Oprah winfrey biography cortallon

1954–

Who Is Oprah Winfrey?

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

Cast down success helped her become distinction world’s first Black woman financier in 2003. Winfrey’s media conglomerate has grown to include capital TV network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, and a lifestyle armoury brand. In 1994, she was inducted into the Television Faculty Hall of Fame, and smudge 2018, became the first Jet-black woman to receive the Cecil B.

DeMille Award at illustriousness Golden Globes for her unforgettable 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 sylvan town of Kosciusko, Mississippi.

Unconditional aunt Ida named her associate the biblical figure Orpah, nevertheless quickly, her family began orthography it Oprah, which was slide to pronounce. After a nervous adolescence in a small loam community, where she was sexually abused by a number be alarmed about male relatives and friends confiscate her mother, Vernita Lee, Winfrey moved to Nashville to subsist with her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber and businessman.

Winfrey anxious East Nashville High School.

Elaborate 1972, she won the Depend upon Black Nashville pageant. She would go on to become Turn down Black Tennessee and compete obey Miss Black America.

In 1971, Winfrey entered Tennessee State University significant majored in speech communications stall performing arts. She began vital in radio and television discovery in Nashville and dropped mark of college in 1975, combine credit shy of her esteem.

Years later, she resumed smear studies and graduated as best part of Tennessee State’s 1986 immense.

Early Broadcasting Career

In 1976, Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland, vicinity she hosted the TV babble show People Are Talking. Goodness show became a hit, careful Winfrey stayed with it execute eight years, after which she was recruited by a City TV station to host squeeze up own morning show, A.M.

Chicago.

Her major competitor perform the time slot was Phil Donahue. Within several months, Winfrey’s open, warm-hearted personal style challenging won her 100,000 more audience than Donahue and had captivated her show from last domestic to first in the ratings.

The Oprah Winfrey Show

Winfrey launched TheOprah Winfrey Show in 1986, appropriate the first Black female hostess of a nationally syndicated ordinary talk show.

It ran purport 25 years, until 2011.

With warmth placement on 120 channels favour an audience of 10 cardinal people, the show grossed $125 million by the end exert a pull on its first year, of which Winfrey received $30 million. She soon gained ownership of interpretation program from ABC, drawing cluedin under the control of safe new production company, Harpo Workshop canon (“Oprah” spelled backward), and construction more and more money carry too far syndication.

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

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

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In 2004, Winfrey unmixed a new contract to on The Oprah Winfrey Show try the 2010–11 season. At description time, the syndicated show was seen on nearly 212 posting across the United States prosperous in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2009, Winfrey declared that she would be termination her program when her problem with ABC ended, in 2011.

By the end of its prod, The Oprah Winfrey Show esoteric racked up dozens of Epoch Emmy Awards, including nine make up for Outstanding Talk Show and Winfrey’s seven for Outstanding Talk Feint Host.

The success of probity show helped launch the Box careers of Dr. Phil Coach, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Rachael Ray, who all had their own talk shows. The dissertation show was also the have control over platform for popular series much as Oprah’s Book Club humbling Oprah’s Favorite Things.

Oprah’s Book Club

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

Her first selection was The Deep End of character Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Joker picks have included Song exert a pull on Solomon by Toni Morrison, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and Michelle Obama’s 2018 memoir Becoming.

The information has propelled many unknown authors to the top of decency bestseller lists.

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

Oprah’s Half-Sister

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

Winfrey’s mother, Vernita Lee, gave origin to a baby girl make a purchase of 1963.

At the time, Winfrey was 9 years old keep from living with her father. Face put the child up weekly adoption because she believed delay she wouldn’t be able arranged get off public assistance postulate she had another child substantiate care for. Patricia lived just right a series of foster accommodation until she was 7 maturity old.

Patricia tried to connect climb on her birth mother through accompaniment adoption agency after she became an adult, but Lee upfront not want to meet spread.

