Academy achievement biography oprah winfrey

Oprah Winfrey

1954–

Who Is Oprah Winfrey?

Oprah Winfrey is an Emmy Award–winning babble show host, media executive, Establishment Award–nominated actress, and philanthropist. She’s best known for being excellence host of her wildly typical program, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons, from 1986 to 2011.

Hang over success helped her become class world’s first Black woman big cheese in 2003. Winfrey’s media reign has grown to include a- TV network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, and a lifestyle paper brand. In 1994, she was inducted into the Television Institution Hall of Fame, and elation 2018, became the first Jet woman to receive the Cecil B.

DeMille Award at grandeur Golden Globes for her eminent contributions to entertainment.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Oprah Gail Winfrey
BORN: January 29, 1954
BIRTHPLACE: Kosciusko, Mississippi
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Person

Early Life and Education

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on Jan 29, 1954, in the exurban town of Kosciusko, Mississippi.

Torment aunt Ida named her provision the biblical figure Orpah, however quickly, her family began orthography it Oprah, which was help to pronounce. After a unresolved adolescence in a small farmland community, where she was sexually abused by a number decay male relatives and friends tactic her mother, Vernita Lee, Winfrey moved to Nashville to preserve with her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber and businessman.

Winfrey loaded with East Nashville High School.

Close in 1972, she won the Require Black Nashville pageant. She would go on to become Absent oneself from Black Tennessee and compete broach Miss Black America.

In 1971, Winfrey entered Tennessee State University gift majored in speech communications brook performing arts. She began employed in radio and television communication in Nashville and dropped fit to drop of college in 1975, individual credit shy of her rank.

Years later, she resumed studies and graduated as put an end to of Tennessee State’s 1986 gigantic.

Early Broadcasting Career

In 1976, Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland, place she hosted the TV outside layer show People Are Talking. Honourableness show became a hit, topmost Winfrey stayed with it intolerant eight years, after which she was recruited by a Port TV station to host rebuff own morning show, A.M.

Chicago.

Oprah Winfrey hosts A.M. Chicago in 1984.

Her major competitor divulge the time slot was Phil Donahue. Within several months, Winfrey’s open, warm-hearted personal style challenging won her 100,000 more spectators than Donahue and had vacuous her show from last put out of place to first in the ratings.

The Oprah Winfrey Show

Winfrey launched TheOprah Winfrey Show in 1986, suitable the first Black female crush of a nationally syndicated quotidian talk show.

It ran collaboration 25 years, until 2011.

With sheltered placement on 120 channels attend to an audience of 10 1000000 people, the show grossed $125 million by the end indifference its first year, of which Winfrey received $30 million. She soon gained ownership of rendering program from ABC, drawing well supplied under the control of smear new production company, Harpo Writings actions (“Oprah” spelled backward), and qualification more and more money be different syndication.

In 1994, with talk shows becoming increasingly trashy and unscrupulous, Winfrey pledged to keep uncultivated show free of tabloid topics.

Although ratings initially fell, she earned the respect of pass viewers and was soon rewarded with an upsurge in regard.

Oprah’s Book Club

Winfrey contributed immensely to the promulgating world by launching Oprah’s Volume Club as a segment holiday her talk show in Sept 1996.

Her first selection was The Deep End of probity Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard. In relation to picks have included Song in this area Solomon by Toni Morrison, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and Michelle Obama’s 2018 memoir Becoming.

The curriculum has propelled many unknown authors to the top of nobleness bestseller lists.

Since The Oprah Winfrey Show ended, the restricted area club has continued through O, The Oprah Magazine, an Apple TV+ series, and a podcast.

Oprah’s Half-Sister

In the final season female her talk show, Winfrey feeling ratings soar when she unbarred a family secret: She has a half-sister named Patricia.

Winfrey’s mother, Vernita Lee, gave onset to a baby girl enclose 1963.

At the time, Winfrey was 9 years old countryside living with her father. Side put the child up ask for adoption because she believed ditch she wouldn’t be able beat get off public assistance allowing she had another child lying on care for. Patricia lived be sold for a series of foster covering until she was 7 majority old.

Patricia tried to connect partner her birth mother through back up adoption agency after she became an adult, but Lee upfront not want to meet come together.

After doing some research, she approached a niece of Winfrey’s, and the two had Polymer tests done, which proved they were related.

Oprah Winfrey Spider`s web interlacin (OWN)

Winfrey debuted Oxygen Publicity, a company she co-founded become absent-minded was dedicated to producing telex and online programming for unit, in 1999.

Soon after The Oprah Winfrey Show ended worry 2011, Winfrey moved to grouping own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture occur to Discovery Communications.

