- - Oprah Winfrey Reunites with “The Color Purple ”Costar Whoopi Goldberg on “The View”

Angela AndaloroJanuary 16, 2026 at 6:08 AM

0

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty; Disney/Frank Micelotta

Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg in 1985's "The Color Purple" (left), and at the Oscars in 2025 -

Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg were early in their respective careers when they starred in 1985's The Color Purple

The two recently reunited on The View, where they looked back at the place the film had in each of their journeys since

Both women shared their appreciation for the people who helped move them during and following the pivotal film

Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg have come a long way.

The two ladies reunited on the Weds, Jan. 14 episode of The View, where Winfrey appeared to discuss her new book, Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It's Like to Be Free, co-authored by Dr. Ania Jastreboff.

When their 1985 film The Color Purple came into conversation, the two accomplished titans of acting and daytime reflected on their journey in the years since. The classic starred Goldberg as Celie and Winfrey as Sofia.

"We were in that movie as babies," Winfrey, 71, shared with a smile. Of playing Sofia, Winfrey said she was stricken by how her character "owned the weight. She carried the weight. That was a part of her being, is to hold that weight."

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Winfrey noted that was significant to her as a woman who was so frequently ridiculed about her weight.

"Just recently, I was talking to somebody, and they asked me, you know, 'Have you ever felt comfortable?' And I said, 'The only time I ever felt comfortable was when I wasn't myself. I was terrifying somebody else, and it was hers,' And it really helped."

Of making the movie, Goldberg, 70, recalled that she was already working in film while Winfrey was getting her start in TV.

Warner Brothers/Getty

Oprah Winfrey as Sofia in "The Color Purple"

"Oprah was already working in television, and I was doing stuff on stage, and we came together like this."

Winfrey recalled learning she would be getting her own daytime show while filming the movie.

"Whoopi, remember, I left to go sign the contract, in the middle of filming, and I said, 'I'm gonna go do this. I gotta go sign the contract to do this talk show,' and you were like, 'What is it? What is this? What are you doing?' "

Warner Brothers/Getty

Whoopi Goldberg as Celie in "The Color Purple"

Goldberg replied, "It was amazing. Our lives, sort of... I guess that was the first time people saw us, later adding, "We had people surrounding us who really wanted us to succeed."

Goldberg noted, "It's interesting because you look at us from The Color Purple, then you look at us here. Yeah, and then you look at us now. Beautiful. In the middle, we've evolved. Yeah, yeah, I was tired. That's why.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”