Editing Whoopi Goldberg (section)

===1986–1999: Film stardom===
[[File:Whoopi Goldberg 1996.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Goldberg in 1996]]

Between 1985 and 1988, Goldberg was the busiest female star, making seven films.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 5, 1988|page=1|last=Cohn|first=Lawrence|title=Acting Jobs Steadiest Since Studio Era}}</ref> She starred in [[Penny Marshall]]'s directorial debut ''[[Jumpin' Jack Flash (film)|Jumpin' Jack Flash]]'' (1986) and began a relationship with [[David Claessen]], a director of photography on the set; they married later that year. The film was a modest success, and during the next two years, three additional motion pictures featured Goldberg: ''[[Burglar (film)|Burglar]]'' (1987), ''[[Fatal Beauty]]'' (1987), and ''[[The Telephone (1988 film)|The Telephone]]'' (1988). Though they were not as successful, Goldberg garnered awards from the [[NAACP Image Award]]s. Goldberg and Claessen divorced after the poor box office performance of ''The Telephone'', in which she was contracted to perform. She tried unsuccessfully to sue the film's producers. ''[[Clara's Heart]]'' (1988) did poorly at the box office, though her own performance was critically acclaimed.

As the 1980s concluded, she hosted numerous HBO specials of ''[[Comic Relief USA|Comic Relief]]'' with fellow comedians [[Robin Williams]] and [[Billy Crystal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-old-is-whoopi-goldberg-and-when-was-her-first-major-movie-role.html/|title=How Old Is Whoopi Goldberg and When Was Her First Major Movie Role?|last=Papp|first=Charlie|date=April 8, 2019|website=The Cheat Sheet|access-date=May 14, 2019|archive-date=May 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514102830/https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/how-old-is-whoopi-goldberg-and-when-was-her-first-major-movie-role.html/|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 1990, Goldberg starred with [[Jean Stapleton]] in the situation comedy ''[[Bagdad Cafe (TV series)|Bagdad Cafe]]'' (inspired by the [[Bagdad Cafe|1987 film of the same name]]). The sitcom ran for two seasons on [[CBS]]. Simultaneously, she starred in ''[[The Long Walk Home]]'', portraying a woman in the [[civil rights movement|US civil rights movement]]. She played a psychic in the film ''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]'' (1990) and became the first black woman to win the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] in nearly 50 years, and the second black woman to win an Academy Award for acting (the first being [[Hattie McDaniel]] for ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' in [[12th Academy Awards|1940]]). She also won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role]] and the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]]. ''[[Premiere (magazine)|Premiere]]'' named her character Oda Mae Brown in its list of Top 100 best film characters.<ref>{{cite news|last=Borgeson |first=Kelly |title=The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time |url=http://www.premiere.com/features/1539/the-100-greatest-movie-characters-of-all-time-page12.html |work=[[Premiere (magazine)|Premiere]] |access-date=May 17, 2008 |display-authors=etal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517141913/http://www.premiere.com/features/1539/the-100-greatest-movie-characters-of-all-time-page12.html |archive-date=May 17, 2008}}</ref>

