- 2 days ago
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00:00It's Tuesday, so that means it's time for a new episode of No Filter Tuesdays with Naomi.
00:12I mean, this is a big day for No Filter. I mean, because we've got the first time that we are
00:21having an EGOT. We have an EGOT on No Filter with Naomi. And of course, she is someone extremely
00:33special to me. She's won an Emmy. She's won a Grammy. She's won an Oscar. She's won a Tony.
00:38And she's also the only black female EGOT ever.
00:45And she's also one of the warmest people I know. Humble, real. You just get drawn to
00:53her every time you meet her. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the extraordinary, amazing
01:01Whoopi Goldberg.
01:05Hello.
01:06Hi, Whoopi.
01:08Hi, baby.
01:11How are you doing? You look terrific.
01:13Oh, bless you. How are you?
01:15You know, just here and trying to not get in trouble and have some fun and, you know,
01:22appreciate getting old.
01:25You'll never get old, you won't. Your spirit is so young. Always and forever.
01:31Hi, darling.
01:33So, Whoopi, where are you, may I ask?
01:36I'm in New Jersey.
01:38And how has this whole quarantine life been for you?
01:44I've loved it.
01:46I loved every second of it. I still love it. I don't want to go outside ever again.
01:52You know, this has been perfect talking to people. You know, I can see people. I can talk to people.
01:56I love this and I feel like I have had better time with people. You know, I have a six-year-old great-granddaughter and she and I have been having these conversations about what it means to be family, you know, because she says, well, you're not my grandmother, right?
02:18I said, no, I'm not. She said, well, who are you? I said, I'm your grandmother's mother. She's like, okay, okay. You know, and she asks me what her grandma was like as a little girl.
02:31And so I tell her the things that were okay and the things that were not okay. And she goes, oh, I'm going to be like that. I'm not going to do things that are not okay, too.
02:42So, so it's, it's, she doesn't, you know, we, we do our computer stuff when we need to, but it's not about the computer. It's about, she and I having conversations.
02:53Yeah, it's a, so that's been really great. Just having people pay attention when you're talking to them as opposed to looking down when they're responding.
03:03So I really, I've liked it. And it's, I think helped a lot of people understand that you are as yourself enough, you are enough.
03:16And so there's no reason to feel bad about yourself. You know, you can, in these last several months, people were able to try things and people got a sense of humor about themselves.
03:29Oh, they got it back.
03:30They got it back. Yeah. Yeah. Which is lovely to see. So for me, it's been great. You know, I've loved it.
03:39So I'm trying to remember, first of all, can you tell the audience what does an EGOT stand for?
03:49Apparently it means an Emmy, a Tony, a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
03:59Wow. Wow. Wow.
04:02Yes.
04:03And you are the first black woman ever to ever have an EGOT. What does that feel like?
04:09Well, I didn't even know it was a thing.
04:12It's a thing. Rupi, it's a thing.
04:14I found out about EGOTs when I did something on a show, 30 Rock. And Tracy Morgan was trying to find me because I was an EGOT. And I was like, can you tell me what it actually is? And he's like, I don't know. They wrote it up.
04:32So it became a whole thing. But there are apparently quite a few of us. Rita Moreno is an EGOT also. You know, there's quite a few.
04:42I think John Legend's one now, too, isn't it?
04:44John Legend is one. There's a bunch. I think Barbara Streisand is one.
04:50Wow. God, you're all legendary, all of you. So I'm trying to remember, going back from the beginning, like we always do here in No Filter, where did we first meet? Do you remember?
05:02I don't. I don't know. I feel like it was. I don't feel like it was here. I feel like I met you in Europe.
05:09I don't. I think that I do remember. Where? And I tell you where it was. It was backstage at the Oscars in 1995.
05:20When 50 Jones produced the Oscars and you hosted. Yes.
05:24And I somehow, don't know how, was able and asked to give an Oscar of Best Costume with Claudia Schiffer and Pierce Brosnan.
05:34And I got to meet you there. And I was just like, ah!
05:40Wow. I'm so, you know, I find that I often try to figure out how or where I've met people. And I'm like, did I meet you under the ocean?
05:53No, no. We were just, you were at the supermarket. You know?
05:58But I've definitely seen you in Europe.
06:00Yes.
06:00Yes. Absolutely. Because we go through so many time zones, it does get confusing.
06:05It is. It really is. I just, you know, I can't remember. Can't remember.
06:11Now, so then, I guess you're not going to remember, so I'm going to remind you. Do you remember the line that you said when we walked off the stage after giving our Oscar?
06:21No.
06:22Best Costumes.
06:22What did I say?
06:23They said they make $10,000 a day and they still look pissed off?
06:30Yes. You know. Comic. What can I do?
06:34Oh, okay. I mean.
06:37But you forgave me.
06:38Of course I did. Never took it as a thing.
06:41But what did you think about the Oscars when you did it? Was that, what was it like? Was that your first time hosting the Oscars?
06:48I think it might have been. I think it might have been. No, no, it wasn't. It couldn't have been. No.
06:54Because Quincy, I think, was my second. I think I've done it four times. So Quincy was either my second or third.
07:00But, you know, I love the Oscars. I love them. I've loved them since I was a little kid. And I just, it was so exciting for me. And it was exciting because my mom was still alive, my mother and my brother both.
07:15And we spent many evenings, many Oscar evenings in the projects in front of our black and white television with me giving Oscar speeches. And so for them to see me actually host it, we just giggled. We just laughed a lot and said, who would have thought?
07:36Not only to host it, but to get one.
07:38Well, yes, that too.
07:39That's incredible.
07:41Yeah.
07:41So then it sounds like to me that you had the actress in you then.
07:46Oh, yes. Since I'm probably three or four. This was all I ever wanted to do because it allowed me, because I have a very fanciful imagination. I love thinking about the outer limits of our minds.
