Whoopi Goldberg reveals that Patrick Swayze fought for her to get the iconic ‘Ghost’ role

Whoopi Goldberg reflected on her classic role as Oda Mae Brown in the 1990 movie “Ghost,” and told Variety that her late co-star, Patrick Swayze, was advocating for her to get the part.

In a cover story published Wednesday, Goldberg said she was on a list of women who were eligible for the role of Oda Mae, including Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner, but that Swayze fought for Goldberg to get the part.

She said the late actor and the film’s director, Jerry Zucker, had flown to Alabama so Goldberg and Swayze could read lines together.

Goldberg told Variety she immediately felt a connection to Swayze, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2009.

“He and I just talked,” she said.

Goldberg memorable acted as Oda Mae, a psychic who helps murdered banker Sam Wheat (Swayze) connect with his living girlfriend (Demi Moore) to warn her of impending danger.

“The Color Purple” actor said she and Swayze would joke because they felt insecure about how the movie would turn out while they were filming, wondering if it would be “the stupidest thing we’ve ever done,” said they.

Goldberg’s iconic performance earned her a Best Supporting Actress award at the Academy Awards in 1991, making her the first black woman to receive an Oscar in 50 years.

In 2002, she became the first black person to achieve EGOT status – someone to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

And she continues to break new ground in the arts.

Goldberg told Variety she’s working on a script for a superhero movie about an older black woman who is gaining new powers.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been obsessed with superheroes,” she said. ‘They all save the earth all the time. But do you know who is really going to save the Earth? Old black women. “

Read her full Variety cover article here.

Another legendary role of Goldberg has recently come back into the spotlight as well.

The actor is scheduled to return as Sister Mary Clarence from 1992’s ‘Sister Act’ and its sequel, ‘Sister Act: Back in the Habit’.

Disney announced in December that the third movie was in development to stream on Disney +, with Goldberg producing the movie with Tyler Perry and a star in it.

During a performance on CBS’s “The Late Late Show” last October, Goldberg told host James Corden that no third film had been made because for a long time she was told “nobody wanted to see it.”

“Quite recently it appears that this may not be true; people might want to see it, ”she said.