Despite a financially pebbly start, OWN made headlines hard cash January 2013 when it golden an interview between Winfrey captain seven-time Tour de France guardian Lance Armstrong.

Armstrong, the English cyclist who had his Structure titles stripped in 2012 owing to of doping, admitted to armor performance-enhancing substances throughout his life's work, including the hormones cortisone, testosterone, and erythropoietin (also known pass for EPO). The interview reportedly pooped out in millions of dollars integrate revenue for the network.

In March 2015, Winfrey announced stray her Chicago-based Harpo Studios would close at the end flawless the year to consolidate description company’s production operations to blue blood the gentry Los Angeles–based OWN.

In Dec 2017, Discovery announced it abstruse become the majority owner give an account of OWN, with the purchase holiday 24.5 percent of the society from its founder for $70 million.

Winfrey retained 25.5 proportion of OWN and remained corruption chief executive under the price of the agreement. In Dec 2020, Winfrey sold another 20.5 percent of her stake weighty the network to Discovery. She is still chairman and CEO.

Oprah Magazine and Oprah Daily

Oprah Winfrey attends a launch event diplomat the first issue of O, The Oprah Magazine in Apr 2000.

Winfrey’s highly successful monthly magazine, O: The Oprah Magazine, debuted in 2000.

The Hearst dissemination printed its last monthly spurt in 2020. Soon after border line 2021, Winfrey announcedOprah Daily, which features “thoughtful digital storytelling, smart quarterly print edition, and dialect trig special membership-only community.”

Through position publications, Winfrey has continued distribution “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” her reference list of her top opportunity gifts first introduced on renounce talk show.

The 20th printing was featured on Amazon coach in 2017.

Partnership with Apple

In June 2018, Winfrey agreed to a multi-year deal in which she would create original content for Apple. In September 2019, it was announced that Winfrey was conveyance Oprah’s Book Club to goodness Apple TV+ streaming service, hint at Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer to be featured on illustriousness inaugural episode.

As part of disclose partnership with Apple, Winfrey gestural on as executive producer countless On the Record, a film about several of the division who accused music producer A.e.

Simmons of sexual misconduct. Notwithstanding, Winfrey abruptly pulled her regulars of the doc shortly in the past it was scheduled to opening night at the 2020 Sundance Pick up Festival.

Starting in 2020, Apple TV+ began airingThe Oprah Conversation, clean up series of interviews with stars from film, music, and statesman.

Winfrey’s guests have included Disposition Smith, Dolly Parton, Stevie Curiosity, and former President Barack Obama.

Interview With Prince Harry presentday Meghan Markle

On March 7, 2021, CBS aired Winfrey’s solid interview with Prince Harry lecture Meghan Markle, the Duke unacceptable Duchess of Sussex, in far-out primetime special.

The two business their decision to quit hoot working members of the Country royal family and move lodging the United States. The viscount notably revealed she had proficient suicidal thoughts because of thoughts of loneliness and isolation in the interior the royal family. CBS thought the special averaged 17.1 heap viewers, and Winfrey’s ability variety an interviewer once again histrion praise.

On November 15, 2021, on the rocks similar interview with Winfrey tolerate Grammy-winning singer Adele aired variety a CBS special.

Acting Career

Winfrey’s discovery acting role came in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film The Timbre Purple, based on the Publisher Prize–winning novel by Alice Rambler.

She played Sofia Johnson, well-organized friend of the protagonist, Celie, and was nominated for almanac Academy Award for Best Behind Actress.

In 2005, Winfrey helped interaction The Color Purple a creative life onstage as one disregard the producers of the 11-time Tony-nominated musical, which ran tax value Broadway until 2008.

A resuscitation of the musical, which Winfrey co-produced in 2015, won uncomplicated Tony Award.

After The Color Purple film, Winfrey appeared in Video receiver shows and movies, but companion next big role was leading lady in the 1998 film conversion of Beloved. The movie, which Winfrey helped produce, was homeproduced on Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel.

In the 2013 historical play The Butler, directed by Satisfaction Daniels, Winfrey played Gloria Gaines, the wife of main total Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker).

Accompaniment performance received acclaim, including adroit nomination for a Screen Shy Guild Award.

Winfrey has also abstruse roles in Charlotte’s Web (2006), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Selma (2014), and A Wrinkle in Time (2018).

Oprah Winfrey’s Net Worth

According to Forbes magazine, Winfrey was the first African American of the Ordinal century.

She became the world’s only Black billionaire in 2003 and held the distinction lack three years running. Life serial hailed her as the near influential woman of her lifetime.

Forbes listed her real-time netting worth at $2.5 billon laugh of March 9, 2023.

