Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey, Oprah, Orpah Gail Winfrey
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Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Globally, she is the richest Black woman and the wealthiest female celebrity. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African-American of the 20th century and was once the world's only Black billionaire. By 2007, she was often ranked as the most influential woman in the world. Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a single teenage mother and later raised in inner-city Milwaukee. Winfrey was then sent to live with the man she calls her father, Vernon Winfrey, a barber in Nashville, Tennessee, and landed a job in radio while still in high school. By 19, she was a co-anchor for the local evening news. Winfrey's often emotional, extemporaneous delivery eventually led to her transfer to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place, she launched her own production company. Credited with creating a more intimate, confessional form of media communication, Winfrey popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue. By the mid-1990s, Winfrey had reinvented her show with a focus on literature, self-improvement, mindfulness, and spirituality. She has been criticized for unleashing a confession culture, promoting controversial self-help ideas, and having an emotion-centered approach, and has also been praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others. Winfrey also emerged as a political force in the 2008 presidential race, with her endorsement of Barack Obama estimated to have been worth about one million votes during the 2008 Democratic primaries. In the same year, she formed her own network, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. In 1994, Winfrey was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. She has received honorary doctorate degrees from multiple universities. Winfrey has won many awards throughout her career, including 19 Daytime Emmy Awards (including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman's Award), 3 Primetime Emmy Awards (including the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award), a Tony Award, a Peabody Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award awarded by the Academy Awards, in addition to two competitive Academy Award nominations. Winfrey was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021.
Career
- 1954Born
- 1986Notable work: The Oprah Winfrey Show
- 1995Won Peabody Awards
- 2004Won Time 100
- 2013Won Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 2013Won honorary doctor of Harvard University
- Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Won Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century
- Notable work: The Women of Brewster Place
- Notable work: The Color Purple
- Notable work: Beloved
- Notable work: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Trivia
- •Place of birth: Kosciusko
- •Citizenship: United States
- •Known as: television presenter, patron of the arts, television producer, film producer
What happened recently
Oprah Winfrey Weight Loss: Her Journey, What She Actually Did, and Practical Lessons for Real People *ztRdf8hbV*
'It Was All For Clarification': What Oprah Has Said About Her Viral Harry & Meghan Interview Moment
Meghan and Harry dealt ultimate Hollywood blow as pal Oprah 'rejects second tell-all'
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Oprah Winfrey reveals the thoughtful gift Beyoncé sent her after she wrote her a letter
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa to close after nearly 2 decades
Oprah Winfrey Shuts Down Sharing Clothes with Best Friend Gayle King with Blunt Response
The world's richest black woman, Oprah Winfrey, closes down her school operations in South Africa after 2 decades
Oprah’s Silky Cargo Pants Are a Breezy Alternative to Rigid Jeans — Similar Pairs Start at $20 on Amazon
Oprah Winfrey Is Closing Her South Africa Girls’ Academy After 20 Years - E! News
Oprah Winfrey is ending her girls’ school in South Africa after 20 years — here’s why
Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls to close South Africa campus in 2027
Oprah Winfrey Says She’s Ending Her South Africa Girls’ Academy to ‘Reach More Young Women’ with Scholarships
Oprah Winfrey says 'life starts at 44'—and research proves she’s right: the average founder starts their business after 40
Oprah Winfrey cops to one of her cringiest career ‘mistakes’ nearly three decades later: ‘It was bad’
Oprah Winfrey sparks fresh backlash after she revisits Prince Harry and Meghan Markle bombshell interview
Some People, Including Keke Palmer, Are Just Finding Out Oprah Winfrey’s Real Name
Shop Oprah’s favorites at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, from ‘fantastic’ skin care to cozy loungewear
Oprah Winfrey shows off her 40-lb weight loss on European vacation with Kris Jenner
Oprah, 72, Is My Style Icon, so I’m Shopping Her Comfy Sneakers, Flattering Jeans, and Chic Bags Up to 66% Off
Oprah Winfrey’s 1998 box office disaster ended with 30 pounds of mac and cheese
Oprah’s Go-To Accessory Has the Same Hands-Free Detail Backed by Martha Stewart and More — It’s Just $34 Today
'The Oprah Podcast' is coming to Prime Video on July 21, with new episodes twice weekly
Oprah Winfrey Shows Off 40-Lb Weight Loss On European Vacation With Kris Jenner
Oprah Winfrey & Gayle King Proved They're The Ultimate BFFs With These Matching Outfits
I'm Recreating Oprah’s Recent Summer Travel Outfit with These Refined (but Comfy!) Pieces for My Next Trip
Oprah’s Go-To Podiatrist-Approved Shoe Brand Is on Sale, and I Found Actually Cool Sneakers for 63% Off
Oprah Winfrey Reflects on Regrettable 1988 'Fat Wagon' Moment and Its Impact
From Oprah Winfrey to Kurt Russell: Celebrity couples who skipped marriage and stayed together
Oprah Winfrey and Kris Jenner enjoy summer in Spain together in in luxurious yacht getaway
Mara Brock Akil tells Oprah Winfrey her debut novel was inspired by a story she wanted to tell 'for a long time'
Quote of the day by Oprah Winfrey: 'One of the things that I encourage for anybody who is interested in t
5 Daily Dietary Rules Oprah Winfrey Swears By For Her 50-Pound Weight Loss Transformation At 71
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