Editing Whoopi Goldberg (section)

===1980–1985: Early work and breakthrough ===
Goldberg trained under acting teacher [[Uta Hagen]] at the [[HB Studio]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hbstudio.org/about-hb-studio/alumni/|title=HB Studio – Notable Alumni &#124; One of the Original Acting Studios in NYC|access-date=December 17, 2020|archive-date=February 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212150453/https://hbstudio.org/about-hb-studio/alumni/|url-status=live}}</ref> in New York City. She first appeared onscreen in ''[[Citizen: I'm Not Losing My Mind, I'm Giving It Away]]'' (1982), an avant-garde ensemble feature by San Francisco filmmaker [[William Farley (director)|William Farley]].

In 1983<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Whoopi-Goldberg-to-Bring-MOMS-OffBroadway-20110407 | title= Whoopi Goldberg to Bring MOMS Off-Broadway? | website= broadwayworld.com | first= Nicole | last= Rosky | date= April 7, 2011 | access-date= February 1, 2022 | archive-date= February 1, 2022 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220201232201/https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Whoopi-Goldberg-to-Bring-MOMS-OffBroadway-20110407 | url-status= live }}</ref> and 1984, she "first came to national prominence with her one-woman show"<ref>Brevar, Lisa Pertillar. ''Whoopi Goldberg on Stage and Screen'', McFarland, 2013, p. 12.</ref> in which she portrayed [[Moms Mabley]], ''Moms'', first performed in Berkeley, California, and then at the [[Victoria Theatre, San Francisco|Victoria Theatre]] in San Francisco; the [[Oakland Museum of California]] preserves a poster advertising the show.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://collections.museumca.org/?q=collection-item/201054964 | title= Oakland Museum of California Collections, ''Moms: Whoopi Goldberg as Moms Mabley'' (poster work on paper) | website= collections.museumca.org | access-date= February 1, 2022 | archive-date= February 1, 2022 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220201231107/http://collections.museumca.org/?q=collection-item%2F201054964 | url-status= live }}</ref>

She created ''The Spook Show'', a one-woman show composed of different character monologues in 1983. Director [[Mike Nichols]] "discovered" her when he saw her perform.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|last1=Isherwood|first1=Charles|author-link1=Charles Isherwood|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/theater/reviews/one-woman-uhhuh-but-so-many-guises.html|title=One Woman, Uh-Huh, but So Many Guises|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 18, 2004|access-date=September 14, 2020|archive-date=September 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914033235/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/theater/reviews/one-woman-uhhuh-but-so-many-guises.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview, he recalled that he "burst into tears", and that he and Goldberg "fell into each other's arms" when they first met backstage.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rivera|first1=Zayda|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/whoopi-goldberg-breaks-talking-mike-nichols-article-1.2017875|title=Mike Nichols dead at 83: Whoopi Goldberg breaks down on 'The View' when talking about her 'mentor'|work=[[New York Daily News]]|date=November 20, 2014|access-date=December 20, 2020|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924110224/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/whoopi-goldberg-breaks-talking-mike-nichols-article-1.2017875|url-status=live}}</ref> Goldberg considered Nichols her mentor.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lewis|first1=Hilary|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/mike-nichols-dead-whoopi-goldberg-750815|title=Whoopi Goldberg Overcome By Emotion Remembering Her Mentor, Mike Nichols|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=November 20, 2014|access-date=September 14, 2020|archive-date=February 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211203923/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/mike-nichols-dead-whoopi-goldberg-750815|url-status=live}}</ref> Nichols helped her transfer the show to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], where it was retitled ''Whoopi Goldberg''. The show ran from October 24, 1984, to March 10, 1985, and was taped and broadcast by [[HBO]] as ''Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway.''<ref>{{Cite news|last=O'Connor|first=John J.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/19/theater/tv-weekend-hbo-presents-whoopi-goldberg.html|title=TV Weekend; HBO Presents Whoopi Goldberg|date=July 19, 1985|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 22, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=November 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125194300/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/19/theater/tv-weekend-hbo-presents-whoopi-goldberg.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The recording of the special was awarded the [[Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album]], making Goldberg the first Black female comedian to win the Grammy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/videos/whoopi-goldberg-best-comedy-recording-acceptance-speech-1986-grammys-rewind|title=Watch Whoopi Goldberg Deliver A Fittingly Joke-Filled Speech At The 1986 GRAMMYs {{pipe}} GRAMMY Rewind|website=[[The Recording Academy]]|access-date=June 9, 2024}}</ref>

Goldberg's Broadway performance caught the eye of director [[Steven Spielberg]] while she performed in [[The Belly Room]] at [[The Comedy Store]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQHJK1F8CUo | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/GQHJK1F8CUo| archive-date=December 11, 2021 | url-status=live|title='The Belly Room' Ep. 2 Official Clip |date=October 15, 2020 |author=Showtime |website=YouTube |access-date=June 11, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Spielberg gave her the lead role in his film ''[[The Color Purple (1985 film)|The Color Purple]]'', based on the novel by [[Alice Walker]]. It was released in late 1985, and was a critical and commercial success. Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] described Goldberg's performance as "one of the most amazing debut performances in movie history".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-color-purple-1985|title=The Color Purple movie review|last1=Ebert|first1=Roger|author-link1=Roger Ebert|website=[[RogerEbert.com]]|access-date=December 21, 2020|archive-date=January 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101184117/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-color-purple-1985|url-status=live}}</ref> It was nominated for 11 [[Academy Awards]], including a nomination for Goldberg as [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oscar.go.com/oscar-history/year/1986|title=Oscar History 1986|access-date=September 8, 2016|archive-date=September 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925230406/http://oscar.go.com/oscar-history/year/1986|url-status=live}}</ref> She won the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]] for her portrayal of Celie, becoming the first Black actress to win in this category.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dresden|first=Hilton|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/hollywood-flashback-whoopi-goldberg-golden-globe-win-the-color-purple-1235683635/|title=Hollywood Flashback: When Whoopi Struck Gold With 'The Color Purple'|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=December 6, 2023|access-date=June 9, 2024}}</ref>