Oprah Winfrey

Who Is Oprah Winfrey?

Oprah Winfrey is a renowned media executive, Emmy Award-winning talk show host, Academy Award–nominated actress, and philanthropist. She rose to global fame as the host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, a highly influential program that ran for 25 seasons from 1986 to 2011. Its immense success led her to become the world’s first Black woman billionaire in 2003. Winfrey’s media empire extends beyond her talk show, including the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and a lifestyle magazine. Her remarkable career earned her a place in the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 2018, she became the first Black woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, recognizing her significant contributions to the entertainment industry.

Early Life and Education

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Named after the biblical figure Orpah, her family later began calling her Oprah for ease of pronunciation. Winfrey endured a challenging childhood, including sexual abuse by male relatives and family friends. At age 14, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to live with her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber and businessman.

She attended East Nashville High School and won the Miss Black Nashville pageant in 1972. Winfrey later earned the title of Miss Black Tennessee and competed for Miss Black America. In 1971, she enrolled at Tennessee State University, majoring in speech communications and performing arts. During this time, she began working in radio and television broadcasting, though she dropped out of college in 1975, just one credit short of her degree. She completed her education years later, graduating in Tennessee State’s 1986 class.

Early Broadcasting Career

Winfrey’s broadcasting career took off in 1976 when she moved to Baltimore, Maryland, to host the talk show People Are Talking, which became a local success. After eight years on the show, she was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host A.M. Chicago. Competing against Phil Donahue, a well-established host, Winfrey’s warm and authentic approach quickly boosted her ratings, drawing in over 100,000 more viewers than Donahue and propelling her show to the top of the ratings.

The Oprah Winfrey Show

In 1986, Oprah Winfrey made history by launching The Oprah Winfrey Show, becoming the first Black woman to host a nationally syndicated daily talk show. The show, which ran for 25 years until 2011, quickly became a cultural phenomenon.

Airing on 120 channels with a viewership of 10 million, the show grossed $125 million in its first year, of which Winfrey earned $30 million. Not long after, she gained full ownership of the show from ABC, bringing it under her production company, Harpo Productions (an inversion of her name), significantly boosting her earnings from syndication.

As tabloid content began to dominate talk shows in the early 1990s, Winfrey vowed in 1994 to keep her program free of sensational and exploitative topics. Although this shift caused a temporary dip in ratings, her integrity earned her audience’s respect, eventually resulting in a surge in popularity. In 2004, Winfrey signed a new contract to extend The Oprah Winfrey Show until 2011. By then, it was syndicated on nearly 212 U.S. stations and broadcasted in over 100 countries globally. In 2009, she announced that the show would conclude at the end of her contract.

By the time the show ended, it had garnered numerous accolades, including dozens of Daytime Emmy Awards, with nine for Outstanding Talk Show and seven for Outstanding Talk Show Host. The show also served as a springboard for the TV careers of Dr. Phil McGraw, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Rachael Ray, all of whom went on to host their own talk shows. Additionally, The Oprah Winfrey Show became the launchpad for several iconic segments, such as Oprah’s Book Club and Oprah’s Favorite Things.

Oprah’s Book Club

In September 1996, Winfrey made a significant impact on the publishing industry by introducing Oprah’s Book Club as a segment of her talk show. Her first selection was The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard. The book club quickly gained influence, with subsequent picks including Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and Michelle Obama’s 2018 memoir Becoming.

The club’s selections often propelled lesser-known authors to the top of bestseller lists. Even after The Oprah Winfrey Show concluded, Oprah’s Book Club has continued to thrive through O, The Oprah Magazine, as well as via an Apple TV+ series and podcast.

Oprah’s Half-Sister Revelation

In the final season of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah Winfrey shocked viewers by revealing a deeply personal family secret: she had a half-sister named Patricia, whom she had never known. The story begins in 1963 when Winfrey’s mother, Vernita Lee, gave birth to a baby girl. At the time, Winfrey was 9 years old and living with her father. Facing financial hardships, Lee made the difficult decision to place Patricia up for adoption, believing she couldn’t raise another child while on public assistance. Patricia spent the first seven years of her life in foster care.

Years later, Patricia sought to reconnect with her biological family through the adoption agency. However, her initial attempts to reach her birth mother were unsuccessful, as Lee declined to meet her. Determined, Patricia continued her search and eventually connected with one of Winfrey’s nieces. After DNA testing, it was confirmed that Patricia was indeed Oprah’s half-sister, bringing the two together in a powerful and emotional family reunion.

Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)

In 1999, Oprah Winfrey expanded her media empire by co-founding Oxygen Media, a company focused on producing cable and online content for women. However, her biggest media venture came after the end of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, when she launched her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), in partnership with Discovery Communications.

Despite early financial challenges, OWN garnered significant attention in January 2013 when it aired Winfrey’s exclusive interview with Lance Armstrong. The interview marked Armstrong’s public confession to using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his cycling career, which had resulted in the stripping of his seven Tour de France titles. The interview not only made headlines but also generated millions in revenue for the fledgling network.

In March 2015, Winfrey announced the closure of her iconic Chicago-based Harpo Studios, with all production moving to OWN’s headquarters in Los Angeles by year’s end. Two years later, in December 2017, Discovery increased its ownership stake in OWN, purchasing 24.5 percent from Winfrey for $70 million, leaving her with a 25.5 percent share while she retained her role as CEO. By December 2020, Winfrey sold an additional 20.5 percent of her stake to Discovery, though she continues to serve as chairman and CEO of the network.

Oprah Magazine and Oprah Daily

Oprah Winfrey’s monthly magazine, O: The Oprah Magazine, launched in 2000 and became an instant success. The Hearst publication printed its final issue in 2020. In 2021, Winfrey introduced Oprah Daily, a digital platform that features thoughtful storytelling, a quarterly print edition, and a members-only community. Through both platforms, Winfrey continued her famous “Oprah’s Favorite Things,” an annual list of top holiday gifts, which first appeared on her talk show and gained a new spotlight through Amazon in 2017.

Partnership with Apple

In June 2018, Winfrey secured a multi-year partnership with Apple to produce original content. This collaboration led to the debut of Oprah’s Book Club on Apple TV+ in 2019, featuring Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer in its first episode. As part of the deal, Winfrey also signed on as executive producer for On the Record, a documentary about the women who accused music producer Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct. However, she withdrew her support just before its 2020 Sundance Film Festival premiere.

Winfrey’s work with Apple TV+ extended to The Oprah Conversation, a series of interviews with prominent figures, including Will Smith, Dolly Parton, and former President Barack Obama, which aired in 2020.

Interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

On March 7, 2021, CBS aired Winfrey’s much-anticipated interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, where the couple discussed their departure from royal duties and Markle opened up about her mental health struggles. The special attracted 17.1 million viewers and further solidified Winfrey’s reputation as a master interviewer. A similar primetime interview with singer Adele followed on CBS in November 2021.

Acting Career

Winfrey’s acting breakthrough came in 1985, with her Academy Award-nominated role in The Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg. She later co-produced a successful stage adaptation of the film, earning 11 Tony nominations, and a 2015 revival, which won a Tony Award.

Her other notable roles include Beloved (1998), The Butler (2013), and voice acting in Charlotte’s Web (2006) and The Princess and the Frog (2009). In 2018, she starred in A Wrinkle in Time.

Net Worth

According to Forbes, Winfrey was the richest African American of the 20th century and became the world’s first Black billionaire in 2003. As of March 2023, her real-time net worth was estimated at $2.5 billion.

Philanthropy

Winfrey has been recognized as the greatest Black philanthropist in American history. She has created multiple charitable organizations, including Oprah’s Angel Network, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation. Her Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, founded in 2007, continues her mission to educate future leaders. Her philanthropic work also includes advocacy for children’s rights and contributions to causes such as March for Our Lives.

Political Activism

In 2007, Winfrey’s political activism became highly visible when she campaigned for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, attracting record crowds. She has since supported other political figures, including Georgia’s Stacey Abrams in 2018. Despite speculation about a possible political career, Winfrey has consistently declined to run for office.

Awards and Honors

Winfrey’s accolades include seven Daytime Emmy Awards for The Oprah Winfrey Show and induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1994. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 and the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2018, becoming the first Black woman to receive this honor.

Health and Wellness

Winfrey has long been open about her struggles with weight loss. Her personal health journey has been a major part of her public life, from losing 67 pounds on a liquid diet in 1988 to later fluctuations in weight. She has partnered with WeightWatchers, where she holds a 10% stake, and credited the program with helping her maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Personal Life

Winfrey has been in a long-term relationship with Stedman Graham since the mid-1980s, though they never married. She has spoken about choosing not to have children and views her work with the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy as fulfilling her maternal instincts. She currently owns several properties across the U.S., including in California, Indiana, Colorado, and Hawaii.