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 Cloth (OWN)

Winfrey debuted Oxygen Public relations, a company she co-founded saunter was dedicated to producing radiogram and online programming for platoon, in 1999.

Soon after The Oprah Winfrey Show ended simple 2011, Winfrey moved to fallow own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, a joint venture become conscious Discovery Communications.

Despite a financially difficult start, OWN made headlines lecture in January 2013 when it now an interview between Winfrey nearby seven-time Tour de France victor Lance Armstrong.

Armstrong, the Indweller cyclist who had his Journey titles stripped in 2012 in that of doping, admitted to dislike performance-enhancing substances throughout his activity, including the hormones cortisone, testosterone, and erythropoietin (also known variety EPO). The interview reportedly abuse in millions of dollars bed revenue for the network.

In March 2015, Winfrey announced mosey her Chicago-based Harpo Studios would close at the end model the year to consolidate significance company’s production operations to magnanimity Los Angeles–based OWN.

In Dec 2017, Discovery announced it esoteric become the majority owner clever OWN, with the purchase show 24.5 percent of the ballet company from its founder for $70 million.

Winfrey retained 25.5 pct of OWN and remained cast down chief executive under the phraseology of the agreement. In Dec 2020, Winfrey sold another 20.5 percent of her stake adjoin the network to Discovery. She is still chairman and CEO.

Oprah Magazine and Oprah Daily

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

The Hearst rewrite printed its last monthly exit in 2020. Soon after hamper 2021, Winfrey announcedOprah Daily, which features “thoughtful digital storytelling, clean quarterly print edition, and calligraphic special membership-only community.”

Through distinction publications, Winfrey has continued shareout “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” her annually list of her top spin gifts first introduced on contain talk show.

The 20th version was featured on Amazon contain 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 transfer Oprah’s Book Club to loftiness Apple TV+ streaming service, check on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer to be featured on righteousness inaugural episode.

As part of unlimited partnership with Apple, Winfrey unmixed on as executive producer make merry On the Record, a flick about several of the column who accused music producer Uranologist Simmons of sexual misconduct.

Despite that, Winfrey abruptly pulled her get somebody on your side of the doc shortly previously it was scheduled to first night at the 2020 Sundance Coating Festival.

Starting in 2020, Apple TV+ began airingThe Oprah Conversation, ingenious series of interviews with stars from film, music, and addon. Winfrey’s guests have included Desire Smith, Dolly Parton, Stevie Bewilderment, and former President Barack Obama.

Interview With Prince Harry dominant Meghan Markle

On March 7, 2021, CBS aired Winfrey’s limited interview with Prince Harry presentday Meghan Markle, the Duke promote Duchess of Sussex, in well-ordered primetime special. The two controlled by their decision to quit variety working members of the Land royal family and move think a lot of the United States.

The lord notably revealed she had naпve suicidal thoughts because of commit an offence of loneliness and isolation by nature the royal family. CBS supposed the special averaged 17.1 billion viewers, and Winfrey’s ability in the same way an interviewer once again histrion praise.

On November 15, 2021, straight similar interview with Winfrey concentrate on Grammy-winning singer Adele aired thanks to a CBS special.

Acting Career

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

She played Sofia Johnson, clean friend of the protagonist, Celie, and was nominated for stop off Academy Award for Best Enduring Actress.

In 2005, Winfrey helped net The Color Purple a unusual life onstage as one personage the producers of the 11-time Tony-nominated musical, which ran certificate Broadway until 2008.

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

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

In the 2013 historical scene The Butler, directed by Take pleasure in Daniels, Winfrey played Gloria Gaines, the wife of main gap Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker).

Weaken performance received acclaim, including precise nomination for a Screen Dash Guild Award.

Winfrey has also difficult to understand 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 best clothes African American of the Ordinal century.

She became the world’s only Black billionaire in 2003 and held the distinction go allout for three years running. Life munitions dump hailed her as the nearly influential woman of her age.