08:07And so when I was very little, I thought I could be, you know, I could live on Mars, I could be like this, and this is what it would be like. And so I would act it out. And my mother said, well, I think I have an idea of something.
08:22Let me show you like, let me show you what some people do for a living. And so I think, I want to say we watched Bringing Up Baby. I think that's one of the first films, Cary Grant and Catherine Hepburn.
08:38And I just, I had such a great time watching it. I thought, oh, I would like to do that. I would like to wear those dresses. I would like to have a tiger to walk around.
08:53You know, so it became, all those movies became different worlds that I could live in. I had no idea, apparently, that I was black and I wasn't supposed to be feeling like. I did not know.
09:07I just, you know, and my mother never said, you can't do that. She never said that.
09:12Why should she? But I think that's right that she never, why should she say you can never do that?
09:16Yeah.
09:17I don't believe in putting any of those boundaries in place. Your mother was absolutely right.
09:21Yes. You know, but think about it, you know, that's, that's 60 some odd years ago. And my mom was forward thinking anyway, but, you know, it never occurred to her to say, well, you know, this isn't, they don't really, and there's not enough.
09:37Because, you know, because, you know, the older I got, I then began to see other people of color, like Sidney Poitier, and like Harry Balafonte, and just thinking, oh, oh, cool, cool. Okay, so they're there too.
09:55Remember the first movie your mother took you to at a movie theater?
09:59Yes. It was a movie with Elvis Presley, honey.
10:05Mm-hmm.
10:06My mother was a big Elvis fan.
10:08Yeah. It might have been Viva Las Vegas or something. Yeah.
10:13Wow, that must have been a treat.
10:15Yeah.
10:15So, Whoopi, I've always, when I think of you always, you've just always, to me, been so warm, you're giving, you're humble, you're spiritual, you're chilled, you're always chilled.
10:31It's always your solution, person. It's like never, ever, ever seen you in, just always chilled. It's always, it's easy.
10:40I try. That's what I try for. I do go off from time to time, and it doesn't feel good to me, because I feel like I'm doing it just because I can.
10:53So, I try, you know, so I really, I try to think of the best solution for me, because if I have the best solution for me, I can impart whatever I need to do.
11:08So, now, I'm going to go back to, where did you grow up as a child?
11:16In Chelsea, in Manhattan, 26th Street and 10th Avenue.
11:21What was that like growing up in New York City? Is that in the 70s?
11:26You are so sweet.
11:29Whoopi, you're never going to look your age, no matter what.
11:32Well, it starts, figure for our, our conversations, probably 1960, 1960, because I was five then, and I feel like when kids hit five, they then start to remember things.
11:50You know, they're, they're able to remember, they start to remember where you, what they know.
11:54So, when I was a kid, I was lucky, because Chelsea was a place in New York where you had rich people, not so rich people, then poor people.
12:05You had all kinds of cuisines, all kinds of foods.
12:10Everybody who lived in the projects, you know, was Spanish and Latvian and Russian and Greek and, you know, Spanish.
12:23I mean, just every language.
12:25Everyone was there in a melting pot together.
12:28Yeah, and you had to learn to say in every language, hello, Mrs. So-and-so, can so-and-so come out to play?
12:35Or, hello, Mrs. So-and-so, may I use the bathroom?
12:39Yeah, it matters.
12:41You know, it just, I was very lucky.
12:45I was very lucky to grow up where I did when I did, because it was the beginning of great change in America.
12:56And so, I got to watch it and hear about it from different sides, from my mom, from my aunts, from my cousins, to understand what was happening and why it was happening and why it was happening the way it was.
13:14So, I was really lucky.
13:16And then I was a hippie when I got older, you know, did all kinds of things like that.
13:23So, then after that, I read that you became a bricklayer.
13:29Well, I became a bricklayer probably...
13:35Late teens?
13:35No, no, early, early 20s, because I was sort of moving around.
13:42But you weren't just any bricklayer.
13:44I thought you were an incredible bricklayer.
13:46No, I was a very, eh, bricklayer.
13:49And you had to come, you know, you had to come along and sort of clean up after me.
13:55I wasn't great, but I was dedicated, because it was a job.
13:59I was glad to have a job.
14:00You know, I worked for Chase Manhattan Bank.
14:02I laid bricks.
14:04I did all kinds of stuff.
14:06And then I worked in the morgue when I was in California.
14:08I moved to California.
14:09And, you know, I had a little kid by then.
14:11So, I had to, you know, get a job.
14:13And to get a job, you know.
14:16And were you...
14:17You were a single mother?
14:19I was a single mom, yeah.
14:21Like my mother.
14:22Yeah.
14:23And that wouldn't have been easy at that time.
14:24So, working single, you know.
14:27Yeah, and I was on welfare, you know.
14:30And I thank God welfare was there.
14:33Because when I got to California, you know, I realized it was not a good thing for me to be married.
14:39I didn't understand what all that meant.
14:41I didn't understand what all that meant.
14:43You know, and when I realized that it wasn't for me, I was out.
14:48But when you don't have any money, you know, you say, yes, I'll take some help.
14:55And then you do everything you can to get off it.
14:58And so, that's what I did.
14:59You know, I raised my kid.
15:00And, you know, when I made a little bit of money, I jumped off.
15:05Because, you know, it served the purpose.
15:10What drew you to L.A.?
15:11Why did you decide to go to California?
15:13Because there was a guy that I met who, and becoming friends with, was on his way back to California.
15:23Because he was from California.
15:25He was an actor.
15:26And he had a little kid.
15:28And he said, would you come and bring your kid?
15:32And maybe you can be the nanny for the kid, for my kid.
15:36And your kid will have somebody to play for.
15:37And I thought, well, I'd like to go to California.
15:40I've never been.
15:42You know.
15:43And see, I thought California.
15:48I don't know what I thought.
15:49I never heard of San Diego.
