Whoopi Goldberg is an Academy award-winning actress and comedian who is known for many roles in television and film, including The Color Purple, Ghost, Sister Act, Whoopi's Littleberg, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Since September 2007, she has been one of the co-hosts of The View. She also voiced Shenzi in Disney's The Lion King. She has appeared with the Muppets in many different contexts, including Sesame Street, Muppets Tonight, Muppet Babies, Bear in the Big Blue House, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Letters to Santa and The Muppets.

Goldberg's association with the Muppets began early in her career. According to Kevin Clash, "Before she was well-known, she was a baby-sitter for some of the kids we had on the show. Then she became famous and whenever we ask her to do something for us, she's always there. She's a part of Sesame Street." ^[1] Goldberg is Clash's favorite guest star, and he has worked with her as both Elmo and Hoots.

In an article for Newsweek on November 21, 2011, Goldberg spoke extensively about her history with the Muppets.

She went on to say, "When you’re with them, your relationship is as strong to them as it is to human beings. You don’t see the Muppeteer." Goldberg says she still wishes to work with Sweetums, and "I knew that I had made it in my career when I was in Mad magazine and I got to play with the Muppets. Those are the two things that really mattered. Yes, it’s brilliant to have an Oscar, but if you get to play with the Muppets as much as I have, that’s an amazing thing."^[2]

Appearances

Sesame Street

• Elmo thinks that Whoopi's skin is a very pretty brown. Whoopi likes Elmo's soft red fur. Elmo admires Whoopi's bouncy hair, too. Elmo suggests that they trade, but Whoopi says that they can't -- it doesn't come off. But even if she could trade, she wouldn't want to. She likes her skin and her hair, and she wants to keep it. Elmo says that he wants to keep his fur, too. (First: Episode 2746)
• Whoopi appears in the celebrity version of "Monster in the Mirror". (EKA: Episode 2835)
• Whoopi introduces the sound "WH" by saying "Whoopee!" (EKA: Episode 2900)
• Elmo convinces Whoopi to play the drums as he plays the violin; they perform "Somebody Come and Play" together. (EKA: Episode 3971)
• Baby Bear is angry that somebody ate his porridge. Whoopi helps him to learn different ways to deal with his anger. (EKA: Episode 3980)
• Whoopi talks with Hoots the Owl about how proud they are of their body parts in the 1991 special Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake.
• Golberg appeared on a special episode of The Rosie O'Donnell Show taped from the set of Sesame Street in 1998.
• On November 26, 2002, Whoopi appears together with Kami, the HIV-positive Muppet from Takalani Sesame at a town hall meeting in observance of World AIDS Day at the United Nations in New York City.
• Whoopi talks about "My Favorite Sesame Street Moments" in a segment recorded for the 35th anniversary season in 2004.
• Whoopi narrates an introductory message about Sesame Workshop's international programs, which appears on home video releases beginning in 2004. The message is also played at the start of Sesame Street Live shows.

Muppets

• On Muppets Tonight, Goldberg was the guest star in episode 109. She sang "No Woman No Cry" with the Reggae Rodents, and "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" with Miss Piggy.
• Goldberg contributed a "Peas Porridge Hot, Peas Porridge Cold" recipe for Miss Piggy's 1996 cookbook, In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy.
• At the 1996 Academy Awards, Goldberg interviews the title character from the movie Babe, who appears on a monitor. Halfway through the interview, the screen changes to Miss Piggy, who takes over the interview.
• Goldberg played "The Boss" in the 2002 TV-movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie.
• Goldberg appeared with Kermit and Miss Piggy in various episodes of Hollywood Squares in 2002 and 2003.
• Goldberg lent her voice to the 2005 audiobook version of It's Not Easy Being Green.
• Goldberg played a cab driver in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa.
• Appeared in a PSA for Variety Children's Charity with Kermit in 2009.
• Made a cameo appearance in The Muppets.

Muppet Babies

• Goldberg appeared as Baby Gonzo's client in a live segment recorded for the sixth season Muppet Babies episode "A Punch Line to the Tummy".

Bear in the Big Blue House

• In the fourth season episode "The Great Bandini", Goldberg provided the voice for Edwina Badger.

Creature Shop

• Goldberg played the Cheshire Cat in the 1999 Creature Shop film, Alice in Wonderland.

Panwapa

• Goldberg appeared with Azibo the Monster for a press conference to celebrate the launch of Panwapa in October 2007.

References

1. ↑ Elisa Chia, "Meet the grown-up behind Elmo", 31 July 2006.
2. ↑ "Muppets Movie: Whoopi Goldberg on Loving Kermit and Miss Piggy," Newsweek Magazine, Nov 21, 2011, as told to Ramin Setoodeh.

External links

• IMDb
• Internet Broadway Database
• The Daily Beast "Muppets Movie: Whoopi Goldberg on Loving Kermit and Miss Piggy" by Whoopi Goldberg, November 21, 2011