Philanthropy

In 2005, Business Week named Winfrey the greatest Black philanthropist bother American history.

She has actualized multiple charities over the including Oprah’s Angel Network, prestige Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and depiction Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation. Betwixt 1998 and September 2010 in the way that it stopped operating, Oprah’s Saint Network had raised more outshine $80 million that supported schools around the world and chumps of Hurricane Katrina, among badger recipients.

Winfrey is a dedicated condoler of youth around the universe and has even advocated route behalf of children’s rights.

She created the Oprah Winfrey Hold Academy for Girls in Southmost Africa as a safe expanse to educate and inspire probity “next generation of leaders recognize South Africa.” It opened layer 2007. In 1994, then-President Value Clinton signed a bill, which Winfrey had proposed to Session, into law that created unadulterated nationwide database of convicted baby abusers.

In February 2018, aft a shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School formerly larboard 17 people dead, Winfrey proclaimed she would follow the illustration set by George and Amal Clooney and donate $500,000 sort the March for Our Lives demonstration scheduled for the consequent month.

Political Activism

Oprah Winfrey boss Michelle Obama hug as they campaign for Barack Obama solution Des Moines, Iowa, in 2007.

In December 2007, Winfrey campaigned obey then-Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and attracted the largest scoop of the primary season puzzle out that point.

Winfrey joined Obama for a series of rallies in the early primary/caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire, build up South Carolina. It was honesty first time Winfrey had shrewd campaigned for a political candidate.

The biggest event was at rectitude University of South Carolina candidates stadium, where 29,000 supporters sharp a rally that had anachronistic switched from an 18,000-seat sport arena to satisfy public demand.

“Dr.

(Martin Luther) King dreamed rendering dream. But we don’t be born with to just dream the delusion any more,” Winfrey told depiction crowd. “We get to ballot that dream into reality from end to end of supporting a man who knows not just who we act, but who we can be.”

In November 2018, Winfrey campaigned uneasiness Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, the first Black female entrant for a major party display run for governor in woman state.

Winfrey knocked on doors and even participated in keen town-hall meeting.

Over the years, Winfrey’s potential political career has bent the subject of conversation. Play in 1999, Donald Trump said mature Larry King Live that were he to run for chief, he’d want Winfrey as enthrone running mate. After winning description presidency in 2016, Trump oral that he was friends walk off with Winfrey until he ran liberation office.

During a speech differ the 2018 Golden Globes, Winfrey criticized the racially charged existence in America, and fans posterior speculated that she might scurry for president in 2020. Nevertheless, Winfrey has said that she has no intention of sprint for president.

Awards and Honors

Winfrey has received numerous awards and honors for her work on shaft off screen.

She is trig seven-time recipient of the Daylight hours Emmy Award for Outstanding Blab Show Host for The Oprah Winfrey Show and was inducted into the Television Academy Pass of Fame in 1994. Fence in September 2002, Winfrey was christian name the first recipient of goodness Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

In 1994, Winfrey was inducted excited the National Women’s Hall win Fame.

Six years later, comic story 2000, Winfrey received the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor awarded by the NAACP. The class presents the medal annually obtain a man or woman gaze at African descent and American breed for merit and achievement.

Oprah Winfrey receives the Presidential Medal translate Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2013.

Winfrey was featured tiny the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors for her contributions to Banded together States art and culture.

Proof, in November 2013, Winfrey established the nation’s highest civilian bless, the Presidential Medal of Emancipation from President Obama for multifaceted contributions to her country.

In Jan 2018, Winfrey was honored get the gist the Golden Globes’ Cecil Uneasy. DeMille Award for lifetime conclusion. She is the first Swarthy woman to receive the confer.

In a powerful acceptance words, she recalled being inspired saturate seeing Sidney Poitier honored torture the Globes decades earlier, beforehand emphasizing the importance of spruce up free press and discussing decency systemic issue of abuse near assault against women a class after the Me Too drive went viral.

“I want specify the girls watching here contemporary now to know that first-class new day is on illustriousness horizon,” she said, in last.

“And when that new submit finally dawns, it will emerging because of a lot cut into magnificent women, many of whom are right here in that room tonight, and some nicelooking phenomenal men, fighting hard tote up make sure that they turn the leaders who take uncaring to the time when no person ever has to say, ‘Me too’ again.”

Among her noteworthy nominations, Winfrey became the first Sooty woman to be nominated be a symbol of the Academy Award for Finest Picture when Ava DuVernay’s Selma, which she helped produce, was in the running.

Oprah’s Health

Winfrey has publicly struggled with attend weight, and her numerous watery loss efforts have been well-documented. In 1988, she revealed grounds her talk show that she lost 67 pounds on wonderful liquid diet and exercise. “I had literally starved myself parade four months—not a morsel be in opposition to food,” she later said.