15:50That's where I ended up.
15:52I was like, wait, wait.
15:53Where's Hollywood?
15:55Where's Hullabaloo?
15:57Like me, I thought it was a whole place.
16:00And it's a whole entity.
16:02Yes.
16:03It had a whole bunch of little chopped up places.
16:07And so I got there.
16:09And it didn't work out being a nanny.
16:12So I had to, like, find a gig really fast.
16:14And that's how I ended up going to the welfare folks and saying, can you help me?
16:19Hey, this is what happened.
16:21And I need some help.
16:22And they were very good.
16:24Now, I couldn't wait to get off of welfare.
16:27Because, you know, they pop up at your house whenever they want to.
16:30You can't have certain things at your house.
16:33You can't make any money if you're on welfare.
16:35So I really wanted to get out from under that, you know, as many people do.
16:41No one loves being on welfare.
16:44I have to say that, you know, because people are telling you what to do, basically.
16:50And so once I got up, I was thrilled, girl.
16:53Thrilled.
16:54So from that point on, so you left the nanny job.
16:57You went back to welfare.
16:59How did stand-up enter into your life?
17:02Where does that come in?
17:03At what point did that, or entertainment, or coming into this whole world of entertainment?
17:09It's always been there.
17:10I did theater at Children's Theater in Manhattan when I was a kid.
17:18And the guy that I moved out to be with in California was also in the theater.
17:25So I just hooked up with all those folks I met.
17:28And that was, you know, that stayed with me.
17:32And then I just started doing all kinds of stuff.
17:35And then I ended up working.
17:38Your art was always in your life.
17:40Yeah, always.
17:41Always, always, always.
17:43So can you tell us about what was your first break in California?
17:47California?
17:48Yes.
17:49I got a letter from a man here in New York.
17:54I was living in San Francisco by that time.
17:57And I got a letter saying, my name is David White.
18:02I run the Dance Theater Workshop in Manhattan.
18:06And I've heard about your monologues.
18:09And we're doing a whole monologue festival.
18:12And we'd like to pay you some money to come.
18:15Now, I said, OK, because it was in Chelsea.
18:20So I could stay at my mom's house.
18:22Go home.
18:23To mom.
18:24That's it.
18:25And that's what I did.
18:28So I came back.
18:29And, you know, I saw this amazing spot down in Chelsea.
18:34And it was beautiful.
18:35And Joyce was there.
18:36You know, that's the dance spot.
18:39And we were, I think, around the corner from them.
18:42And for the first couple of days, you know, no one came to the show.
18:46Because, you know, you're putting up flyers and doing stuff.
18:49And then Bette Midler came.
18:54And then another wonderful actress came.
18:59And then a man wrote, his name was Mel Gusow.
19:05He wrote a review of the show that I was doing, which I had written, which is me doing all these characters.
19:11And if he had been my boyfriend, if I had been living with him for 100 years, I couldn't have got a better review.
19:18I mean, it was so extraordinary that my mother and I were like, wow, wow, okay.
19:30And not thinking, oh, well, this means something more is going to happen.
19:34No.
19:35So I go to work to do the shows.
19:39And David West says to me, would you consider doing maybe an extra week or two?
19:49I said, no, I said, no one's coming.
19:52He said, this review has changed that.
19:56And from there on in, that sort of started the ball.
20:02And then Mike Nichols came.
20:03If you made a Hollywood movie, this is it.
20:08But how did you feel?
20:10Because I remember that feeling of getting something and something, getting that call for something you really wanted or you maybe forgot that you did.
20:19What did that feel like for you?
20:22I just kept thinking, well, this is interesting.
20:25Oh, this is kind of cool.
20:27This is really nice.
20:28And when we got to the point of doing the show for Broadway, for Mike, we had an after party.
20:38There was an after party.
20:40And I remember holding on to my mom and we were walking around going, oh, my God, oh, my God, look at Madonna, look at Madonna.
20:47Oh, my God, Madonna.
20:49And my mother would say, stop, stop, stop.
20:50Just walk past her.
20:52So we walked past Madonna and then I said to her, oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, mom, look, look, look, look.
20:59She said, who, who, left, right, left, right.
21:03And it was Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
21:09And my mother said, we have to go over there.
21:12I said, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
21:13I just met her.
21:13No, no, no, no, no.
21:14She said, come on, we're going.
21:15So we went over and we had probably one of the best conversations I've ever had with anyone about what this is like.
21:26Because Paul Simon said to me, listen, it's going to get really fast and a lot is going to happen.
21:34But you have to remember two things.
21:36Remember to have as good a time as you can, because everything you're going to experience, this is the first time for you.
21:43So enjoy it.
21:45Paul said, Art and I never did.
21:47We just did the work.
21:48We never had a good time with it.
21:50Have a good time.
21:51And then he said, now, I just want to tell you, a lot of people are not going to get you.
21:56They're not going to understand you just personally.
21:58You will be strange to them.
22:01He said, don't worry about it.
22:03What they don't understand won't hurt them.
22:05Unless they piss you off and then you will hurt them.
22:08But, you know, you'll be fine.
22:11Incredible, beautiful thing for him to say.
22:14Yeah.
22:15And I've carried that.
22:19That sounded right.
22:21And this is what I've said to newbies that I meet.
22:25Have a good time.
22:26You know.
22:27Enjoy it.
22:28Yeah.
22:29It's very important because that factor can be so quickly forgotten.
22:33That's it.
22:34That's it.
22:34My God.
22:36So, from there, so you're back in New York.
22:39Right.
22:40You're doing the one-man show, right?
22:43Right.
22:44So, then, when do you get a call about the color purple?
22:48Well.
22:48Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones.
22:51Pops, pops.
22:52It's close to the end.
22:54Now, here's what happened with it.
22:56When I came the first time, my daughter and I had been driving somewhere in Berkeley.
