Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.Photo:Taylor Hill/WireImage; Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Taylor Hill/WireImage; Dia Dipasupil/Getty
“I had never done a film, been in a film, knew anything about filming but wanted to be inThe Color Purplemore than anything in my life,” Winfrey said on the show.
Winfrey said that she’d made the mistake of looking straight into the camera on her first day of filming alongside costarWhoopi Goldberg.
The Drew Barrymore Show.The Drew Barrymore Show/Ash Bean
The Drew Barrymore Show/Ash Bean
“Steven yells, ‘Cut! Cut! Cut! What are you doing?'” recalled Winfrey. “[I said], ‘Uh. I was just doing my lines.’ He said, ‘What are you doing looking in the camera?’ I go, ‘I’m not supposed to look in the camera?’ He goes, ‘No! Ms. Celie’s overhere!'”
“I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I had never been on a movie set,” she added.
Despite her early hiccup on set, Winfrey’s performance as Sofia in the film earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Four decades later, Winfrey and Spielberg are co-producers on the musical adaptation ofThe Color Purple, which was released Christmas Day.
Winfrey played the character Sofia in the 1985 film ‘The Color Purple’.Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
“So full circle!” Winfrey said on the show of reuniting with Spielberg. “Look at God looking at me! I think it’s so incredible.”
The new movie musical, which starsFantasia Barrino,Taraji P. Henson,Danielle Brooksand more, took the No. 1 spot on Monday, beating box office predictions, and had the largest Christmas opening since 2009, according toVarietyandThe Hollywood Reporter.
Winfrey and Spielberg are co-producers of the 2023 musical adaptation.Eric Charbonneau/Getty
Eric Charbonneau/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Winfrey has a lot to celebrate following the film’s success as she gears up to turn 70 in January.
Speaking to PEOPLEearlier this month about reaching the landmark birthday, Winfrey said, “I will never be done until my last breath is done, and whenever that happens it will be a peaceful breath.”
She added, “Gratitude really is my religion.”
source: people.com
