spacek, so they could read together.

Goldberg and Swayze had immediate chemistry, she says: “He and I just took to each other.” Zucker was charmed as well. During the audition, Goldberg really sold it. “Particularly with the comic lines, she hit it out of the park,” he recalls.

When Zucker and Goldberg chatted recently about his hesitation to cast her, he says she teased him: “You forgot that I could act.”

“She was kidding, but it was absolutely true,” he admits. “I was so afraid of a comic in this role, or someone identified with comedy, that it took me a while to come to that decision. But in the end, Whoopi’s ability to be hysterically funny without ever leaving her character is what makes the film work.”

During the first table read, Goldberg began suggesting new lines, which were ultimately written into the script. She brought a swagger to the character, delivering unforgettable quips like “Molly, you in danger, girl,” with panache.

“Oda Mae, at some point, stopped being how I had imagined it, and it became Whoopi,” Zucker says.

But even as the stars aligned during production, neither Zucker nor Goldberg could’ve predicted the box office behemoth that “Ghost” would become. “We weren’t sure what the hell we were shooting,” Goldberg says. On set, she and Swayze joked that the movie might be “the dopiest thing we’ve ever done.”

“I don’t think any of us thought it would have this sort of impact,” she adds. “And then the box office numbers started coming in, and everybody was like, ‘Do we have back end on this movie? Because I’d like some.’”

“Ghost” hit theaters on July 13, 1990, and the fantasy romance turned out to be a smash, with major staying power. The film hovered around the top two spots on the chart from July until September, and didn’t fall out of the top five until Thanksgiving weekend. “Ghost” was the highest-grossing film of 1990, earning more than $217 million domestically and more than $500 million worldwide.

“Everybody wants to feel like their loved one is there with them, and that the bad guys go to hell and good guys go to heaven, and that love is forever,” Goldberg says. “Everybody wants that kind of magical connection that Demi and Patrick’s characters have.”

“Ghost” went into the 1991 Oscar ceremony with five nominations, including Goldberg’s supporting actress nod. The film was also nominated for film editing, original score, original screenplay and best picture, losing the last to “Dances With Wolves.” However, Zucker couldn’t bring himself to attend the awards.

“My wife has never forgiven me for it, but being around all those famous people, wearing a tux and sitting there, just makes me nervous,” he explains. “We had a big party at the house. We had a bunch of friends over and TVs everywhere, and it was great, because we were screaming and yelling when Whoopi won.”

Goldberg’s mother, Emma, also wasn’t in the audience, electing to stay home to wait out the suspense.

“My mom did not want to come because she felt that she came to the first one and didn’t want me to see her looking disappointed or upset,” recalls Goldberg, referring to the 1986 ceremony. Fortunately, the supporting actress award is the first of the night, so neither Goldberg nor her mother had to wait long to learn her fate. “And then I won, and it was like, ‘Of course, the day you don’t come.’”

When her name was called, Goldberg says her only worry was “Will I make any sense? Can I do it before they play me off? Will I remember to thank the people I need to thank?”

She doesn’t remember the post-show celebration, but she did take her group of nominees — Annette Bening (“The Grifters”), Lorraine Bracco (“Goodfellas”), Diane Ladd (“Wild at Heart”) and Mary McDonnell (“Dances With Wolves”) — to dinner afterward. She also had chocolate Oscar statuettes made that she presented to them.

“We all did really good work,” Goldberg says. “Any one of us could’ve taken it, and I don’t think anybody would’ve been mad at anybody else. Sometimes you look at actors and you know, ‘Oh, he’s mad,’ but with us, it was just ‘Whoever wins is paying, that’s all I know. Free food.’”

The Oscar was the second trophy in Goldberg’s EGOT run, following her 1985 Grammy for best comedy recording for “Whoopi Goldberg: Direct From Broadway.” The term “EGOT” (an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) was coined in 1984 by “Miami Vice” star Philip Michael Thomas, but Goldberg’s cameo in a 2009 episode of “30 Rock” helped popularize it.

The entertainer played herself in a storyline where Tracy Morgan’s character sets off on a quest for EGOT glory and turns to Goldberg for advice on how to obtain it. Goldberg says she learned about the concept while appearing in the episode. “That was the first time I was made aware that I was an EGOT winner,” she says.

Rounding out Goldberg’s collection are her two Emmys — she scored the first in 2002 for hosting the TV special “Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel” and another in 2009 for co-hosting “The View.” In 2002, she won a Tony for producing “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Only 16 people have attained EGOT status, and Goldberg is one of only two Black entertainers — John Legend being the other — to reach the milestone.

The categorizations of “first” and “only” have been a hallmark of Goldberg’s career. Since her Oscar win, 11 more Black actors have earned the honor, but only Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer have joined her as Black women with multiple nominations. Goldberg is not just the only Black woman to host the Oscars solo; she’s done so four times — emceeing the show in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2002. She shares the key to getting it right: “Whoever the host is has to love the movies, because they have to keep you engaged, and the best person at that was Billy [Crystal].”