23:06And we heard Alice Walker reading Color Purple on NPR.
23:11And my daughter and I pulled the car over to listen.
23:14Because it was so extraordinary hearing her.
23:18Her voice.
23:20Yeah.
23:21And so, I thought, I'm going to write her a letter.
23:25Yeah.
23:26And so, I wrote her a letter.
23:27I sent it, I think, to the publisher.
23:29What I didn't realize is that they were in San Francisco, where I was.
23:35Right.
23:35And so, when I got to do the first show, I got a letter.
23:43Because I think I wrote her and said, I'm on my way to New York because I'm doing this.
23:46And, you know, here's where I'll be.
23:50Well, there was a letter waiting for me.
23:53And I said, dear Whoopi, I already know about you.
23:57I live in San Francisco.
23:59I've been to all your shows.
24:00I know what you do.
24:01I already sent you stuff.
24:02I was like, oh, oh, oh.
24:04And I said to my mother, ma, ma, ma, ma, look.
24:06So, I gave it to her.
24:08And my mother's like, oh, my God.
24:10And I was like, oh, my God.
24:11She said, okay, okay, okay, okay.
24:13It's all cool.
24:13So, she said, when everything, when they know what they're doing, someone will reach out so you can audition.
24:20Because I had said to her, I'll play the dirt on the floor.
24:26You just wanted to be in that film.
24:27I just wanted to be.
24:29You know what?
24:30I didn't even know what it meant, what I meant when I was writing it.
24:33I don't think I understood what I was saying.
24:35Because I didn't know anything about movies.
24:37I only knew about being on stage.
24:40So, at the end of my run on Broadway, I had a manager.
24:45You know Sandy Gallen.
24:47Yes, I love Sandy.
24:48I loved him.
24:49Yeah.
24:50Sandy was my manager.
24:52And Ron Meyer was my agent.
24:55And they said, listen, Steven Spielberg wants to see you.
25:00He's not able to come to New York to see your show on Broadway.
25:04I was like, okay, sure, okay.
25:08And so, I get to California.
25:13I get back to California.
25:14And they said, well, he wants you to come to the studio.
25:18And I was like, oh, to the studio.
25:23You know, I had to.
25:24E.T. had already come and gone, right?
25:27Yeah.
25:27Oh, my God.
25:28E.T.
25:29Raiders of the Lost Ark.
25:33Name it.
25:33So, I'm thinking, okay, I want to meet him.
25:36Of course I want to meet him.
25:38Me and Indiana Jones would be a great combination.
25:41That's in my head.
25:41That's what I'm thinking.
25:43Jaws.
25:44Me and Richard Dreyfuss trying to fight off another shark.
25:47Who knew?
25:47So, I say, okay, what does he want me to do this?
25:56Well, do your show.
25:58And he has a little theater in the studio.
26:02And he wants to see and, you know, figure out what he wants to do.
26:06So, I meet him.
26:07And he says, well, I think I'm going to be directing Color Purple.
26:11And I just wanted to see, you know, and I saw your letter to Alice.
26:17And so, I wanted to see what you were doing because I also heard the show was really good.
26:22I said, oh, sure.
26:23What?
26:23Yes.
26:24I'll do the whole show.
26:25Yes.
26:25And so, that evening, I'm behind the curtain and I make the mistake of looking out and I see, oh, my God, there's Ashford and Simpson.
26:39I see Michael Jackson.
26:41No way!
26:42Yes.
26:43I see all these people and I'm thinking, oh, shit.
26:48Okay.
26:48Whatever it's going to be, it's going to be.
26:51So, I go out and I do the show.
26:52And the one thing that Sandy and Ron said was, do not do Blee-T.
27:03So, one of the pieces I didn't do on Broadway, but that I had written was called Blee-T.
27:09B-L-E-E-T.
27:11And it was the Blackie-T.
27:15So, he does not land in a nice suburb.
27:18He lands in Oakland.
27:19And he gets all caught up.
27:24He gets a jerry curl.
27:25He's running, you know, he's running hoes.
27:28He's doing all kinds of stuff.
27:30And then when his people come back to get him, he shoots them up because he doesn't recognize them.
27:36And the whole, the piece was really about, I felt people should stop asking people to assimilate.
27:42Because sometimes you don't recognize your own folks, you know.
27:48So, you always have to keep some part of who you are when you get here.
27:53And then you can build in, but you don't totally change.
27:57So, that was the whole point.
27:58So, they said, do not do that.
28:00I said, okay.
28:01You didn't do that one.
28:03Well, they told me not to do it.
28:06And then when I got there and I finished and they said, what did you say today?
28:11This is the Steven Spielberg.
28:14You know.
28:15And they are saying, you know, more.
28:17Do you have more?
28:18And I said, well, I do.
28:20But they asked me not to do this.
28:22And Stevenson, what did they ask you?
28:25And I said, well, they, you know, they know, you know, E.T.
28:30And I did a parody.
28:32And he says, really?
28:33I said, uh-huh.
28:34He said, well, I want to see it.
28:35I said, oh, I don't know.
28:37He said, it'll be fine.
28:39He said, it'll be fine.
28:40I said, okay.
28:41So, I do this parody.
28:43They're laughing.
28:44And then I explain at the end that the moral is you mustn't ask people to assimilate themselves to the point where they don't recognize their own people.
28:57That's just people, you know, come to find.
28:59So, he is, he's like, I love this.
29:03This is fabulous.
29:05And really, I never looked at it this way.
29:09But what a really interesting way to look at it.
29:13I said, well, I wanted to tell people because, you know, most families come and they come from other countries.
29:21And, you know, they have to keep their mother tongue.
29:24They have to learn how to speak the mother tongue.
29:25Their kids should learn how to speak the mother tongue.
29:28You should never leave the mother tongue out of life.
29:33So, he said, I think it's great.
29:35And he said, so, I'm doing Color Purple.