Goldberg starred in ''[[Soapdish]]'' (1991) and had a recurring role on ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' between 1988 and 1993 as [[Guinan (Star Trek)|Guinan]], a character she reprised in two ''Star Trek'' films. She made a cameo in the [[Traveling Wilburys]] 1991 music video "[[Wilbury Twist]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/traveling-wilburys-restored-wilbury-twist-video/|title=Watch Traveling Wilburys' Restored, All-Star 'Wilbury Twist' Video|last=Sexton|first=Paul|date=July 21, 2019|website=uDiscover Music|language=en-US|access-date=November 23, 2020|archive-date=August 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808064426/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/traveling-wilburys-restored-wilbury-twist-video/|url-status=live}}</ref> On May 29, 1992, the film ''[[Sister Act]]'' was released. It grossed well over US$200&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|index=US|value=200|start_year=1992}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation year|index=US}}), and Goldberg was nominated for a [[Golden Globe Award]]. That year, she starred in ''[[The Player (1992 film)|The Player]]'' and ''[[Sarafina! (film)|Sarafina!]]''. She also hosted the [[34th Annual Grammy Awards]], receiving praise from the ''[[Sun-Sentinel]]''{{'}}s Deborah Wilker for bringing to life what Wilker considered "stodgy and stale" ceremonies.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wilker|first1=Deborah|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1992-02-26-9201100809-story.html|title=COLE HOT, RAITT RATES, R.E.M. TOP IN GRAMMYS|website=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|date=February 26, 1992|access-date=December 24, 2020|archive-date=July 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701025417/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1992-02-26-9201100809-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During the next year, Goldberg hosted a late-night talk show, ''[[The Whoopi Goldberg Show]]'', and starred in two more films: ''[[Made in America (1993 film)|Made in America]]'' and ''[[Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit]]''. With an estimated salary of $7–12 million for ''[[Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit]]'' (1993), she was the highest-paid actress at the time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/beverly-wettenstein/a-tribute-whooppe-for-who_b_845178.html|title=Tribute to Whoopi Goldberg and African-American Actors—Why We Need Black and Women's History|first=Beverly|last=Wettenstein|work=HuffPost|date=November 4, 2011|access-date=April 16, 2020|archive-date=February 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170204065005/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beverly-wettenstein/a-tribute-whooppe-for-who_b_845178.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/18/whoopi-goldberg-saturday-interview|website=[[The Guardian]]|title=Whoopi Goldberg in full flight|date=April 18, 2009|access-date=March 9, 2020|archive-date=November 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118123542/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/apr/18/whoopi-goldberg-saturday-interview|url-status=live}}</ref> From 1994 to 1995, she appeared in ''[[Corrina, Corrina (film)|Corrina, Corrina]]'', ''[[The Lion King]]'' (voice), ''[[Theodore Rex (film)|Theodore Rex]]'', ''[[The Little Rascals (film)|The Little Rascals]]'', ''[[The Pagemaster]]'' (voice), ''[[Boys on the Side]]'', and ''[[Moonlight and Valentino]]'', and guest-starred on ''[[Muppets Tonight]]'' in 1996.

[[File:Photograph of Whoopi Goldberg Delivering Remarks at a White House Special Olympics Dinner - NARA - 6037508.jpg|170px|thumb|right|Goldberg performing at [[The White House]] in 1998]]

