Whoopi Goldberg transcript

MICHAEL EISNER:
Welcome, Whoopi. I want to get something out of the way--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
--first.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yes.

MICHAEL EISNER:
Academy Award, Tony Award, Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, every award. You are one of the most honored actresses, and the hardest working actress, and have done unbelievable amount of volume of work. You are a real working professional. And it came home to me as I was getting ready to interview you and I just read the enormous amount of material that you've done. And how much your peers have honored you. So I just wanted to say exciting having you here because I go back a long way. And I just thought it would be fun to talk about your childhood a little bit and some of the things we've done together and-- and how you so professionally and kept a career at such a high octane level.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
It's-- it's kinda wild. I mean it's really interesting to see you in this-- (LAUGHS) in this position to-- to be interviewed by you. It's-- it's very rare to see people transition to other parts of our industry that they may not know. Most people aren't brave enough to do it.

MICHAEL EISNER:
Well, I tried to transition once I don't know about 25 years ago. I was giving a political-- you may even remember this. I was giving a political fundraiser for Senator Bill Bradley from New Jersey.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Oh, yes, I remember. (LAUGHS)

MICHAEL EISNER:
And in that-- oh, you remember it.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah, I remember it.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And this season there was a lot of political fundraising for Democrats. And Barbra Streisand two weeks earlier had done this event of all events for I think a whole committee of--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Right.

MICHAEL EISNER:
--candidates and-- and she had Robin Williams. And she sang. And-- and everybody in Hollywood went.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And we then had the obligation—we, meaning Michael Ovitz actually and myself to give a fundraiser for Bill Bradley. And we looked around for the new competitor of Robin Williams for Barbra Streisand. And I talked to Mike Nichols.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Right.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And Mike Nichols said, "I'm telling you who it is. It's Whoopi Goldberg." So I said, "Yeah, I read about her. And she's this Jewish New York actress." "No, no," Mike-- "she's not this Jewish New York actress. You should say with it.” (LAUGHTER) Okay, so you agreed to do it.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yes.

MICHAEL EISNER:
We had a packed house.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yes.

MICHAEL EISNER:
It was freezing in California (LAUGHTER) and just about to rain. You stepped out on the platform and the first words out of your mouth was after three or four very funny joke--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yes.

MICHAEL EISNER:
I love being here. And me and the guy serving liquor are the only two African-Americans in the room.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Actually I said the two black—we’re the only black people here. (LAUGHS)

MICHAEL EISNER:
And it was silence like (LAUGHS), oh my God. I think I'm in the wrong profession. And then you went on to do--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
--your usual--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
--fantastic presentation. And I sat there after working weeks to get the most current, brilliant one-woman show, Mike Nichols find, Steven Spielberg find--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
But it was true.

MICHAEL EISNER:
I know it was true.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
It was-- it was, you know, one of the great things that-- that I love is that, you know, I still was able to get a job with you after that. (LAUGHS) But you know, people didn't like to hear those things. But the truth of the matter is a lot of folks were dif-- disenfranchised in Hollywood. A lot of black people were disenfranchised. A lot of black actors. And it-- it-- it's not so much that it's really changed that much. But there are more of us. There are more black actors who are in different positions now. So at the time it was like I'm looking out over all these really amazing people. And-- and no one's noticing that there's something wrong with this party, with the Democratic Party. Not the party we were at. But-- and--

MICHAEL EISNER:
By the way--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yes.

MICHAEL EISNER:
That statement--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
That one line--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
--stuck with me and everybody else in that room and had more impact at least in the Hollywood community than anything you could've done. And you did-- And I felt sorry for the waiter. (LAUGHTER) I mean this poor guy, everybody turned around and looked at him and said--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
What?

MICHAEL EISNER:
"Who are you?" So it was-- it was-- it-- it was very awkward. But I then obviously we made Sister Act.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:

CNBC VIDEO A cinderella story June 20: Whoopi Goldberg talks with ex-Disney CEO Michael Eisner about her childhood, getting the job on 'Star Trek,' and what acting means to her. CNBC

And-- and we've done a lot of things together which was a giant hit. And-- and your films whether it's a, you know, Ghost Story or The Color Purple or-- are just legends. And it's interesting cause when you read about Whoopi Goldberg and you read about growing up in New York and what it was like it's just a Cin-- it is a Cinderella story.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
Wouldn't you say it's a Cinderella story?

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Absolutely. I'm the quintessential Hollywood story, Hollywood movie. That is exactly what's happened to me. You know, it-- talent, everybody has talent. There are a lot of talented people, far more talented than myself. But it's about timing and, you know. I grew up in a time when I could do the kind of works that I did. And I just got lucky. I mean if Mike Nichols had had a cold that night who knows what would have happened.

MICHAEL EISNER:
No, I don't think that's true. I-- I've-- I've said to people-- is it lucky I-- I-- I was with you at a certain time or I'd say that so-and-so was lucky with you. The guy who's there who I'm giving credit to says, "You know if it wasn't you it would've been somebody else." The talent will win out. But you--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Maybe.

MICHAEL EISNER:
You had a-- you came from the projects. It wasn't, you know, it wasn't the poorest part of New York. But--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
No.

MICHAEL EISNER:
--it wasn't Park Avenue either. Complicated family. Yes?