29:37And I want to ask you, would you?
29:39That's 17 personalities you did in this one show.
29:43It wasn't quite 17.
29:45It was probably about six.
29:48I have her, in the age, you know, one woman shows 17%.
29:53But six is good enough.
29:56You know.
29:57It's a lot of dialogue.
29:58Yes, it's a lot of dialogue.
29:59And it's all stuff that I wrote.
30:02But it was great for me because I could improvise whenever I needed to.
30:05So, I could have a good time.
30:08But I always knew my characters.
30:10And at that time, one of them was a young girl who loves being on the beach.
30:17And, you know, she gets involved with a guy.
30:22And she ends up pregnant.
30:23And she goes to her church.
30:25And no one will talk to her about it.
30:28She goes to friends.
30:29And they don't want to talk to her.
30:31She goes home.
30:32And her mother puts her out.
30:33This is one of the characters.
30:34Yeah.
30:34And her mother throws her out.
30:36And so, what she does is she takes care of it herself physically.
30:42Because when I was younger, you know, one of the short things that were killing women were women giving themselves home abortions.
30:55Oh.
30:55You know, doing all kinds of crazy things.
30:58And then getting infections.
31:00And then getting infections.
31:01And suddenly someone is in the, you know, in the little house in the park.
31:05And they're on the floor.
31:06And you've got to call the police.
31:08And maybe they survive and maybe they don't.
31:10So, I wanted to point out the fact that, you know, this isn't something someone does lightly.
31:18This is something someone does because they're desperate.
31:22And so, that was one of my characters.
31:24And the other character that I really, I think people really liked was a junkie called Fontaine.
31:31And I had had my first trip to Europe and had gone and spent time in the Anne Frank house.
31:41And one of the things, yeah, that I saw when I got there was there was a wonderful actress called Shelly Winters.
31:49Yeah.
31:49And she gave the Anne Frank house.
31:51Because in that movie, but the boat, right?
31:53Like the Titanic.
31:54Yes, the, the, there's got to be moving after.
31:56Yeah.
31:57There's got to be moving after.
31:58Yes.
32:00I think Shelly Winters, I think she loved Robert De Niro.
32:05Like, she was like a godmother to him.
32:06Yes.
32:07Yes.
32:07Yeah.
32:07And she was in Lolita.
32:09I mean, she, she.
32:10Yeah.
32:11Fabulous actress.
32:12And she gave her Oscar there.
32:15And I thought, wow.
32:16And then I went through all of the rooms where they had been hiding.
32:20And it was so, for me, very profound to think of having to hide, you know, to think of having
32:29to hide in a building, not making any noise because you knew someone was looking to take
32:35you down and kill you.
32:37And kill you.
32:37Yeah.
32:38Terrifying.
32:40And I hate flying.
32:41So I had a whole thing.
32:42So it was all about me going to Europe on the plane and talking about all the stuff
32:48with the studentuses and just talking all kinds of crap.
32:51But let's get it back to in the audience, Michael Jackson.
32:55Was Quincy in the audience then?
32:56Did you meet Quincy James that night?
32:58That's when I met Quincy.
32:59Yeah.
33:00Yeah.
33:01So it was, did they tell you pretty much right away, you're in the movie, we're hiring you?
33:06Well, Stephen did.
33:07Stephen said, I would like to offer you the part of Sealy.
33:10And I said, um, I don't think I can do that.
33:14Well, you did, you more than did that.
33:18Well, that really is a lot to him, a lot to do with him.
33:22Because the thing that he did for me that, that really made it easy was I, I love movies.
33:32I think I told you my mom and I would watch movies.
33:34Yeah.
33:35So he also is a movie fanatic.
33:39So we had a doc, we could talk about movies.
33:42So he would say, do you remember that moment before they see Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird
33:50and he's behind the, behind the door and Scout knows that he's there, but she doesn't want to scare him.
33:57I said, yeah.
33:57He said, that's the feel I want.
33:59So you two were just on the same wavelength from Get Down, which is a very special thing.
34:05It's really great.
34:06And it doesn't happen all that often, but.
34:09You're like an excitopedia.
34:10And not only that, to get, to be able to know someone just tell you that and to get the essence of the feeling.
34:18Yeah.
34:19Because it's not the words, is it?
34:20As you know, it's the feelings, the essence.
34:23And you can just nail it like that.
34:24For me, you in Colour Purple, that role was so liberating for women.
34:32I mean, you know, you start off in the way of being under the control of your husband, not feeling good about yourself.
34:41And we get to see you blossom.
34:43Right.
34:43And just everything on a karmatic level just came back to you in the right way possible.
34:49I mean, that movie is a really strength building movie for a black woman.
34:53And for a woman, period.
34:55Yeah.
34:56Yeah.
34:57So, I mean, you've seen it on Broadway and you've seen it on stage.
35:03When you see it on stage, have you been to see the stage productions?
35:07Yeah.
35:07Yeah.
35:08How is it to watch?
35:10Well, it's like, it's like an echo.
35:16It's like hearing an echo.
35:17It's like, oh, okay.
35:19So, what I'm seeing is an echo of the original, which I like, you know, and the echo then morphs into their, you know, becomes their performance.
35:32And then it morphs into something else.
35:34So, it's just great to watch the morphing of this.
35:39And the different interpretations.
35:41Yes.
35:41Yes.
35:42Really heavily.
35:43But then we got to jump.
35:44We got to jump to Ghost.
35:46Because Ghost, I mean, if people didn't know who you were from Color Purple, they sure did from Ghost.
35:55You were just like such a beautiful and lovely, protective ghost.
36:03I'm kind of blessed.
36:04Well, you know, I got that job because of Patrick Swayze.
36:10Can you tell us about that?
36:11Because I read that.
36:12Yeah.
36:13So, a friend of mine came over.
36:18We were having lunch at my house.
36:21And I said, so, what are you up to?