Crystal has hosted the event nine times, including the 1991 broadcast, thus witnessing his friend and “Comic Relief” partner’s win in person. “It was like two of my brothers were there — Billy and my brother Clyde,” Goldberg says. “It would’ve been brilliant if Robin [Williams, her other “Comic Relief” co-host] had been in the audience. Then the three most important men in my life would have been there. But he was watching.”

Goldberg is in the midst of her third act with the Academy, serving on the board of governors for the actors’ branch. The 2021 Oscars, which will be broadcast live on April 25, will be markedly different from the ones she hosted. They will be held amid the pandemic with strict COVID safety protocols, and only the nominees and their guest will be in attendance. This year’s crop of contenders is also the most diverse ever, with nine people of color among the 20 acting nominees. Whereas 30 years ago, Goldberg was the only Black winner, this time all four acting categories could be won by a person of color — a first in the ceremony’s history.

As Hollywood strives to bolster diversity and inclusion, Goldberg looks back at the Black women who paved the way for her: “I think of all the women — Diahann Carroll, Pearl Bailey, Dorothy Dandridge, Butterfly McQueen, Hattie McDaniel, Juanita Hall — who did great, amazing work that was overlooked.”

When Goldberg hosted the 2002 Oscars, she witnessed another historic moment: Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win best actress. Denzel Washington was in the mix too, picking up the actor prize.

“It was kind of wonderful,” Goldberg says of seeing Berry take the prize. “I had a little tear in my eye, because I always wished it would be me. But you can’t always get what you want; sometimes you get what you need.”

Yet that triumph didn’t usher in widespread change. Last year Berry told Variety that her Oscar win was ultimately “one of my biggest heartbreaks,” because she is still the only Black woman to win in the category and has had to continue to fight for a way forward in the industry. “Just because I won an award doesn’t mean that, magically, the next day, there was a place for me,” Berry said.

Goldberg endured similar setbacks as her career ebbed and flowed. In the wake of the Oscar, she began to star in more high-profile films — such as the “Sister Act” franchise, “Corrina, Corrina” and “The Lion King” — instead of the mid-level comedies she booked after “The Color Purple.” For 1993’s “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit,” Goldberg earned a $12 million payday, becoming Hollywood’s highest-paid female actor. “That lasted 25 minutes, and then it was gone,” she says of the record. “I’m really glad that I was one of the first to break that little ceiling or crack it.”

Screen legend Elizabeth Taylor, a close friend of Goldberg’s, passed on important advice for how to navigate the business. When Taylor signed on for a film, she’d have the studio give her a present. Taylor explained that an actor’s work helps agents and managers line their pockets, so the actor also should have something tangible to show for it.

“You and I know you can do anything, but you are Black, so it’s going to be harder for folks to believe,” Goldberg says Taylor told her. “It’s going to be up and down. If you have a way to see where you were, it will allow you to not give up in tough times.”

Goldberg chose artwork for her mile markers and ultimately found Taylor’s words to be spot-on. In the times when there was no work, she says, “I was able to look and see that piece of art and think, ‘OK, you’re going to carry me through now.’”

The entertainer assumed a similar mentorship role with Haddish after she appeared on “The View” in 2017 — more than 25 years after the young comedian watched the 1991 Oscars on television.

“To be able to call on her and for her to tell me, ‘Girl, no. Think twice about this. Pick your battles. OK, that’s a good joke; that’s going to do well. I love that you don’t have any fear, but you might want to think twice about this thing,’ is huge for me,” Haddish says.

But she says the best advice Goldberg has given her is to “listen and know your worth. And don’t be afraid to say no or walk away.”

After the duo co-starred as mother and daughter in Tyler Perry’s 2018 comedy “Nobody’s Fool,” Haddish declared during another segment of “The View” that she wanted to achieve the EGOT just like her role model. Goldberg replied, “Yes, you will” — a remarkable vote of confidence from the only Black woman to have done it.

Last month Haddish got one step closer, becoming the first Black woman to win the comedy album Grammy since Goldberg. After the announcement, mentor reached out to mentee.

“She told me she was proud of me,” says Haddish, who previously earned an Emmy for hosting “Saturday Night Live.” “And she was like, ‘I told you. Now just keep focused. Don’t stop here.’”

While Haddish makes a run at joining the EGOT club, Goldberg is concentrating on writing her own next chapter — literally. The entertainer is penning the script for a superhero film about an older Black woman who acquires new powers and has to learn to use them. “Since I was a little kid, I’ve been obsessed with superheroes,” Goldberg says. “They’re all saving the earth all the time. But do you know who’s really going to save the earth? Old Black women.”

Goldberg will soon reprise her role as lounge singer-turned-nun-whisperer Deloris Van Cartier in “Sister Act 3” for Disney Plus, after years of back and forth between Goldberg and studio over the premise for the sequel. She and Tyler Perry are co-producing the film, with “Evil Eye” author Madhuri Shekar writing the screenplay. “Marc Shaiman [the franchise’s composer] is just waiting,” Goldberg teases. “The nuns are all waiting. Maybe there’s gonna be some of the kids [from ‘Sister Act 2’]. Who can say?”