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
No, very simple, mom and brother and me. And--

MICHAEL EISNER:
Well there’s one missing ingredient in that.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Well, but you know, that's the story of thousands and thousands since time has begun. You know, I know people are-- are very curious as to what a one-parent household is like. In-- and parents are really interesting. They-- they manage to be both people that they need to be for the most part. And my mom was-- was a nurse, and she was a Head Start teacher. And really smart and funny and silly. And we never really knew that we were missing anything cause a lot of kids in my neighborhood were in the same situation. But there were a lot of kids who had two parents, you know. Two parents don't necessarily make it okay. (LAUGHS) I had a great childhood in New York City.

MICHAEL EISNER:
No drugs?

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
During the '60s, right? I-- that was part of a great childhood.

MICHAEL EISNER:
Cause that was in the book.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
Okay.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
And the '60s was a time where everybody was stoned, everybody.

MICHAEL EISNER:
See what I missed. I didn't know about it.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Oh, that's right. Yes, no, he was square.

MICHAEL EISNER:
But..

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
But in New York Hair was happening on Broadway, students were protesting at Columbia and down at NYU. There was a-- a thing happening in New York. There was a thing happening across the country. Into that mix comes me who's smoking weed and trying, experimenting with all kinds of things, sex and drugs and rock and roll. And it was of a period. And of that period you could do that.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And people didn’t look that down on that.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
No. You were safe. Because everyone was trying it. Women were coming out of their-- their homes trying to be, you know, liberated women. Sex was something you could have with almost anybody you wanted because we were liberated by the pill. I mean it was a different time period.

MICHAEL EISNER:
There was a point in your life when you said, "This does not work for me."

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Well, it just wasn't any good. It just wasn't any good for me anymore. And when you have a kid it just-- you can't balance the two. Drugs is a very selfish way to live. You can only be into yourself. You have a kid you really can't take care of them.

MICHAEL EISNER:
So you're trying to become a professional and you're moving to San Diego. You're doing a-- and you have a kid. Is the kid hard to be with all the time?

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
No, I took her everywhere. She-- (LAUGHS) I put her in theatres. This may be one of the reasons she's not crazy about going to the theatre now. Because she grew up in them. She would be with me from the time I woke up to the time I put her to sleep. She-- I think if you hypnotized her she could probably do as many plays in her sleep.

MICHAEL EISNER:
She's in Sister Act Two--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah, yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
Yeah, I remember that.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
A little bit reluctantly, you know, but she-- she came around and she did it. She's a nice girl.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And when you decided to do-- or get the break, when Mike Nichols said, "Hey, there's this person who is talented. I've heard about her." You did your one-woman show in New York.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Right.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And that exploded. You--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Right.

MICHAEL EISNER:
--were toast of New York as they say.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Right.

MICHAEL EISNER:
Was that an exhilarating change from having, you know, worked through school and-- and all the things you do and--

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
It was, you know what? It was most exciting because I thought, ooh, I can buy two pair of shoes for the kid, you know. That was what it meant to me was that I could-- I could do better for her than we had been able to do. You know, I was lucky enough to be the recipient of-- of the welfare system as an adult because I needed it. I needed their help. And they were there for me. And I still have framed somewhere the last card that I got from Medical. Cause I was so pleased that-- that it existed for me when I needed it, you know. So years and years ago when they started to talk about people on welfare with such disparaging words it really angered me. Because that wasn't really what was happening. People need assistance. (CLEARS THROAT) And there's nothing wrong with us giving it. Because everybody pays taxes. Well, for the most part everybody pays taxes. And at some point if you're in need that's what your tax money's there to do. It's there to help work for you.

MICHAEL EISNER:
Would you consider yourself liberal?

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
On some issues. Some things I'm-- I don't think I'm very liberal. I have a very distinct ideas, distinctive ideas about the death penalty and when it should and should not be used. I own guns, registered guns. But I don't mind letting people know I have them, you know. cuts down on them just coming over to see me. (LAUGHTER) You know.

MICHAEL EISNER:
To borrow them.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
So you don't follow some doctrine, everything this way or everything that way.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
No, because that's not the real world. The real world says you have to be flexible. And you have to know what works for you. And there are a lot of things in the world that work for me, and a lot that I don't. And some I know I have to-- I have to get behind in order to keep what I like.

MICHAEL EISNER:
You know interestingly what you want. Many actresses, performers, sit back and wait sometimes too long or forever for something to be handed to them. If you think something is for you you go out and get it. I remember when you went and got the part on Star Trek.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Yeah.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And you're not gonna let that-- you wanted to do that for some reason.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
I did.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And you were gonna get it.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
I-- well, you know why, Michael. Because when I as a kid watched Star Trek Lieutenant O'Hura was the only representation of black people in the future. If you look at any science fiction movie or television show done before Gene did Star Trek there are no black people in the future. None. And I fell in love with her not only because she was, you know, the communications officer. But she looked good. And she had a good attitude. And I thought, if that's the future I'm on my way.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And how long did it take you to convince them to do that?

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
About six months.

MICHAEL EISNER:
And they finally just-- your pestering they finally said, "Gimme a break."

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Well, he didn't--

MICHAEL EISNER:
Let her do it.

WHOOPI GOLDBERG:
Well, they didn't believe it. Because you remember at the time movie people did not really go and do television shows. That was like a career bad thing. You weren't supposed to do it. But I wanted to be on Star Trek. I wanted some little kid to come up to me in 50 years and say, "You know what? I know that we're in the future. I saw you."

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