36:23She said, girl, I've just been to this audition.
36:26Every black woman and her mother, she said, black women got up out the grave to come do this audition.
36:34I was like, oh, oh.
36:37I said, what is it?
36:39And then she explains it to me.
36:40And so, we eat and we go on about our business.
36:43And then I call my agent and I say, is there a reason you didn't let me know to go maybe audition for this thing?
36:51He said, oh, who told you?
36:53Ramai, who told you?
36:55I said, well, I just had lunch with my friend Beverly.
37:00And she said, she was, he said, oh.
37:02I said, what's the matter?
37:04What's the, oh.
37:05I don't ever want to tell you news like this.
37:10And I said, okay.
37:11He said, they don't want you.
37:14I said, oh.
37:16Is it, do I know them?
37:18Are they mad at me?
37:19He said, they think that your persona, that Whoopi is too big and will take people out of the movie.
37:28I said, not that I'm comparing myself, but Marlon Brando is big.
37:37I mean, he's the guy, you know Marlon Brando and then you move on with the character.
37:42But he said, I know.
37:44We told him.
37:45I said, oh, okay.
37:46No worries.
37:47And so, that was that.
37:48It's not fair when people do that.
37:49I've had that told to me in my career as a model.
37:51They think it's a compliment.
37:52It is not a compliment.
37:54Yeah.
37:54It's like, let us go and have the opportunity and prove you wrong.
37:58Yes.
37:59At least give us that.
38:01Give us the chance.
38:02But it was like, oh, okay.
38:03I'm, all right.
38:04I'm not mad at you.
38:05He said, we'll find something else for you to do.
38:07But I hurt my feelings a little bit.
38:09I'm not going to lie.
38:10I hurt my feelings.
38:10Of course.
38:11And so, I go and I'm in Alabama, of all places.
38:16And I'm making a movie about the civil rights sit-in.
38:23And I get a call from Ron Meyer.
38:26And he says, you remember that movie that they didn't watch you for?
38:31I said, yeah.
38:32He said, well, the director and the actor want to come to wherever you are and see if there's any way to do this with you.
38:43I said, what happened?
38:44He said, well, they've hired Patrick Swayze.
38:48I said, oh, that's great.
38:50I said, well, Patrick wanted to know why they hadn't come to you.
38:58Because they told him that they thought that you would take people out of the movie.
39:04He said, so you haven't even auditioned her?
39:07And they said, no.
39:09He said, and Bonnie Timmerman, who was the casting director, said, no, they won't let me bring her in.
39:15Just threw everybody into the bus and said, they won't let me bring her in.
39:19And Patrick said, I'm not saying yes to this police until we know that she's not the right person.
39:25Because this is ridiculous.
39:27She's perfect.
39:28Where he rests in peace.
39:29God bless him.
39:30Yes.
39:31Because I'd never met him.
39:33You'd never met him?
39:34No, I'd never met him.
39:35But he was a fan.
39:37You see everyone, what can happen?
39:39Yeah.
39:39There are good people out there.
39:41That's right.
39:41You never know who's watching.
39:43You never know who remembers something about you.
39:46You know, and that was a great, another great lesson.
39:50And so they came down to Alabama.
39:52And as soon as Patrick and I looked at each other, we started laughing.
39:56And I said, how are you doing, man?
39:58And he said, I'm good.
39:59And we just started talking and doing shit.
40:01And the director was just, Jerry was just watching us interact.
40:05And we went on for about two hours.
40:08And I said, you know, I got to, I'm going to go back to work.
40:11I got to go back to work because I'm shooting this movie.
40:14And they were like, okay.
40:15And so we hugged.
40:16And it was like, I just said it was really nice to meet you.
40:18And how did you, just tell us a little bit.
40:21How did you actually, was it the special effects?
40:24How did you, were you with in every scene?
40:26Did you see each other always or some of you on your own?
40:29Or there was a green screen?
40:31No green screen.
40:32Patrick was always there.
40:33Always there.
40:35Always there.
40:36And so I just stopped seeing them.
40:39Had you met Demi before, Ghost?
40:42Yes, because Bruce and I had been friends for years.
40:45Yeah.
40:46And so I knew Demi.
40:48I didn't know Tony Goldwyn, who I adore.
40:52That's right.
40:53Yeah.
40:54You know, it was a lot of, Rick Avila.
40:57He was the villain.
40:58Yes, he was the villain.
40:59And Rick was like the even villain or villain.
41:02He was the villainous villain.
41:03He was the guy who was trying to kill everybody.
41:07And so doing that.
41:09And, you know, I love Jerry Zucker because I loved Airplane.
41:14You know, it was just one.
41:15Yes.
41:15I was like ready to play.
41:18So Patrick and I were just cutting up.
41:22And Jerry would say, Patrick, you've got to stop because you can't do the jokes.
41:29Stop trying to do the jokes.
41:32Because Patrick wanted to be funny.
41:34So they would say, no, no, no, I can't do it.
41:37Just do it.
41:39So we, he would do stuff to me.
41:41He would try to get me to see him.
41:44Because I would look over here and look over here.
41:46And he said, how do you do that?
41:48How do you look at me?
41:49You did that third wall amazing.
41:51Did not, really just through.
41:55You know, I said, it's part, it's, you know, it's part of my toolkit that if I have to not
42:02be able to see, if I have to play someone who's blind, I have to know how to look like I'm doing
42:10all the things that I would be doing, but not seeing.
42:14So he said, oh, man.
42:16So that's what we did.
42:17And it was great.
42:19Wow.
42:21Jumping to, do you miss stand up?
42:25And there's a great comic relief, Whoopi, that you did.
42:29Yeah.
42:29All of you.
42:30Yeah.
42:30Listen, I, I, I, I have, I've always, I've always gone out.
42:36I love playing casinos.
42:38If the best way to get me.
42:40Why?