In addition, she is producing “The Emmett Till Story” and preparing to return as Guinan on “Star Trek: Picard.” The series’ star, Patrick Stewart, made the invitation during an appearance on “The View,” on which Goldberg has been a moderator for more than a decade. Despite her surprisingly long tenure on the daytime talk show, she says she’s not ready to give up her seat at the “Hot Topics” table.

“I’m there until I don’t think I can do it anymore, but I’m not there yet,” she says. “As long as they allow me to do both [acting and hosting], I can do it. The minute they say, ‘No, you can’t,’ then I have to figure out what to do.”

For now, she relishes filming the show from home, where she can see her Oscar — which she affectionately calls “Osc” — every day. He lives on the third floor with his E-G-and-T compatriots.

Like the artwork, Goldberg’s trophies are mile markers of her career, though her legacy isn’t defined by the colossal number of wins she’s accumulated over the past four decades, nor the losses. The achievement Goldberg is most proud of: “That I’m still here. I didn’t fade away. I didn’t disappear. I’m still here and still here doing me.”

Styling: Jason Rembert; Makeup: Karen Dupiche; Hair: Derick Monroe; Look 1 (cover): Dress: Christian Siriano; Earrings and bracelet: New York Vintage; Rings: Sevan Bicakci; Look 2: Coat: Christian Siriano; Hat: Nina Ricci; Scarf: Gucci

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Whoopi Goldberg's Best Movie And TV Performances, Ranked

Do you know what an EGOT recipient is? I mean, you probably do since you’re here, but if not, it means that the person has won an Emmy, a Grammy, and Oscar, and a Tony. Only 16 people have ever received this prestigious distinction, and Whoopi Goldberg is one of them. Nowadays, it’s common to see her on The View , but Whoopi Goldberg movies like Ghost and The Color Purple , and also her other TV work, like Star Trek: The Next Generation , are part of the reason why Whoopi Goldberg will always be a national icon.

Born Caryn Elaine Johnson, Whoopi Goldberg actually got her first nickname from when she used to perform on stage. She said that if you were gassy up there, you couldn’t go to the bathroom so you just had to let it all out, so people used to say she was like a Whoopee Cushion. As for the Goldberg part, she says that it’s a part of her heritage, and that she’s just as much Jewish as she is black. So, there’s that, too. By now, I bet you’re saying, well, you’re just full of facts, and you’re right. I am. But I’m also full of opinions, which is how I can come up with this list. Oh, and if you’d like to read about two other strong black actresses, you can find Octavia Spencer here and Viola Davis here . But now on to Whoopi!

10. Captain Planet And The Planeteers (Gaia)

Seriously? Captain Planet ? Yes, seriously. While many people first saw Whoopi Goldberg in movies like Sister Act and Ghost , for a lot of people now in their 20s and 30s, their introduction to Whoopi Goldberg was as the voice of Gaia on the hit cartoon, Captain Planet and the Planeteers . As Gaia, Whoopi Goldberg played the embodiment of Mother Earth, and she guided five teenagers to save our ailing planet.

So, why is this such a key performance in an utterly epic career? Because Whoopi Goldberg’s soothing, but sagacious voice lent a calmness and even beauty to a show that also featured a flying blue dude with a green mullet. Captain Planet could have been a really campy show, and at times, it was. But Whoopi Goldberg’s performance also added a sort of gravitas to the series, making the message of saving our planet seem as important as it was back then, and still is today.

9. Ghosts Of Mississippi (Myrlie Evers)

Not too long ago, I talked about how not enough people talk about Medgar Evers , and it’s true. They don’t. The Civil Rights Activist was gunned down right outside his own house, and for many years, his killer was able to walk free. Ghosts of Mississippi , which also stars Alec Baldwin and James Woods , is about that story.

Whoopi Goldberg gives a particularly powerful performance as Medgar Edgars’ wife, Myrlie Evers. We see her determination throughout to get her husband’s killer convicted, and while the movie around her performance could be a little better, both her and James Woods’ performances are especially potent.

8. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Terry Doolittle)

It’s weird to think, but Whoopi Goldberg might be more known for her serious performances than her comedic ones. It just goes to show what kind of well-rounded actress she is. But her background is mostly comedy, so it’s always a treat to see Whoopi go all out in the funny department. And as for that, look no further than her role as a computer operator who gets entangled with the CIA in Jumpin’ Jack Flash . A movie where a huge portion of the plot revolves around a frying pan.

The KGB are after Terry after she accidentally gets involved with them, and the movie is really just one madcap scene after the next, with Whoopi Goldberg playing the role of the shouting straight woman. This was long before Chris Tucker or Kevin Hart started their comedic screaming in the '90s and 2000s, respectively. That said, nobody does it better than Whoopi. She’s not an EGOT recipient for nothing, you know.

