- [on critics, on the Queen Latifah Show (1999)] You can say whatever you want about me, but talk about my daughter and I'll beat your ass up.
- [while hosting the The 71st Annual Academy Awards (1999)] A Bug's Life (1998). Wasn't that the Linda Tripp Story?
- My family is Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist and Catholic. I don't believe in man-made religions.
- I'm a big old egotistical baby and that's okay. I can accept it.
- [on Alice Walker, author of "The Color Purple", on her efforts to get a role in the film (The Color Purple (1985)) that was made from it] I told her I would play a Venetian blind, dirt on the floor, anything.
- Actors have no color. That's the art form.
- [in 1994 interview, on African-American actors in Hollywood] I don't know if I'm the one who should be commenting on the situation. I can't complain about the amount of work that's out there. I am black. But I didn't become black yesterday. I'm black and I'm getting the work and I'm doing some good things, but I realize many black actors and actresses are not being given the opportunities. The industry has got to stop thinking in terms of black and white and has to start thinking in terms of who is right, regardless of color, for the role.
- [in 1994 interview, on Star Trek (1966)] I know I'm never going up, for real, in anybody's rocket ship. I know this because I hate to fly. Gene Roddenberry's vision always included a multi-ethnic group of people. I thought that was pretty amazing. Being on Star Trek has been a great way to sort of expand on the universe and be a part of it.
- [in 1994 interview, on how she got cast on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)] I did it because, frankly, I couldn't get any other work then. I liked the show, so I asked if I could be on it. As a matter of fact, I asked twice. The first time, I sent a message to LeVar Burton asking him to tell the producers that I would really like to be on the show. He got the message to the producers and they said, "Yeah, right. Whoopi wants to do Star Trek." One of the members [Gates McFadden] left the show and I heard about it, so I approached the show's producers again and said, "Listen, I don't know if you know it or not, but I've been trying for a long time now to get on this show." They said LeVar had told them about it and they thought he was kidding. I told them I can't do all the episodes but I would like to do some of them. "Can I have the job?" They finally said, "Sure, we'll build you a bar." And they built me Ten-Forward. I got to go in and be really sage and wear great hats. I also got to hang out with some extraordinary people, like Patrick Stewart, LeVar and Jonathan Frakes.
- [2002 interview, on working with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)] The connections between us is family. It's just family. And it's unshakable, you know. Because you look around and you see a great part of your active adult life. Great part of my active adult life was spent with the cast and crew of Star Trek.
- Nobody ever encouraged me in this business. I encouraged myself. I was a very dull and shy child. I was the last person you would expect to be a success in this business. But I always felt if I kept going something would happen. But I even surprised myself at times. When I was doing ensemble theater and comedy work, I felt I had some talents. But when I started doing my shows in Berkeley and found that I could be funny on my own, I was shocked.
- [from a 1990 interview] None of the stuff I've done will ever cure cancer. It's entertainment and some of it has been better entertainment than others. Ghost (1990) is a good little movie, like Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986), which I've changed my mind about and am finally able to watch. Burglar (1987) and Clara's Heart (1988) are good little movies. There's also a couple I don't care for. The Telephone (1988) read brilliantly but was cockadoo on the screen. I'm also not crazy about Fatal Beauty (1987); it could have been a whole lot better. I've done good stuff and bad stuff. That's what careers are all about.
- [at the 1996 MTV Movie Awards, when she was very pleased to see Bob Barker won the award for Happy Gilmore (1996)]: Any Motion Picture Award program would give a big hand to Bob Barker. I have to come to; because that's very big, and Bob told me he was surprised at what happened. See, you never know, you never know!
- In my opinion Mel Gibson isn't a racist. That isn't sticking up for someone. I know him, I've spent time with him, my family have spent time with him - I'd have noticed if he was racist. On slow news days people hear what they want to hear. I didn't stick up for him but I said I've met real racists and he isn't one of them. He's a bonehead.
- I am where I am because I believe in all possibilities.
- [on Showgirls (1995)] I haven't seen that many poles mistreated since World War II.
- Most kids give you a watch or a wallet on your birthday, or a pocketbook or some flowers. My kid gave me a granddaughter instead. It was the best gift she could ever have given me.
- I'm as American as Chevrolet.
- It bums me out tremendously what the church has become, and if it's got me bummed, imagine what Jesus Christ must be feeling.
- [on smoking marijuana] Just because I do it doesn't mean you should do it.
- [At age 11, coming home late after seeing "The Nutcracker" on her own] And then you have to decide if you were going to tell the truth or if you were going to lie. I had a mother who demanded that you tell the truth or be insanely creative abut lying. It had to be a good story. If it was a terrible story, you and the risk of really having her disappointed in your lack of imagination.
- The first time I saw the city through adult eyes was when I stumbled across a guy peeing. He was peeing outside! I was like "Wow! That's really freaky." That was the first time I realized that grown-ups were weird, and that I was probably going to be one of them.
- [on her Academy Award for Ghost (1990)] I've said it before and I'll say it again: because of Patrick Swayze, I got that movie. Because of Patrick Swayze, I have an Oscar.
- [on the death of Patrick Swayze] This was a well-fought battle. Patrick fought like the dickens to survive it, or to get through it. He never thought of himself as someone who was dying. He said, "You know, we're all dying." And so his attitude was "Until it kills me, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing." He worked, he did his show, he just was a cat that never gave up. I would like to be able to be that.
- I wish I had known sooner that I like being on my own. If I'd figured that out earlier, I probably wouldn't have gotten married three times.
- There's only one alternative to getting older, so suck it up.
- An actress can only play a woman. I'm an actor. I can play anything.
- [on Judy Garland] When she sang, God spoke.
- [my role in] Ghost was written for a woman called Teresa Wright, I think. They wouldn't let me audition for Ghost. It wasn't until Patrick Swayze said, 'I am not doing this movie unless you audition her.'
- [on Jill Biden] I'm hoping Dr. Jill becomes the surgeon general. She's a hell of a doctor. She's an amazing doctor.
- [on the misperception that she only dates white] Nobody ever wrote about it when I was with a brother.
- The Holocaust isn't about race.
- People keep saying it's free speech, but all speech is not free speech. Some speech is not okay free speech.
- I talk about God because God and I are very close. God gives you freedom of choice. That's in the Bible. God says, 'Here are 10 rules: Don't lie - you'll never remember what you said before. Don't cheat, because you're going to be mad if you're cheated on. Honor your parents, because they brought you into the world, and you're going to need child care. If you choose to live by them, your life will be better, and even if you don't, I will forgive you.'
- God understands whatever dilemma you're in and will forgive it if you make a choice that He or She doesn't think is right.
- [About the success of Sister Act]: I was really floored when that film was a big success; after we made it we were all ready to slit our wrists.
- [About her flops in the 80's]: Who wants to read one more time-'Another Whoopi Flop'? Sometimes the people who write things like that don't realize what reading that time after time does to you. It isn't really your responsibility-an actor can't dictate what people are going to see. You can only do the best work possible.
- I don't think people care about your color; in the dark you don't know the difference.
- [on Joe Biden] I don't care if he's pooped his pants. I don't care if he can't put a sentence together. Show me he can't do the job, and then I'll say OK, maybe it's time to go.
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