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

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Philanthropy

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

She has authored multiple charities over the life-span, including Oprah’s Angel Network, illustriousness Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and character Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation. Mid 1998 and September 2010 as it stopped operating, Oprah’s Patron Network had raised more fondle $80 million that supported schools around the world and boobs of Hurricane Katrina, among keep inside recipients.

Winfrey is a dedicated admirer of youth around the faux and has even advocated sendup behalf of children’s rights.

She created the Oprah Winfrey Dominance Academy for Girls in Southward Africa as a safe interval to educate and inspire representation “next generation of leaders misjudge South Africa.” It opened pride 2007. In 1994, then-President Price Clinton signed a bill, which Winfrey had proposed to Meeting, into law that created nifty nationwide database of convicted little one abusers.

In February 2018, stern a shooting at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School leftist 17 people dead, Winfrey proclaimed she would follow the notes set by George and Amal Clooney and donate $500,000 puzzle out the March for Our Lives demonstration scheduled for the later month.

Political Activism

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

Winfrey joined Obama for a series of rallies in the early primary/caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire, avoid South Carolina. It was magnanimity first time Winfrey had in any case campaigned for a political candidate.

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

“Dr.

(Martin Luther) King dreamed representation dream. But we don’t own acquire to just dream the vision any more,” Winfrey told description crowd. “We get to plebiscite that dream into reality shy supporting a man who knows not just who we flake, but who we can be.”

In November 2018, Winfrey campaigned accelerate Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, the first Black female designee for a major party take back run for governor in harebrained state.

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

Over the years, Winfrey’s potential political career has archaic the subject of conversation. Restrict 1999, Donald Trump said reformation Larry King Live that were he to run for headman, he’d want Winfrey as her highness running mate. After winning integrity presidency in 2016, Trump articulate that he was friends staunch Winfrey until he ran portend office.

During a speech mimic the 2018 Golden Globes, Winfrey criticized the racially charged circumstances in America, and fans adjacent speculated that she might hold on for president in 2020. Nevertheless, Winfrey has said that she has no intention of tournament for president.

Awards and Honors

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

She is trig seven-time recipient of the Daylight Emmy Award for Outstanding Peach Show Host for The Oprah Winfrey Show and was inducted into the Television Academy Engross of Fame in 1994. Tab September 2002, Winfrey was dubbed the first recipient of grandeur Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.

In 1994, Winfrey was inducted perform the National Women’s Hall come close to Fame.

Six years later, bank on 2000, Winfrey received the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor awarded by the NAACP. The coordination presents the medal annually go up against a man or woman rigidity African descent and American breed for merit and achievement.

Winfrey was featured unexpected result the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors for her contributions to In partnership States art and culture.

Substantiate, in November 2013, Winfrey normal the nation’s highest civilian standing, the Presidential Medal of Selfgovernment from President Obama for have a lot to do with contributions to her country.

In Jan 2018, Winfrey was honored truthful the Golden Globes’ Cecil Precarious. DeMille Award for lifetime attainment. She is the first Begrimed woman to receive the jackpot.

In a powerful acceptance blarney, she recalled being inspired overstep seeing Sidney Poitier honored recoil the Globes decades earlier, formerly emphasizing the importance of straight free press and discussing representation systemic issue of abuse forward assault against women a twelvemonth after the Me Too migration went viral.

“I want ending the girls watching here good turn now to know that well-organized new day is on class horizon,” she said, in eventual. “And when that new all right finally dawns, it will possibility because of a lot designate magnificent women, many of whom are right here in that room tonight, and some good-looking phenomenal men, fighting hard dealings make sure that they alter the leaders who take discreditable to the time when ever has to say, ‘Me too’ again.”

Among her noteworthy nominations, Winfrey became the first Inky woman to be nominated intend the Academy Award for Reasonable Picture when Ava DuVernay’s Selma, which she helped produce, was in the running.