7. Boys On The Side (Jane DeLuca)

Boys on the Side is a sad movie, but also one full of hope and friendship. Also starring Drew Barrymore , Mary-Louise Parker, and Matthew McConaughey, Boys on the Side is about three women who form a friendship as they travel across the country. What sets Boys on the Side apart from other female bonding movies of the '90s, though is the topic of AIDS and homosexuality. One might say that Whoopi Goldberg is the main character of the movie, and she plays a lesbian in the film.

Whoopi Goldberg’s performance is especially noteworthy for being so earnest and committed, not only as a lesbian, but also as a musician. You fully believe this friendship between the three women, and it’s mostly because of Whoopi Goldberg’s performance. She’s extremely good in this movie, but flawed and sympathetic at the same time.

6. Star Trek: The Next Generation (Guinan)

Bartender of the Ten Forward, Whoopi Goldberg proved that even in space, she could be sassy. Growing up, my mom would always watch Star Trek: The Next Generation , and I didn’t get it. It seemed so boring. All anybody ever did was talk. But when Whoopi Goldberg came on as the “Listener” Guinan, I was always deeply engaged by her performance.

It might be because even though she wore all those elaborate get-ups, she still deeply humanized her character and made the world of Star Trek feel all the more personal. And while she would always listen, the little nuggets of information she would give back to the members of the Starship Enterprise would always be revelatory and important to the plot. Hell, she could even go toe-to-toe, performance-wise, with Captain Picard himself, which is no small feat.

5. The Long Walk Home (Odessa Carter)

Before The Help there was this historical drama starring Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek as a maid and her employer, respectively. Taking place during the Montgomery Bus Boycotts of the 1950s, Whoopi Goldberg’s character, Odessa, has to walk to work due to the strike, and Sissy Spacek’s character, Miriam, drives Odessa to and from work on certain days, even despite the racial tension in the rest of the state.

Of course this spills out to both of their home lives, and it’s here that Whoopi Goldberg really shines as the proud, but frustrated mother and employee trying to keep it all together. Sure, there is a bit of a white savior angle to the film, but this movie was in 1990. What else do you expect? At least Whoopi Goldberg is still a gem in the performance.

4. Sister Act (Deloris Van Cartier)

Look, if this article was about my favorite Whoopi Goldberg performances, then Deloris Van Cartier from Sister Act’s 1 and 2 would be my number 1 pick with a bullet. The story of a lounge singer who has to go into witness protection as a nun is pretty much a huge part of my childhood, and I’m really not sure how many times I’ve seen the two Sister Act movies. Maybe 20 times. Each? And that’s because this series is just pure Whoopi.

I always love stories where characters are way out of their depth, but still make the best of their situations, and that is Deloris Van Cartier to a T. She’s just so much fun as a character, both in and out of the habit, and I don’t think anybody else could have done this role and made such a broad and outrageous comedy out of it. It sucks that Whoopi apparently won’t have a major role in Sister Act 3 , but well… Actually, I have nothing else to say to that. It just sucks.

3. The Lion King (Shenzi)

Here’s another voice acting performance from Whoopi, but I doubt anybody would deny the importance of this role. Playing one of Scar’s minion hyenas, Whoopi Goldberg absolutely kills it as Shenzi, a hyena who is both obsequious and also finding her own way in the circle of life.

Honestly, it’s just a super memorable performance. Shenzi is not a major player in the story, but she kind of is since she’s part of the reason why Mufasa dies. That said, you still feel for her character since she’s being used by Scar, and all of that comes through in Whoopi’s amazing vocal performance. It's a full range of emotions. From a hyena! Now, that’s talent.

2. Ghost (Oda May Brown)

The role that got Whoopi Goldberg that “O” in EGOT, Oda May Brown, the “fake” psychic who communicates with Patrick Swayze’s ghost doesn’t seem like a great performance at first glance, but within the world of this story, it works oh so well. Most of the romance in Ghost feels like a nice, slow heartbeat, but Whoopi Goldberg gives the film its vitality. She’s the fast heartbeat in this otherwise schlocky love story.

Honestly, I think Ghost would be a pretty lousy movie without Whoopi Goldberg. But thankfully, we get to see the world of this story through her eyes, and it really makes the movie pop. Without Whoopi, Ghost probably wouldn’t have been the highest grossing movie of 1990. And yes, you heard that right. Ghost was the highest-grossing movie of 1990. Isn’t that crazy?

1. The Color Purple (Celie)

Many would claim that Whoopi Goldberg’s first major performance was her best, and I won’t argue with them. How could I when Celie’s story in The Color Purple is an emotional roller coaster that earns all of its tears? Celie goes through so much abuse and torment, but all throughout, Whoopi Goldberg makes Celie super vulnerable but never helpless as a victim. It’s such a tightrope to walk, but the fact that Whoopi Goldberg nailed it in her very first major role is beyond incredible.

It’s little wonder that she was nominated for Best Actress that year, and actually won the Golden Globe for this role. It may not be my favorite performance of hers, but it’s definitely the one that will always live with her. It’s just that good.

Whoopi Goldberg has always been one of a kind. But what’s your favorite performance of hers?

