Whether she was giving core-shaking performances in films like Boys On The Side or In The Gloaming (a must-watch if you haven’t already), bringing the legendary comedy of Moms Mabley to a brand new generation, or giving her razor-sharp hot takes, chock full of “truth, justice, & the American way” to the table known for hot topics on The View, one thing Whoopi Goldberg has been to so many is a superhero. Now, the the multi-award winning LGBT advocate is writing a script that so many little LGBTQ boys and girls will be able to relate to; she told Variety that she is currently writing a script for “a superhero film about an older Black woman who acquires new powers and has to learn to use them”.
Like so many other LGBTQ people, Goldberg told Variety that “since I was a little kid, I’ve been obsessed with superheroes”. She went on to say “They’re all saving the earth all the time. But do you know who’s really going to save the earth? Old Black women.” As she reflected on the 30th Anniversary of her historic Oscar win with Variety (garbed in the most glamorous of high fashion nonetheless) this tireless advocate talked openly about inhabiting the role of Oda Mae (who in turn, inhabited others). She also spoke what it was like to host the Academy Awards in 2002, the same year that Halle Berry became the first woman to win Best Actress. “It was kind of wonderful,” Goldberg said “I had a little tear in my eye, because I always wished it would be me. But you can’t always get what you want; sometimes you get what you need.”
Speaking of superheroes, many have called drag performers the true superheroes of our community, and Goldberg herself can be counted among some of that communities biggest champions. She served as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race during Season 12 (witnessing a purple-laden lip sync between Jaida Essence Hall and Heidi N. Closet), and interviewed RuPaul live during 2019’s New York City DragCon for a thought-provoking conversation filled with teachable moments from two of our culture’s most needed voices.
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Note: The design of Whoopi Goldberg as a superhero is solely the artist’s vision.
