It's no secret that Whoopi Goldberg is an extremely multi-talented individual, conquering the worlds of comedy, acting and social commentary (via "The View.")
Largely forgotten now is her talent as a TV interviewer. But those who remember "The Whoopi Goldberg Show" know she could have easily filled the shoes of iconic late-night journalists like Charlie Rose or the late Tom Snyder, had she wanted to push her career in that direction.
Whoopi set a relaxed tone and manner that brought an extra dimension to the one-on-one interview style. Her method was more friendly and conversational than other shows at that time (somewhat reminiscent of Merv Griffin, but with much more hip). It was a style that often got her celebrity guests to open up about their lives, express views or discuss topics they hadn't revealed to a TV audience before. Whoopi also made it a point to listen to her guests, always showing genuine interest and asking effective follow-up questions without feeling the need to interject her views on top of what they had to say — something many of today's celebrity interviewers have yet to master.
Of course, Whoopi was already a celebrity at this point, and was destined to go onto bigger and better (and better-financed) projects. But for the brief time "The Whoopi Goldberg Show," was on the air, she provided viewers with a comfortable, inviting and intelligent space to watch, learn and be entertained.
Largely forgotten now is her talent as a TV interviewer. But those who remember "The Whoopi Goldberg Show" know she could have easily filled the shoes of iconic late-night journalists like Charlie Rose or the late Tom Snyder, had she wanted to push her career in that direction.
Whoopi set a relaxed tone and manner that brought an extra dimension to the one-on-one interview style. Her method was more friendly and conversational than other shows at that time (somewhat reminiscent of Merv Griffin, but with much more hip). It was a style that often got her celebrity guests to open up about their lives, express views or discuss topics they hadn't revealed to a TV audience before. Whoopi also made it a point to listen to her guests, always showing genuine interest and asking effective follow-up questions without feeling the need to interject her views on top of what they had to say — something many of today's celebrity interviewers have yet to master.
Of course, Whoopi was already a celebrity at this point, and was destined to go onto bigger and better (and better-financed) projects. But for the brief time "The Whoopi Goldberg Show," was on the air, she provided viewers with a comfortable, inviting and intelligent space to watch, learn and be entertained.
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