Actress, Comedian, and TV host Whoopi Goldberg was the first Black person to win the coveted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony) Award.
Throughout the years many influential African Americans have been awarded for their amazing accolades. Recognized for their immaculate talent on the big screen. Many different award shows have awarded the most talented African American actors/actresses, but do you know who was awarded from every platform?
What Is EGOT?
“EGOT” is an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards. This is also what the very few people who have won all four awards are labeled. This acronym was first said by actor Philip Michael Thomas (1984). Thomas played a big role in the Television show “Miami Vice” that brought him instant fame. When he was asked what accomplishments he would like to achieve, he stated his desire to achieve the “EGOT”.
Who was the first black EGOT winner?
Have you ever heard of a hat trick? Scratch that, a quadruple trick? Whoopi Goldberg, actress, comedian & author defined the odds by being the first black EGOT winner. Goldberg has featured in over 150 major films.
Within Goldberg’s amazing career she has received two Academy Award nominations, for her contributions in The Color Purple and Ghost, winning for Ghost. Goldberg was also recognized as the first African American to have received Academy Award nominations for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
Following the Academy award, Goldberg won two Golden Globe for Best Actress (1986) for her contribution in The Color Purple, and Best Supporting Actress in 1991 for Ghost (Ghost also won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role).
Goldberg starring in “Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway” won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 1985. Not only did Whoppi Goldberg win the Grammy but she became only the second solo woman performer at the time to receive the award and the first African-American woman. Only three women performers have ever received the Best Comedy Recording award.
In 1990, Goldberg received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as “Oda Mae Brown” in the hit movie Ghost. In 2002, Whoopi Goldberg won the Tony Award for her contribution as a producer for Thoroughly Modern Millie. Goldberg outdid herself where she was rewarded with eight Daytime Emmy nominations and went home with two. The acting veteran received nine a total of Primetime Emmy nominations. Concluding Goldberg’s long list of awards was her Daytime Emmy Award in 2009, for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her role on The View.
Sharing the award with her peers who also contributed to the production Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Barbara Walters.
In a sit down with Vulture, Goldberg spoke about her acting abilities, “One of the good things about me is that I can play any being I need to play. I know how to pretend to be someone else. I’m lucky in that way. Other people are not so convinced all the time. What they see is the outward shell. They’re not looking and thinking, Oh can she bring this to life? Because Oh my God, she’s Black, so what does she know?
As it turns out, quite a bit. I’ve had lots of experiences with different kinds of people. I don’t always like people, but I accept their experience. I understand why they feel the way they feel. My faith in myself is much greater than other people’s faith in me.”
CREDIT: blackamericaweb.com