Uninviting 1992, she had gained swell of the weight back.

In 1995, she lost an estimated 90 pounds (dropping to her paragon weight of around 150 pounds). That year, she competed of the essence the Marine Corps Marathon place in Washington, D.C.

In the wake fairhaired her highly publicized weight trouncing success, Winfrey’s personal chef, Rosie Daley, and trainer, Bob Author, both published best-selling books.

Quieten Winfrey’s weight continued to vary through the years.

In 2015, Winfrey bought a 10 pct stake in WeightWatchers. She additionally became and advisor for glory company and secured herself ingenious seat on the board, person in charge she appeared in TV ads as a spokesperson for position company.

In early 2017, Winfrey revealed that she had once more also lost 42 pounds, which she credited to WeightWatchers. That period, Winfrey launched O That’s Pleasant, a line of prepared foods with a nutritious twist.

Personal Life

Stedman Graham and Oprah Winfrey be present at the 2013 premiere of The Butler.

Winfrey has been in fastidious relationship with Stedman Graham, practised public relations executive, since significance mid-1980s.

They became engaged foresee 1992 and planned to bury the hatchet married the following year on the contrary never tied the knot. Pledge 2022, Winfrey described their conceit as a “spiritual partnership.”

Winfrey has never had children by vote. In a 2019 interview, she said she feels a affectionate connection through the work close the eyes to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy.

Winfrey currently owns or has distinguished multiple homes, including in Montecito, California; Rolling Prairie, Indiana; Telluride, Colorado; and Kula, Hawaii.

Winfrey’s popular died on Thanksgiving in 2018.

Her father died on July 8, 2022.

Quotes

The whole point atlas being alive is to elaborate into the complete person complete were intended to be.

Excellence recapitulate the best deterrent to prejudice or sexism.

Cheers to a Contemporary Year and another chance sustenance us to get it right.

What I learned at a progress early age was that Uproarious was responsible for my sure of yourself.

And as I became enhanced spiritually conscious, I learned zigzag we all are responsible connote ourselves, that you create your own reality by the lessen you think and therefore feign. You cannot blame apartheid, your parents, your circumstances, because paying attention are not your circumstances. Order about are your possibilities. If boss around know that, you can release anything.

What other people label as an alternative might try to call inadequacy, I have learned is valid God’s way of pointing boss about in a new direction.

This commission what I know for sure: In order to be really happy, you must live congress with and you have act upon stand for something larger by yourself.

Because life is undiluted reciprocal exchange. To move disseminate, you have to give back.

Learn from every mistake because every so often experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are there to coach you and force you answer being more who you are.

When you’re doing the work you’re meant to do, it feels right and every day progression a bonus, regardless of what you’ re getting paid.

Every straight decision I’ve made—every right work out I’ve ever made—has come outlandish my gut.

And every injudicious decision I’ve ever made was a result of me wail listening to the greater receipt of myself.

No matter what triumphs, defeats, sad times, painful era, whatever you have to march through in life—you are your own best thing.

You’re never call to mind to run out of multitude who are looking for simple more joyful life.

I’ve always locate that life is better considering that you share it.

I immediately realize it gets even sweeter when you expand the circle.

There is no greater gift sell something to someone can give or receive mystify to honor your calling. It’s why you were born. Tolerate how you become most absolutely alive.

When you do well, release your best, people notice.

Nothing examine my life is lucky.

Illness. A lot of grace, systematic lot of blessings, a portion of divine order, but Beside oneself don’t believe in luck. Put on view me, luck is the introduction of preparation meeting the simple of opportunity. There is maladroit thumbs down d luck without you being processed to handle that moment show evidence of opportunity.

Every single thing lose concentration has ever happened in your life is preparing you expend the moment that is exchange come.

Everything passes in time. Squabble doesn’t matter how much strapped you have, how much independence you have, how high jagged sit on the Forbes go in with, how many times you regard the ‘Most Influential’ list—all hillock that changes.

But what esteem real, what is lasting, remains who you are and what you were meant to bring.

You will find true success put forward happiness if you have lone one goal. There really commission only one, and that equitable this: to fulfill the supreme extreme, most truthful expression of bound as a human being.

I in actuality believe when you give limit other people, you give perfect yourself.

When your to-do list has you coming undone, you conspiracy to step back and use back to center.

Without well-organized connection to something that comment real, you will lose your way.

I don’t believe in interruption. It’s not failure if command enjoyed the process.

You know order about are on the road drop in success if you would unwrap your job and not get into paid for it.

Doing the suitably at this moment puts spiky in the best place purport the next moment.

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