42:40Why casino?
42:42Come to the casino and work on the stage.
42:44And I'm there.
42:45I love it.
42:46So up until COVID hit, I was going out every couple of weeks and I just do shows because
42:53it's fun for me.
42:54Anyone I ever spoke to that were great friends with him, they just said he was an incredible
42:58man.
42:59Yeah.
42:59And that must've been such a shock for you all.
43:02Well, yeah.
43:03You know, he was like, you know, Robin and Billy are my big brothers and my big brother
43:08said it was okay to have them in the family.
43:11So, so they were, they were family and are.
43:15And so, uh, my brother called to tell me that Robin had, had passed and he said, do I need
43:22to come and sit down with you?
43:23And I said, I think you do.
43:25I think you need to come.
43:26And so we mourned our, you know, the passing of one of our brothers because it just was
43:32like, so it was hard.
43:37It was just hard.
43:37I can, I can, I can imagine really just for the people I knew they were just really, it's
43:43really not them.
43:44Yeah.
43:45But I mean, whoopi, what is that when, you know, people who everyone thinks they're so,
43:51you know, they just always, they're funny and they're comedic.
43:53Like, but then there's a sadness as well that we, we, you know, it's like we expect, but
44:00then inside of them, there seems to be always a sadness.
44:04Well, it's a prior.
44:06Yeah.
44:06Well, the thing you have to remember is we're all human.
44:11And so we all have foibles, you know, not one of us are perfect or has everything good.
44:18You know, people say, oh, you know, they have the perfect life and, you know, you don't know
44:22what demons they're fighting.
44:23You know, and people forget, you know, it's, you know, for me now, I mean, it's one of the
44:30downsides to the internet, you know, because people talk to you like you are a machine, like
44:38you don't have any feelings.
44:40And I think oftentimes for a great many people, you know, people should stay off of social media
44:48if you're trying to maintain your self-esteem because there are lots of people there who
44:55are waiting and willing to tear you down, break you down, break you down.
45:01And isn't it something that we will take the word of people we don't know?
45:08And that's the word of, yes, yes.
45:12Somebody you don't know who doesn't know you has told you what you are and who you are.
45:17And people say, yes, that's right.
45:20And continue to feel bad about themselves.
45:22I just don't read them.
45:24I don't read them.
45:25Just don't read those things.
45:27Talk to me about The View because I've always been on The View and you've got to be there
45:34and interview me and I love it when you're there.
45:37Yeah.
45:37And how did that come into your life?
45:39And is it just like sitting in your living room?
45:41Well, yeah.
45:43I mean, Barbara Walters started this amazing show, you know, where these women are sitting
45:47around talking about stuff.
45:50And I think originally they thought they were going to be just talking about women things.
45:54And it evolved into women talking about the world that they live in.
45:59And so, you know, it's a great job.
46:03What I didn't realize was that it would open me up to people who don't have my best interest
46:15at heart.
46:16You know, so in the old days you get letters and, you know, people saying how terrible you
46:20are because you said X, Y, Z.
46:23And it's like, you do know that that's my job, right?
46:26It's my job to give you my opinion.
46:29That's what they're paying me for.
46:30So you can't be mad because that's my opinion.
46:33You know, you can tell me all kinds of stuff, but, you know, back off.
46:37So on any day, half the country hates you.
46:42Yeah.
46:43And these days, you know, it's very hard to get people to understand, hey, I'm okay with
46:51how you feel.
46:52You just don't, you're mad at me about how I feel.
46:55And you tell me I'm, you know, I'm the scum of the earth because I feel like this.
47:00It's like, no, this is how I feel and things.
47:03So when people say, you know, we're going to get you, it's like, listen, if you're going
47:08to risk coming to mess me up, you risk going to jail to come to mess me up, you're an idiot.
47:15Absolutely.
47:15You know, just, you know, yell at me on the television.
47:19Why would you put yourself in, in the pandemic?
47:22Such stupid risk.
47:24I mean, it's dumb, you know.
47:26So I like the show.
47:27I love doing the show.
47:28It's fun.
47:29It's, you know, it's...
47:30Now, wait a minute.
47:31Please.
47:32I mean, there's been some issues with, I mean, how is it, was it five of you together?
47:39It's a lot.
47:39Five is a lot.
47:40I'm not going to...
47:41I mean, how do all the personalities get to work?
47:44I mean, you seem to be the neutral ground to me.
47:47I try.
47:48Sometimes I don't do it well.
47:50But, you know, again, you have five different personalities, five different ways of thinking,
47:56five different ways of delivering.
47:58And everyone has their, their boundary thing.
48:02You know, you can go this far before it becomes personal.
48:05And you never want to go that.
48:07You never want to do that.
48:08Don't want to make it personal.
48:10You don't want to make it personal.
48:11No, not ever.
48:12Because, you know, real friends, they have lots of, they think differently about this or about that.
48:19But real friends don't make it personal.
48:23You know, they don't make it personal unless they're looking for a fight, a real fight.
48:27That's true.
48:28That's a very true thing you just said there.
48:30Very true.
48:31And the newspaper stuff love to say that we're, you know, we're fighting.
48:35They love to make it like, oh, they're fighting at The View, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
48:39This one wants this one to leave.
48:40Yeah, I've seen all that.
48:42But I've been at The View, and it's been a very chilled and positive vibe.
48:49I've enjoyed every time I've ever been on With You.
48:51And I have to tell you something.
48:53I was experiencing really bad pain last year in my lower back.
48:57And a friend of mine gave me this cream.
49:02And they said to me, this is Whoopi's.
49:05And I'm like, what do you mean this is Whoopi's?
49:07And I have it.
49:07I think I have like that left.
49:09I think I was almost finished.
49:11That cream really saved me.
49:13It took way to my pain.
49:14And this is part of your CBD medical marijuana.
49:18Yeah.
49:18How is that going?
