Oprah Winfrey

Profile
Name: Oprah Winfrey
Birth Name: Oprah Gail Winfrey
Height: 5' 6½''
Sex: F
Nationality: American
Birth Date: January 29, 1954
Birth Place: Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA
Profession: Producer, Actress, Soundtrack, Taklshow host, Author
Education: East Nashville High School in Nashville, Tennessee (graduated in 1971)
Tennessee State University (graduated with a degree in Speech and Performing Arts)
Relationship: Stedman Graham (author, educator; lived together since 1986; ended the relationship in June 2006)
Father: Vernon Winfrey (barber, businessman, city-council member; never married to Oprah's mother)
Mother: Vernita Lee
Step Mother: Zelma Winfrey (died 1996)
Claim to fame: Host of The Oprah Winfrey Show

Biography
On January 29, 1954 Oprah Gail Winfrey was born to unwed, teenage parents in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Oprah had a mountain of obstacles already in front of her as a newborn baby... she was born to unwed teenage parents, she was female, she was black, and she was poor. Oprah's mother was an eighteen-year-old housemaid named Vernita Lee. Her father was a twenty-year-old doing duty in the armed forces: his name was Vernon Winfrey.

For the first six years of her life, the young Winfrey was raised on a Mississippi farm by her grandmother. That being perhaps the first stroke of good luck for the young child. Oprah has stated that living with her grandmother probably saved her life. While in her grandmother's care, she was taught to read at a very early age, instilling a love of reading in her that she retains today. She began her public speaking career at the tender age of three when she began reading aloud and reciting sermons to the congregation of her church.

Oprah has said that she heard her grandmother state on several occasions that Oprah was "gifted." While the young child didn't know exactly what being "gifted" meant, she thought that it meant that she was special. And that was enough to keep her going. That bit of praise, the thought that she was "gifted" and "special" may have been what got her through the hard years that she was to spend with her mother.

At the age of six, her mother, Vernita Lee, decided that she could care for her young daughter and Oprah was sent to live with her mother in Milwaukee. From ages six to thirteen, Oprah stayed with her mother. She was raped by a cousin when she was nine years old and later molested by a male friend of her mother's and by an uncle. The young girl never told anyone about the abuse that she was suffering. Instead, she held her anger and pain inside and she rebelled. She repeatedly ran away and got into trouble.

Her mother decided to put her into a detention home. Fortunately for Oprah, she was denied admission to the home because there were no openings. So, in what may have been her second major stroke of good luck, she was sent to live with her father Vernon Winfrey in Nashville. Before she ceased her promiscuous and wild behavior, she became pregnant and gave birth to a stillborn baby boy when she was fourteen. The death of her baby devastated her and she vowed to turn her life around.

Her father helped her with her mission by strapping her with his strict rules and discipline. Vernon made sure that his daughter stuck to her curfew, maintained high grades in school and encouraged Oprah to be her best. Oprah's father helped her turn her life around. Oprah has spoke of his requirement that she read a book each week and complete a book report on the book.

At the age of nineteen, Oprah landed her first job as a reporter for a radio station in Nashville. Shortly afterwards, she entered Tennessee State University to pursue a career in radio and television broadcasting. During her freshman year at TSU, Oprah won several pageants, including "Miss Black Nashville" and "Miss Tennessee."

In 1976, Oprah Winfrey moved to Baltimore, where she hosted a TV show called People Are Talking. The show was a hit and Winfrey stayed for eight years. She was then recruited by a TV station in Chicago to host her own morning show, A.M. Chicago. The show was competing against the immensely popular Phil Donahue Show. After several months, Oprah's warm-hearted style had taken her to first place in the ratings. Her success led to a role in Steven Spielberg's film, The Color Purple in 1985, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award.

In 1986, Oprah started the Oprah Winfrey Show. The rest is, as they say, history. Oprah has come from being a poor, black, farm girl from Mississippi to a national celebrity. To her resume she can add reporter, actress, writer, producer, activist and TV talk show host... but it doesn't stop there. Oprah, it seems, is unstoppable.

Filmography
* Bee Movie (2007) Actor/Actress
* Charlotte's Web (2007) U (Contains very mild language)Played "Voice of Gussy (the Goose)"
* Beloved (1999) Played "Sethe", Producer, Song Performer ("Sethe's Lullbaby" "Pullin' the Skiff")
* Color Purple, The (1985) 15Played "Sofia"
* Throw Momma From the Train Played "Herself"

Awards
1. People's Choice Award (2004) Favorite Talk Show Host - "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
2. Bob Hope Humanitarian Award (2002)
3. Producers Guild of America Award (2000) Norman Felton Producer of the Year for Longform Television - "Tuesdays with Morrie"
4. Emmy (2000) Oustanding Made for Television Movie - "Oprah Winfrey Presents: Tuesdays with Morrie"
5. Broadcast Film Critics Association Award (1999) Best TV Movie - "Tuesdays With Morrie"
6. Daytime Emmy (1998) Outstanding Talk Show Host - "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
7. Daytime Emmy (1998) Lifetime Achievement
8. People's Choice Award (1997) Favorite Female Television Performer
9. NAACP Image Award (1997) Outstanding News, Talk or Informational Special - "Dinner With Oprah: A Lifetime Exclusive--Toni Morrison"
10. NAACP Image Award (1997) Outstanding News, Talk or Informational Series - "The Oprah Winfrey Show: Oprah's Book Club--Dinner With Maya Angelou"
11. George Foster Peabody Award (1996)
12. Daytime Emmy (1994) Outstanding Talk/Service Show - "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
13. Daytime Emmy (1993) Outstanding Children's Special - "Shades of a Single Protein (ABC Afterschool Special)"
14. Daytime Emmy (1991) Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host - "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
15. NAACP Image Award (1991) Outstanding News, Talk or Information Series - "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
16. Daytime Emmy (1991) Outstanding Talk/Service Show - "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
17. Daytime Emmy (1989) Outstanding Talk/Service Show - "The Oprah Winfrey Show"
18. People's Choice Award (1988) Favorite Talk Show Host
19. International Radio and Television Society (1988) Broadcaster of the Year
20. Daytime Emmy (1987) Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host - "The Oprah Winfrey Show"