In 1994, Goldberg became the first black woman to host the Academy Awards ceremony starting with the [[66th Academy Awards|66th Oscar telecast]].<ref>{{cite web|title=5 best Oscar hosts of all time|url=http://www.kcra.com/entertainment/5-best-Oscar-hosts-of-all-time/8831322|access-date=September 4, 2015|first=Kateri|last=Wozny|work=KCRA |archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222080549/http://www.kcra.com/entertainment/5-best-Oscar-hosts-of-all-time/8831322|url-status=live}}</ref> She hosted it again in [[68th Academy Awards|1996]], [[71st Academy Awards|1999]], and [[74th Academy Awards|2002]], and has been regarded as one of the show's best hosts.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.vogue.com/article/best-oscars-hosts-of-all-time|title= The 7 Best Oscars Hosts of All Time|website= [[Vogue Magazine]]|date= February 23, 2017|access-date= April 25, 2020|archive-date= February 9, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210209141039/https://www.vogue.com/article/best-oscars-hosts-of-all-time|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/20/the-nine-oscars-hosts-with-the-most|title= The nine Oscars hosts who gave the most|website= [[The Guardian]]|date= February 20, 2019|access-date= April 25, 2020|archive-date= April 25, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200425024238/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/20/the-nine-oscars-hosts-with-the-most|url-status= live}}</ref> Goldberg starred in four motion pictures in 1996: ''[[Bogus (film)|Bogus]]'' (with [[Gérard Depardieu]] and [[Haley Joel Osment]]), ''[[Eddie (film)|Eddie]]'', ''[[The Associate (1996 film)|The Associate]]'' (with [[Dianne Wiest]]), and ''[[Ghosts of Mississippi]]'' (with [[Alec Baldwin]] and [[James Woods]]). During the filming of ''Eddie'', she began dating co-star [[Frank Langella]], a relationship that lasted until early 2000. In October 1997, she and ghostwriter [[Daniel Paisner]] cowrote ''Book'', a collection featuring Goldberg's insights and opinions.<ref>[http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000018950,00.html Paisner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217213116/http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000018950,00.html |date=December 17, 2009 }} at Penguin web site</ref> Also in 1996, Goldberg replaced [[Nathan Lane]] as Pseudolus in the Broadway revival of [[Stephen Sondheim]]'s musical comedy ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/the-daily-distraction-a-funny-thing-happened-to-whoopi-goldberg-on-the-way-to-broadway|title=A Funny Thing Happened to Whoopi Goldberg on the Way to Broadway|website=[[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]]|date=May 8, 2020|access-date=December 21, 2020|archive-date=February 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203125210/https://www.playbill.com/article/the-daily-distraction-a-funny-thing-happened-to-whoopi-goldberg-on-the-way-to-broadway|url-status=live}}</ref> Greg Evans of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' regarded her "thoroughly modern style" as "a welcome invitation to a new audience that could find this 1962 musical as dated as ancient Rome".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Evans|first1=Greg|url=https://variety.com/1997/legit/reviews/a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-forum-4-1200449285/|title=A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=March 15, 1997|access-date=December 20, 2020|archive-date=February 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208154909/https://variety.com/1997/legit/reviews/a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-forum-4-1200449285/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'}}s Chip Crews deemed Goldberg "a pip and a pro", and that she "ultimately [...] steers the show past its rough spots".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Crews|first1=Chip|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/03/07/a-funny-thing-happened-to-forum-whoopi/46371bdc-1a96-4537-9d76-559024638fe7/|title=A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO 'FORUM': WHOOPI|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 7, 1997|access-date=December 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201220221832/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1997/03/07/a-funny-thing-happened-to-forum-whoopi/46371bdc-1a96-4537-9d76-559024638fe7/|archive-date=December 20, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

From 1998 to 2001, Goldberg took supporting roles in ''[[How Stella Got Her Groove Back]]'' with [[Angela Bassett]], ''[[Girl, Interrupted (film)|Girl, Interrupted]]'' with [[Winona Ryder]] and [[Angelina Jolie]], ''[[Kingdom Come (2001 film)|Kingdom Come]]'', and ''[[Rat Race (film)|Rat Race]]'' with an all-star ensemble cast. She starred in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] versions of ''[[Cinderella (1997 film)|Cinderella]]'' and ''[[A Knight in Camelot]]''. In 1998 she gained a new audience when she became the "Center Square" on ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'', hosted by [[Tom Bergeron]]. She also served as executive producer, for which she was nominated for four [[Emmy Award]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/whoopi-goldberg |title=Whoopi Goldberg Emmy Nominated |publisher=Emmys.com |access-date=May 3, 2012 |archive-date=January 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116205925/http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/whoopi-goldberg |url-status=live }}</ref> She left the series in 2002. In 1999, she voiced Ransome in the British animated children's show ''[[Foxbusters]]'' by [[Cosgrove Hall Films]]. [[AC Nielsen|AC Nielsen EDI]] ranked her as the actress appearing in the most theatrical films in the 1990s, with 29 films grossing $1.3&nbsp;billion in the U.S. and Canada (equivalent to ${{Inflation|index=US|value=1.3|start_year=2000}}&nbsp;billion in {{Inflation year|index=US}}).<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hardest Workers in Showbiz|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 3, 2000|page=41}}</ref>