Oprah Winfrey

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Biography

  • Full Name: Oprah Winfrey
  • Birth Name: Oprah Gail Winfrey
  • Birth Place: Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA
  • Birth Date: January 29, 1954
Oprah Winfrey was born January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi and is the award-winning host of “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” the highest rated talk show in television history.  She is one of the most influential people in media through her television and publishing empire.  “Life” magazine has ranked her as the most influential woman of her generation and “Time” magazine has ranked her as one of only four people to have shaped both the 20th century and the early 21st.  According to “Forbes” magazine, she was the richest African American of the 20th century and the world's only Black billionaire for three straight years.  In 2005, “Business Week” ranked her as the greatest Black philanthropist in American history.  Oprah is one of the partners in Oxygen Media, Inc., a cable channel and interactive network presenting programming designed primarily for women.

Oprah’s media career began at age 17, when she was hired as a reporter by a Nashville radio station.  Subsequently, she moved to Baltimore as a television news co-anchor and later hosted talk shows on “People Are Talking.”  In 1984, Oprah moved to Chicago to host “AM Chicago,” a faltering local talk show, and in less than a year she turned “AM Chicago” into the hottest show in town. The format was soon expanded to one hour, and renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show” with a national broadcast.  The show became the number one talk show in national syndication in less than a year. 

As an actress, Oprah Winfrey played Sofia in Steven Spielberg's 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker's novel, “The Color Purple.” Winfrey's performance earned her nominations for an Oscar and Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress.

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