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Oda Mae Brown

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Oda Mae Brown is a main character of the 1990 film Ghost . She is played by Whoopi Goldberg .

• 2 Biography
• 3 Powers and abilities

History [ ]

Ever since she was a little girl, Oda Mae was told she was a medium by her mother and her grandmother who both could communicate with spirits. Oda Mae never experienced communication with spirits, so she believed that she never even inherited the "gift". Oda Mae then opened up a shop in Brooklyn and posed as a spiritual advisor, even though she had never before connected with the dead.

Biography [ ]

Oda Mae Brown is a resident of New York City and works as a spiritual advisor out of a storefront seance parlor in Brooklyn. Though she was told as a child that she had "the gift" by her mother and grandmother (who were both able to communicate with the dead), Oda Mae did not actually experience communication with the spirits until she "met" Sam Wheat during a seance for an unrelated client.

Powers and abilities [ ]

Oda Mae is gifted with clairaudience (she can hear the voices of disembodied spirits). She also has the ability to undergo spirit possession and "play host" to a visiting spirit with no apparent harm to her physical body. In her outfit Oda Mae she wearing pink suit with black patterns, pillbox hat with veil, and white gloves.

• Originally, Whoopi Goldberg wasn't supposed to have the role, mainly because the producers felt she was "too well known." But Patrick Swayze, who was a big fan of Whoopi Goldberg, convinced them otherwise.
• In one part of the movie, Oda Mae gives money to two nuns on the street -- Whoopi Goldberg plays a nun in the 1992-film, Sister Act , and its 1993-sequel, Sister Act 2 .
• Oda Mae is Bruce Joel Rubin's favourite character out of all the ones he's ever written.
• Oprah Winfrey and Tina Turner were up for the part of Oda Mae.
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Look of the Week: Whoopi Goldberg's psychic sartorial Ghost gifts

Credit: CBS via Getty Images

Welcome back to Look of the Week , celebrating the best in TV and film sartorial excellence, past and present across sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and other genre classics!

30 years ago, Ghost dominated the box office becoming the number-one film of 1990. A certified sleeper hit , the genre-bending romance blended comedy, tragedy, and thriller with a massive dose of the supernatural. Intimate pottery, Demi Moore in a sleeveless voile tuxedo shirt, and "Unchained Melody" are unforgettable, but the image of Whoopi Goldberg in an extravagant hot pink suit with a matching toque is just as memorable. To mark this big anniversary and Goldberg's birthday (November 13), this is a celebration of Oda Mae Brown's ability to turn it up in theatrical ensembles that rise to the occasion.

Oscar-nominee Ruth Morley has several notable and influential costume defining credits — including Taxi Driver , Annie Hall , Tootsie , and additional costumes on Richard Donner's Superman — that have left a major mark on cinema and fashion. Ghost was her penultimate movie (she sadly passed away in 1991 at 65 of breast cancer) and the mix of casual attire with Oda Mae's ability to play dress-up is a vital part of the comedy and pathos of the Ghost tapestry.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

Oda Mae fakes her way through readings and seances with a lot of guesswork. She is introduced during a session that falters before it goes off the rails when she realizes she can hear the dead — just not the spirit she is meant to be chatting with. The gold lamé tassel muumuu pulls focus and adds to the whole psychic persona. Before Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) shows up in her parlor, she has never actually been able to commune with the dead. "My mother had it. My mother's mother had it. They both had the gift. They always said I had it, but I never did. I never had it," Oda Mae explains to the ghost she can now hear. She has no interest in embracing conversations with the dead but she cannot switch off this unique communication channel. She can take the metallic homemade muumuu off, but this particular gift has a no returns policy.

"I had to rethink the costumes when I found out it was going to be played by Whoopi. I had to think of something more mad, more outrageous, so that she wasn't just another Harlem psychic," Morley told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. Designing for a specific actor can often shape the direction and in the case of Goldberg, it led to a knockout vision. The gold muumuu lends itself to Oda Mae's scam and looks fabulous. Viewed through a 2020 lens, this comfy looking garment would be ideal for working from home. It also means that when she is in her regular clothes she is separated from that persona, even if she cannot rid herself of the new ghost haunting her life — "You're white. I knew it. Why me?" she laments. But Morley did make sure to incorporate Oda Mae's casual garments in the seance room using the same hand-painted fabric as decor.

Pattern clashing is part of Oda Mae's off-duty costumes that points to remnants of the bold '80s aesthetic that is in contrast to Molly's (Moore) menswear-infused yuppie style. It is also notable that Oda Mae only interacts with Molly when she isn't dressed for deception. This emphasizes how trustworthy she is because everything in these scenes is from a place of sincerity. She doesn't need to adopt an alias, even if her story is hard to believe — her scam artist police record does not help Oda Mae's cause.