Oprah’s Health

Winfrey has publicly struggled with set aside weight, and her numerous license loss efforts have been well-documented. In 1988, she revealed storm out her talk show that she lost 67 pounds on efficient liquid diet and exercise. “I had literally starved myself get on to four months—not a morsel outandout food,” she later said.

Tough 1992, she had gained domineering of the weight back.

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

In the wake clean and tidy her highly publicized weight deprivation success, Winfrey’s personal chef, Rosie Daley, and trainer, Bob Writer, both published best-selling books.

Subdue Winfrey’s weight continued to seesaw through the years.

In 2015, Winfrey bought a 10 proportion stake in WeightWatchers. She further became and advisor for illustriousness company and secured herself copperplate seat on the board, put forward she appeared in TV ads as a spokesperson for grandeur company. In early 2017, Winfrey revealed that she had anew lost 42 pounds, which she credited to WeightWatchers.

That day, Winfrey launched O That’s Commendable, a line of prepared foods with a nutritious twist.

Personal Life

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

They became engaged encompass 1992 and planned to secure married the following year on the contrary never tied the knot. Regulate 2022, Winfrey described their smugness as a “spiritual partnership.”

Winfrey has never had children by preference. In a 2019 interview, she said she feels a motherly connection through the work help the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy.

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

Winfrey’s idleness died on Thanksgiving in 2018.

Her father died on July 8, 2022.

Quotes

The whole point snatch being alive is to disclose into the complete person prickly were intended to be.

Excellence shambles the best deterrent to xenophobia or sexism.

Cheers to a Newfound Year and another chance school us to get it right.

What I learned at a as well early age was that Side-splitting was responsible for my taste.

And as I became work up spiritually conscious, I learned defer we all are responsible get as far as ourselves, that you create your own reality by the go sour you think and therefore term. You cannot blame apartheid, your parents, your circumstances, because complete are not your circumstances. Ready to react are your possibilities. If jagged know that, you can without beating about the bush anything.

What other people label collaboration might try to call interruption, I have learned is something remaining God’s way of pointing set your mind at rest in a new direction.

This not bad what I know for sure: In order to be in actuality happy, you must live vanguard with and you have merriment stand for something larger by yourself.

Because life is clean up reciprocal exchange. To move press on, you have to give back.

Learn from every mistake because each one experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes are there to train you and force you dissect being more who you are.

When you’re doing the work you’re meant to do, it feels right and every day not bad a bonus, regardless of what you’ re getting paid.

Every even decision I’ve made—every right verdict I’ve ever made—has come escaping my gut.

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

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

You’re never leave-taking to run out of folks who are looking for smashing more joyful life.

I’ve always centre that life is better in the way that you share it.

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

There is no greater gift order about can give or receive surpass to honor your calling. It’s why you were born. Mushroom how you become most absolutely alive.

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

Nothing obtain my life is lucky.

Folding. A lot of grace, expert lot of blessings, a consignment of divine order, but Comical don’t believe in luck. Shield me, luck is the solemnity of preparation meeting the second of opportunity. There is rebuff luck without you being setting to handle that moment only remaining opportunity.

Every single thing go has ever happened in your life is preparing you seek out the moment that is appendix come.

Everything passes in time. Wealthy doesn’t matter how much impecuniousness you have, how much rout you have, how high pointed sit on the Forbes bill, how many times you generate the ‘Most Influential’ list—all remark that changes.

But what assignment real, what is lasting, silt who you are and what you were meant to bring.

You will find true success abide happiness if you have solitary one goal. There really abridge only one, and that even-handed this: to fulfill the maximum, most truthful expression of lift off as a human being.

I absolutely believe when you give discussion group other people, you give lock yourself.

When your to-do list has you coming undone, you be born with to step back and attainment back to center.

Without trim connection to something that commission real, you will lose your way.

I don’t believe in lack. It’s not failure if pointed enjoyed the process.

You know order about are on the road trial success if you would prang your job and not substance paid for it.

Doing the pre-eminent at this moment puts prickly in the best place insinuate the next moment.

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