In an emotional Instagram post on Sunday December 20 , the year-old mogul marked the film's 35th year by sharing some reflections about how she came to play the role of Sofia in the Steven Spielberg-directed film. The TV show host wrote that she 'never wanted anything' more than to star in the movie despite the fact she had at that point forged a noteworthy career, beginning as a broadcaster aged 17 at a radio station.
A post shared by Oprah oprah. And for all the moviegoers who still recite this scene to me until this day! The film The Color Purple follows the story of a young American girl and highlights the complexities of being both Black and a woman during the early 20th century, including domestic violence, racism, and sexism and, ultimately, the importance of self-worth and sisterhood.
Since the film's release, the book's powerful message has also been adapted for theatre. Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
You survive everything. And when you make peace with that, that is when you open up the space for what is to come to you, to come. And that lesson has changed me forever. It really was the first time I knew what love was. You want to feel that every day In the story, Celie discovers she can love herself, even after all the bad things that happened to her.
She stops running and faces down her fears. And she becomes an independent businesswoman. In real life, Oprah became a woman who is not afraid to reveal her weaknesses -- to dream big -- and become one of the most successful businesswomen in America.
At the time she won her dream role, Oprah's TV career was beginning to soar. But with a hit TV show, her bosses pressured her not to take time off to make the film.
I will never take another vacation for as long as I work here. Oprah didn't want someone else controlling her life ever again. So Oprah boldly decided she'd have to become her own boss.
Winfrey: And I learned from that experience, you never want to be in a position again where you can't do what your heart desires for you to do. So never again will I ever be told what I can and can not do. So, it was life changing in, oh--Curry: So many ways. Winfrey: So many ways. So many ways. Curry: But almost when you say these things--Winfrey: Yeah. It was the first time I learned what love is.
It's when I learned that I'm not going to let somebody prevent me from doing what I want to do. This is the voice of Celie. My little hair is rising on my head because that's the first time I ever made that connection. I have to put my hair down because it's rising on my head.
That is exactly Celie's story. Winfrey: And that's why it is, you know, sitting here on this [Broadway] stage, it is a full circle moment for me. Curry: What type of reaction are you getting?
Winfrey: People come with their daughters, they come with their friends, they bring, listen busloads of people I know of a church that had three busloads of people coming. Scott Sanders, producer: I i felt that there is a part of Celie in all of us and I felt that her story had music in its soul.
At first glance, "The Color Purple" may not seem like obvious material for a musical. It's about sexual abuse, domestic vilence, racism, homosexuality, and another rarity in Broadway: it would require an all-black cast. The first hurdle to overcome was the woman who wrote it — Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker.
Sanders: I said "I'd love to turn the Color Purple into a musical. It becomes a powerful movie. And then somebody calls you up and says "We ought to make this thing a musical. A musical? Alice Walker, author: I was amused. Sanders: It didn't feel like that. Walker: Well, you weren't there when I was amused -- because I just didn't see it. Still, she agreed, and when the musical went into production.
Scott sanders invited the editors of Oprah's magazine to a rehearsal. They liked what they saw and told their boss. And I almost dropped the phone. She said "You know, how can I help? Oprah signed on as one of the producers. She decided to surprise the cast. It was an incredible break Felicia Fields, cast member: First of all, I don't mean no disrespect.
But Oprah's kind of crazy. She likes to surprise everybody. LaChanze, cast member: It was an overwhelming emotional experience for every single person in that room.
Oprah now has given us just that boost of recognition nationally, internationally and-- for me, that was such a comfort and a joy to know that I was a part of something that was just so huge and so special. In November of last year, Oprah featured the cast on her show.
More than 10 million viewers saw the program. Sanders: By midnight that night, the Telecharge system had blown up. We sold a million dollars worth of tickets in that day. Curry: So you're saying that her involvement has been like what?
Walker: A blessing. Oprah and I come from a part of the country where we understand certain realities. She's not just telling you about something as if she's an observer.
She has lived a life that is as deep and as painful and as joyful and as depthful as any of the characters. And that's why she I think really captures the imagination of people. People from all over the country, who've never before been to a Broadway show, are buying tickets and packing the house night after night.
And something unprecedented is happening. Record numbers of African-Americans are in attendance, creating a rarity on Broadway: multi-racial audiences. Kingsley Leggs, cast member: It's their family. It's their cousins, their uncles, their brothers. So I think in that way, yeah, this show resonates unbelievably to the African-American audience.
Elisabeth Withers-Mendes, cast member: This story is a heart story. It's not a black story, it's not a white story. It's a story that people can identify with. It's more evidence of Oprah's touch. As is the armful of Tony awards the musical was nominated for this week. It will be sad to say goodbye," said Winfrey, "but I look ahead with such a knowing that what the future holds is even more than I can see. Winfrey returned to acting in Greenleaf , which marked her first recurring scripted television role.
The original family drama, which revolves around a Memphis megachurch, premiered on OWN in June In December , it was announced that Discovery had become the majority owner of OWN, with the purchase of Winfrey retained In June , Winfrey agreed to a multi-year deal in which she would create original content for Apple. As part of her partnership with Apple, Winfrey signed on as executive producer of On the Record , a documentary about several of the women who accused music producer Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct.
However, Winfrey abruptly pulled her support of the doc shortly before it was scheduled to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. According to Forbes magazine, Winfrey was the richest African American of the 20th century and the world's only Black billionaire for three years running. Life magazine hailed her as the most influential woman of her generation. Winfrey is a dedicated activist for children's rights; in , President Bill Clinton signed a bill into law that Winfrey had proposed to Congress, creating a nationwide database of convicted child abusers.
She also founded the Family for Better Lives foundation and also contributes to her alma mater, Tennessee State University. In November , Winfrey received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Barack Obama gave her this award for her contributions to her country. Winfrey campaigned for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama in December , attracting the largest crowds of the primary season to that point. It was the first time Winfrey had ever campaigned for a political candidate.
The biggest event was at the University of South Carolina football stadium, where 29, supporters attended a rally that had been switched from an 18,seat basketball arena to satisfy public demand.
Martin Luther King dreamed the dream. But we don't have to just dream the dream any more," Winfrey told the crowd. In November , Winfrey campaigned with Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, the first Black female nominee for a major party to run for governor in any state.
Winfrey knocked on doors and even participated in a town-hall meeting with the Democratic candidate. In the end, Abrams narrowly lost her election bid to Republican Brian Kemp. Winfrey and President Donald Trump have a long history together. Trump has also endorsed Winfrey on Twitter many times, from her decision to launch a television network to praising her interview with Lance Armstrong.
After becoming president, Trump said that he was friends with Winfrey until he ran for office. However, Winfrey has said that she does not want to and has no intention of running for president. DeMille Award, for lifetime achievement. In a powerful speech, she recalled being inspired by seeing Sidney Poitier honored at the Globes decades earlier, before emphasizing the importance of a free press and the power of speaking the truth in a "culture broken by brutally powerful men. In , Winfrey helped give The Color Purple a new life onstage as one of the producers of the time Tony-nominated musical, which ran on Broadway until A revival of the musical, which Winfrey co-produced in , won a Tony Award.
Winfrey signed a multi-picture contract with Disney. The initial project, 's Beloved , based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Toni Morrison and starring Winfrey and Danny Glover, got mixed reviews and generally failed to live up to expectations. The line includes pizzas, soups, and sides like mashed potatoes and pasta. In January , CBS announced that Winfrey would join the newsmagazine 60 Minutes as a special contributor in the fall.
Winfrey has been in a relationship with Stedman Graham, a public relations executive, since the mids. They became engaged in but never tied the knot.
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