The romance is a big part of the Ghost success story, but the story truly sings during the back-and-forth squabbles between Sam and the only woman who can talk to him. Goldberg won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this role, making her only the second Black woman to receive this award at the time — since Goldberg's win in 1991, six Black actresses have received this accolade — and the standout sequence also features her most audacious look. To get revenge and unmask his killers, Sam requires Oda Mae to put her fake ID skills to good use. Committing a mini-heist (or a small case of bank fraud) requires the outfit to match, and while Oda Mae has trouble walking in hand-painted leather pumps, she is scoring high on the Rita Miller rich lady sartorial scale.

Made by the tailors at Paramount, this Ruth Morley costume was part of the 2016 exhibition "Edith Head and Company: Costumes & Jewelry 1924 – 2015" that celebrated the work of the legendary designer and her peers (including Morley). Sam told Oda Mae to get a nice dress for this deception and decides it is fine to lightly mock her choice. For a man who dresses as bland as Sam, he should shut his spirit mouth because this look is as wonderful as it is extravagant. Is it over the top? Sure! But when closing an account boasting $4 million (equivalent to just over $8 million in 2020) an eccentric ensemble makes sense. Of course, Oda Mae didn't know she would temporarily be in possession of millions but she still goes all-in on the bank-ready look.

Hot pink and black is a killer combination that is definitely the opposite of blending in. The veiled and feather matching hat elevates the outrageous factor but the line between Edith Head's Hitchcock creations and this skirt suit is clear. The oversized statement earrings are pure late '80s, and this level of accessorizing is a thread that runs through Oda Mae's scamming and off-duty looks.

Three decades have passed since Ghost dominated at the box office and the costumes still hold up, as well as the strong performance from Goldberg — even if the narrative falls into a Black magic archetype — and weepy conclusion. Whether it is gold muumuu excellence to match the Academy Award Whoopi Goldberg would later win, patterned casual, or hot pink tailoring, the Ghost costumes prove that while Molly might be in danger, Oda Mae's closet is a safe bet.

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Ghost (1990)

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Whoopi Goldberg Makes Triumphant Return To 'The View' After Hospital Stay, Brings Her Walker On Air

Whoopi Goldberg is back! One week after The View cohost disappeared from the morning talk show , she finally made her return with a walker, sharing with her viewers and cohosts what she had been dealing with.

"Yes, it's me. I'm back. I am back," Goldberg said with a laugh at the start of the Tuesday, June 29, episode. "I was out because I was dealing with something called sciatica, which is basically a bulging disc in your back and it impacts the sciatic nerve." Her absence had been going on since the Monday, June 21, episode, with cohost Joy Behar taking over her role as the moderator.

WELCOME BACK, WHOOPI! ❤️ Our @WhoopiGoldberg returns to @TheView after suffering from sciatica and shares about her recovery. https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/cqOW6sbRvQ — The View (@TheView) June 29, 2021

Goldberg candidly admitted that she's been in a great deal of pain and alluded to the fact that she has experienced sciatica in the past. The comedian hilariously compared it to having a "bad boyfriend who came back to mess with [her] ." While her cohosts burst into laughter at her comparison, Goldberg continued explaining that she was unable to move her leg, saying "it was impossible to do."

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"It was really horrible," the 65-year-old confessed, before adding that she is happy to be back. However, Goldberg returned with a walker to help aide her pain — something she wasn't too thrilled to be using.

• Whoopi Goldberg Surprises Her 'The View' Cohosts With Emotional Return
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• Behind-The-Scenes Drama: Joy Behar Takes Over 'The View' As Whoopi Sidelined

"It kind of freaked me out," Goldberg admitted to her cohosts of using the walker, saying: "I didn't know I needed it." Despite her hesitancy towards the walking aide, she said it instantly became her "new best friend" after she took her first step with it. "I'm just gliding along," she added as her cohosts cracked up over her excitement with the walker.

'THE TALK' HOST SHARON OSBOURNE INCREASES SECURITY AT L.A. HOME AS RACISM CONTROVERSY RAGES ON: PHOTOS

She then asked cohosts Behar, Meghan McCain , Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines if they have ever experienced sciatica. "I have, of course," Behar said while the ladies began to speak over each other.

"I got it when I was actually younger," Behar continued of her painful experience. She said the injury is stress related and found that stretching her leg helped her pain "a lot." Behar told Goldberg to "be careful" before complimenting her cohost.

Behar pointed out that Goldberg looks "great" and "rested," to which the Grammy Award winner quipped: "Well what can you do? I've been laying in a hospital room." Goldberg — who has been a staple on the talk show since 2007 — joked that she's turned into "this little old Black lady," adding that "it's really strange."

Days after Goldberg was first absent from the show with no explanation, Behar gave insight into her disappearance on the Thursday, June 24, episode, sharing: “Whoopi is out again today with her sciatica problem."