49:20Well, that company.
49:20Because that's the thing right now, isn't it?
49:22It's a great thing.
49:24Listen, that company, Whoopi and Maya, is no longer together.
49:30I'm working with a different group now called Tikun, T-I-K-U-N.
49:35And they're out of Israel, which you know, in Israel, they have no problems doing the investigation,
49:41learning about THC and learning about CBD.
49:45So it's a whole thing.
49:46They are on par with Whoopi and Maya.
49:50And maybe a little bit better.
49:51I really love them.
49:53And so what I'm going to do when we're done, you're going to give me a way to send something to you.
50:00And I'm going to send you something new to try.
50:02Because I think this, I use this every day.
50:05And you can't smell it.
50:07It's brilliant.
50:08It's called T-I-K-U-N, Tikun.
50:10I mean, really, I was just like, that's not going to work.
50:13Because I'm not into taking the painkillers.
50:15It's never been my thing.
50:16They're like, try this Naomi.
50:18It's going to help your pain.
50:19It really did.
50:20I'm so glad.
50:22I mean, so it's the natural way.
50:23It's the natural way.
50:25Well, tell me why we are still having to find things to take that will work.
50:32Because I tell you, if guys had the kind of cramps that we have, there'd be something.
50:38There'd be no problem.
50:40There'd be no problem.
50:41We couldn't handle the cramps that we get.
50:43But, you know, we have Midol and we have Pamperin, you know.
50:51And Midol is from the late 1800s or the early 1900s.
50:56I'm sorry.
50:57Pamperin is from the 60s.
50:58There has been nothing else in between that.
51:02You know, you can take ibuprofen.
51:05But nothing that anyone has made that says, listen, use this.
51:09Because, you know, when you're 12, if you get your period, you know, what can you take if you have cramps?
51:18There's nothing out there.
51:20There's nothing out there.
51:21We wanted to create the rub for Whoopi and Maya.
51:26And it's why I want to work with Takoon, because what they've done is they have put all the information that you need to have.
51:36And, you know, little girls need to have stuff in their bags should it happen at school.
51:42No doubt.
51:42But have you seen the rise in, I mean, during this pandemic, in this time of where mental health has definitely become a big issue and was existing before, obviously.
51:56But now this has obviously affected a lot of people mentally.
51:59Has your product, like, have you seen a lot of people turn into CBD, THC to get through this time?
52:09Some, but not all.
52:10I think most people are really looking.
52:13You know, there are people who are weed heads.
52:15You know, I was a weed head.
52:17But the older I got, I started recognizing that this was better just for my well-being in terms of working on my back problems, working on muscle issues.
52:29And so for me, I want it as medicine for as many people as who can use it, because it doesn't work on everybody.
52:37But all those people who don't want to get high, who just want the pain to stop, this is a really good way to go.
52:45And CBD, everybody needs to be very careful about CBD, because there's a lot of crap out there.
52:52And what you should know is CBD doesn't really work without at least the hint, just like less than a drop of THC that has to have a drop of it in order to be effective in terms of pain.
53:06Most people now have a placebo effect, but it's not really working.
53:11It's not working on pain.
53:13So, and when you do it and you mix it correctly, you know, you don't get high.
53:20It's CBD mixed the correct way.
53:23It balances out.
53:24It really is helpful because it becomes more CBD than THC, but you must have both.
53:31But listen, again, it doesn't work on everybody.
53:35But for those of you who have chronic pain, those of you who are looking for some weight just on a daily basis, I'm telling you, if you're in California, there are so many great things on the market.
53:49And I'm recommending to everybody, T-I-K-U-N, Chikun, because I swear by it.
53:56Okay.
53:56I'm going to make sure I connect with you.
53:59Yes, please.
54:00And the last thing is, I mean, how is our great friend Andre?
54:04Have you seen him?
54:05I haven't seen him.
54:06Have you heard from him?
54:08No.
54:09I heard from him in June.
54:11I know he's written his book, but I haven't seen him.
54:14But I do remember being with you backstage at the Diamond Furstenberg show with your granddaughter and your doula.
54:22So do you remember that?
54:23Yes, I have the picture downstairs.
54:26Oh, that was such a nice time.
54:28It was a great time.
54:29Really a great time.
54:31You are, you know, you are the queen that I always knew you were.
54:36You talked to my granddaughter and you were just so kind.
54:39And you didn't know who she was at the moment until I introduced you.
54:43But it didn't matter because you treated her like she was a golden child.
54:47And so that meant it.
54:49That means everything, you know.
54:51Because you treat me.
54:52I mean, I love kids.
54:54And I'm like, she's, I just, talking to you today, just the names.
54:59You really, you were there when it was all happening.
55:02And with all these names of like, you're up there with the legends, Whoopi.
55:08Well, it's such an honor to get to speak to you today.
55:12Such an honor.
55:13I say the same right back to you, Naomi Campbell.
55:17And when I get back stateside and COVID is pleased, pandemic, lockdown, and all of this quarantine is, gets better.
55:26I really, you've asked me before and I've never done it.
55:30And I will contact you.
55:31I want to hear more because it's like, it's inspiring beyond words.
55:36Because you make us all see that we can all get and achieve our dreams.
55:40Yes.
55:41If I can do it, it is possible that everybody can do it.
55:45But most importantly, your mother sounded like she was right there with you.
55:49And that's special, man.
55:50That's so special.
55:52It is the greatest.
55:53It is the greatest.
55:54Very lucky.
55:55There we go, bud.
55:57I love you.
55:58Thank you so much.
56:00It is honestly an honor.
56:04I mean, legend.
56:07Just a true legend right before I met in our eyes.
56:15The Whoopi Goldberg legend.
56:19Thank you so much.
56:21Wow.
56:21Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and please like this video.
56:27And see you next Tuesday for No Filter with Naomi.
56:30Thank you so much for joining me.
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