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Whoopi Goldberg Quotes ‘Ghost’ to Mike Pence on ‘The View’: “Mike, You Was in Danger, Man”

FORMER PENCE AIDE SAYS JAN. 6 WOULD HAVE BEEN “A MASSACRE”: After testifying last week, Marc Short spoke out on the dangers the former vice president faced during the Capitol attack – #TheView panel discusses the intensifying Jan. 6 investigation. https://t.co/Lig8FrueI3 pic.twitter.com/h8Fq2NDuQT — The View (@TheView) July 26, 2022

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Ana Navarro Mocks Ron DeSantis On 'The View' Over Rumor That He Wears Cowboy Boot Lifts: "He Has Barbie Feet"

Joy behar went missing on today's episode of 'the view': will she be back, joy behar shades kim kardashian's new nipple bra on 'the view' by pulling out pasties and threatening to start a "merkin business", joy behar hints at a past firing on 'the view': "if you tick off someone at the top, they will get rid of you".

The View kicked off to a good start this morning when Oda Mae Brown came out to play. During the show’s first Hot Topics segment, Whoopi Goldberg had a message for former Vice President Mike Pence, and it brought back all the feels from her 1990 flick, Ghost .

It all started when the ladies played a clip of Pence’s former aide, Marc Short, who recently testified before the federal grand jury on the Jan. 6 investigation. In the video, Short told an interviewer, “If the mob had gotten closer to the vice president, I do think there would’ve been a massacre in the capitol that day.”

Once we flashed back to the panel, Goldberg stared into the camera and responded, “Mike, you was in danger, man.”

The reference, which was spoken to Demi Moore’s character in the Patrick Swayze-led romantic drama, originally had Goldberg, who played spiritual reader Oda Mae Brown, say, “Molly, you in danger, girl.”

It was less than a second after she quoted the iconic line that subbed in Pence’s name for Molly’s when both the audience and her co-hosts burst into cheers. After a moment of looks and nods, Goldberg joked, “That was for Joy.”

Ghost  features Swayze as Sam Wheat, a banker who is madly in love with his artist girlfriend Molly (Moore). However, when he is tragically shot and killed walking home from the movies one night, his ghost stays behind, befriending Oda Mae Brown (Goldberg), a comedic spiritual reader who can only hear him, as the two try to solve the mystery of who murdered him and why.

The View airs weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.

• Ghost (1990)

Former Olympic Gymnast And ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Contestant Mary Lou Retton Says She’s “Staying Very Positive” After Recent Hospitalization

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Whoopi Goldberg gave Pope Francis Sister Act merch: 'He laughed'

Goldberg previously revealed she was in Vatican City to thank Pope Francis for voicing love for marginalized groups, including LGBTQIA+ people.

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Whoopi Goldberg , a Hollywood goddess, has officially made contact with a religious powerhouse — and gifted him with holy relics from her signature blockbuster comedy.

After teasing her emotional meeting with the leader of the Catholic church , the EGOT-winning actress shared a summary of her meeting with Pope Francis during Monday's episode of The View , revealing that she gifted him with merchandise from her iconic movie Sister Act — all while she works on bringing a third series film to Disney+.

"I thought, I'm going to walk into this building and I'm going to burst into flames," Goldberg joked of her Italian journey to Vatican City. "I brought him some stuff from Sister Act that he asked for."

The show then cut to footage of the 67-year-old meeting Pope Francis and presenting him with a few posters from Sister Act , the 1992 hit that starred Goldberg as a woman who enters witness protection as a nun.

"You are very important," Pope Francis told Goldberg before she handed him memorabilia from the film.

"You know, we're trying to help bring the sisters into the 21st century," Goldberg told him. Though Goldberg called the tone of the film "silly," Pope Francis stopped her. "One of the best things you can do for people is to help them and to have joy and to make them laugh," he said.

Back at the Hot Topics table, Goldberg reflected on the Pope's interest in Sister Act, adding that he also inquired about her character's signature red shoes.

"He is funny," she said. "He was like, 'The shoes, are you wearing the red shoes?' I was like, 'I'm just trying to bring the nuns into the 21st century.' He laughed."

In a video she posted to her Instagram Story on Thursday, Goldberg noted that St. Peter's Square could be a future filming location for her long-gestating, Tyler Perry–produced Sister Act 3 .

"Picture Sister Act and all the nuns standing here, waiting for the Pope to come out," she teased Thursday on Instagram. "Maybe that's going to happen in the new movie. You don't know. You never know, but we are in Rome, and I am in Vatican City. What could I be doing? Why could I be here? We'll find out."

Back on Monday's broadcast, the Ghost star said that the experience made her re-evaluate her relationship to the church.

"It was kind of shocking, because for 11 years, this is something I've tried to do," she said at the top of the show. "He was quite amazing. He is exactly what I hoped he would be, which is a Pope for all people, regardless of religion, which I appreciated. I wanted to thank him for all of my gay friends, and for all of my divorced friends, because he said 'Listen, God loves you no matter what, come back to the church."

On Friday, Goldberg first shared a photo to her Instagram Story, which showed her smiling with the Pope. "Such an honor," she wrote next to the image.

Goldberg told Vatican News last week that, elsewhere on her trip, after viewing the environment-centered Italian art exhibition "Changes," she wanted to send the Pope some bees because she observed a lack of them in Vatican City.

"The Vatican should have bees," Goldberg said. "Having bees brings attention to the fact that bees are dying all around the planet."

The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC .

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The Real Reason That Whoopi Goldberg Uses A Walker

While you may know quite a bit about Whoopi Goldberg thanks to the fact that she's super famous, there are also a few things that you likely don't know about this particular celebrity. While she's definitely achieved an impressive (and lucrative) level of success , she's also dealt with her fair share of obstacles, tragedy , and even health issues.

For instance, after being absent from her gig on "The View" in June, she returned and informed those who were watching that she had been having some problems that were physical in nature. "There I was, trying to move my leg," she said, adding that the seemingly simple task was "impossible to do." She added, "It was really horrible. But I'm glad to be here."

While Goldberg was apparently happy to be back at work, she was using a walker, which was obviously related to whatever was happening with her leg. So, what happened that led to the star using a walker and how did she really feel about it? Read on to find out.

Whoopi Goldberg opened up about sciatica

When Whoopi Goldberg returned to "The View" and revealed to fans that she was using a walker because of an issue with her leg, she also broke down what was at the root of the physical problem. "I was out because I was dealing with something called sciatica," she said. What is sciatica? Well, Goldberg explained that it "is basically a bulging disc in your back and it impacts the sciatic nerve, which sends pain down your leg."

According to Healthline , the sciatic nerve does, indeed, start in your back — more specifically, your spinal cord — before traveling down your hips, bum, and legs. When this super-long nerve is aggravated, it causes issues like the ones that Goldberg experienced. The Mayo Clinic notes that it can be caused by a herniated disk, bone spur, or when the spine narrows, which pinches the nerve, and can result in inflammation, pain, and numbness. It can be treated without surgery, although that is an option in some cases.

And Goldberg is certainly not alone when it comes to dealing with sciatica. Healthline notes that although sciatica can be something that older people tend to be diagnosed with, up to 40% of people will find themselves facing sciatica. They might also need help from a walker, which is something that Goldberg admitted made her feel a couple of different ways.

Whoopi Goldberg had a change of heart about her walker

When it comes to dealing with sciatica, Whoopi Goldberg offered a comparison that you might (unfortunately) relate to, saying , "I'm telling you, it's like a bad boyfriend ... a bad boyfriend who came back to mess with me." Oof, that's definitely not fun.

As for using a walker, Goldberg admitted that she had experienced a range of emotions while adjusting to the mobility aid. "I have a walker, which kind of freaked me out," she admitted. However, she explained that it didn't take long at all for her feelings about the walker to change. "I didn't know that I needed it. And you know what? That first step with the walker, this is my new best friend. I'm just gliding along."

When "The View" co-host Joy Behar — who noted that she had also dealt with sciatica in the past — mentioned that Goldberg was looking well and rested, Goldberg pointed out that while she's now at home, she had been forced to take it easy when the issue first hit. "Well, what can you do, I'm laying in a hospital room," she said. "I've turned into this little old Black lady. It's really strange." What Goldberg has been through may feel strange, but at least she's feeling better.

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Whoopi Goldberg Reveals She's Using a Walker Due to Sciatica: 'This Is My New Best Friend'

Whoopi Goldberg returned to co-host The View on Tuesday following a week-long absence from the show

Whoopi Goldberg is on the mend.

After a week-long absence from The View , the comedian and EGOT winner, 65, returned to the daytime talk show on Tuesday and revealed that she's now using a walker due to recent issues with her sciatica.

"Yes, it's me, I'm back," Goldberg said at the top of the show. "I was out because I was dealing with something called sciatica, which is basically a bulging disc in your back and it impacts the sciatic nerve, which sends pain down your leg."

Goldberg then jokingly likened the pain condition to a "bad boyfriend who came back to mess with me.

"So there I was, trying to move my leg — impossible to do," she recalled. "It was really horrible, but I'm glad to be here."

The longtime View host went on to explain that she's been using a walker to help her get around and held up the device to the camera for her fellow co-hosts to see.

"I have a walker, which kind of freaks me out I didn't know that I needed it," Goldberg continued, adding that after taking the "first step with the walker, this my new best friend."

"I'm just gliding along," explained Goldberg. "So that's what happened to me. I was told it comes out of nowhere."

When co-host Joy Behar — who said she also experienced sciatica when she was younger — noted that Goldberg looked well-rested, the Sister Act actress quipped that it was likely because she had been "laying in a hospital room" during her time away from the show.

"Well, what can you do?" she said with a chuckle. "I've turned into this little old Black lady. It's really strange."

This was not the first time Goldberg took a hiatus from The View for health issues. In February 2019, Goldberg was absent from the show for nearly a month due to pneumonia and sepsis.

That April, Goldberg told PEOPLE that she had nearly died while in the hospital.

"The doctor told me, 'Listen, you're not going anywhere tomorrow and you're not going anywhere next week because you are really sick, " she remembered. "'You were this close to dying.' "

"I was like, 'Really?' I never thought of pneumonia as something that serious. In my mind I wasn't that sick," Goldberg continued. "I hope that this is a cautionary tale for people. You have to take the time to take care of yourself."

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