WHOOPI
GOLDBERG!
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WHOOPI, I'M SO HAPPY YOU ARE
HERE.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> I'M GOOD!
I'M GOOD!
I'M THRILLED TO BE HERE.
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS,
ACTUALLY.
>> James: THAT'S A TREAT FOR US BECAUSE I KNOW YOU RARELY
EVER SPEND TIME ON THE WEST COAST.
BUT DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE MET?
>> YES, I THINK I DO.
I THINK I DO.
>> James: BECAUSE IT WAS A HUGE MOMENT IN MY LIFE.
I'VE GOT TO BE HONEST.
>> YEAH, AND I BELIEVE WE WERE MOVING IN, AND I SAW YOU AND
LOST MY MIND BECAUSE YOU WERE RUNNING ACROSS THE STREET.
>> James: IT WAS IN A CAR LEAVING MY HOUSE, AND I LOOKED
UP AND WHOOPI GOLDBERG JUST STOOD IN FRONT OF THE CAR DOING
THIS.
AND IF I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE MY LIFE HAD CHANGED A LOT AT THAT
MOMENT, THAT WAS A REAL DEFINING MOMENT FOR ME.
YOU WERE SO LOVELY AND GLORIOUS, I'VE TREASURIED IT EVERY DAY
SINCE.
>> THANK YOU.
YOU'RE WORTH A BIG HUG AND A WAVE.
I DON'T KNOW EVEN KNOW IF WE CAN DO THAT ANYMORE.
BUT IF I HAD YOU CLOSE I WOULD HUG AND WAVE TO YOU AT THE SAME
TIME.
( LAUGHTER ) I LOVE YOU.
>> James: I'M SUCH A FAN.
FROM ALL OF YOUR WORK, YOUR MOVIES, THE COMEDY.
>> YOU SAW THEM WHEN YOU WERE A LITTLE KID.
YOU CAN SAY THAT.
>> James: I REMEMBER VIVIDLY WHEN YOU HOSTED THE OSCARS.
I THINK I MUST HAVE BEEN 15 AT THE TIME.
AT THE END OF THE OSCARS SHOW, YOU LOOKED DOWN THE LENS AND
SAID, IF YOU'RE OUT THERE WHEREVER YOU ARE AND YOU DREAM
OF BEING ON THIS STAGE, KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO IT.
AND IT WAS, LIKE, 4:00 A.M. FOR ME.
I ALWAYS USED TO WATCH THE ACADEMY AWARDS AND I WAS LIKE,
YEAH, WHOOPI, YOU CAN DO IT.
AND I ENDED UP HOST AG SHOWT AT 1:00 A.M. ON CBS.
>> COULD BE WORSE!
>> James: IT COULD BE A LOT WORSE.
NOW, YOU, WHOOPI, YOU HAVE THE EMMY, GRAMMY, OSCAR AND THE
TONY.
>> RIGHT.
>> James: WAS THERE A MOMENT IN YOUR CHILDHOOD WHERE YOU
REALIZED THAT YOU HAD SOMETHING SPECIAL AS A PERFORMER?
>> BIRTH.
>> James: REALLY?
MM-HMM.
I CAME OUT, I LOOKED AROUND, SAW THE LIGHT, GOT INTO IT, AND MY
MOTHER SAID THAT'S WHEN SHE KNEW.
AS SOON AS I FOUND MY LIGHT, SHE WAS LIKE, SHE'S GOING TO BE ON
STAGE.
( LAUGHTER ) THANK YOU FOR THE LAUGH.
I DON'T KNOW WHO IT WAS BUT THANK YOU.
>> James: YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF LAUGHS IN THE STUDIO, A LOT
MORE THAN I GOT DURING THE
( LAUGHTER ) DO YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT LIKE
THAT?
CAN YOU NOT REMEMBER A TIME YOU DIDN'T WANT TO PERFORM IN SOME
CAPACITY?
WAS IT ALWAYS WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO?
>> ALWAYS.
BECAUSE FOR ME, IF YOU'RE DYSLEXIC AT ALL, IT WAS ALL
ABOUT STORIES AND IMAGINATION AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
SO I ALWAYS KNEW I WANTED TO DO WHAT THOSE PEOPLE ON TELEVISION
SEEMED TO BE DOING.
YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD SEE BETTY DAVIS COMING DOWN THE STAIRWAY,
YOU KNOW, WITH HER CIGARETTE AND SHE'S SHOOTING SOME GUY, AND I
WAS, LIKE, YEAH, I CAN DO THAT.
AND I JUST THOUGHT, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN'T DO.
AND MY MOTHER SAID, THAT'S RIGHT, THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN'T
DO.
BUT YOU'VE GOT TO DO THE WORK, YOU'VE GOT THE WORK HARD, AND
IT'S NOT PLAY TIME, IT'S ART.
THAT WAS HER ATTITUDE.
AND I THOUGHT, OKAY.
SHE NEVER SAID THIS WILL NEVER WORK.
ADULTS WILL SAY THAT TO YOU, BUT SHE WAS NEVER DISCOURAGING AT
ALL.
I WAS REALLY LUCKY TO HAVE HER.
>> James: THAT'S SO WONDERFUL TO HEAR AND, ALSO, I FEEL LIKE,
AS A PARENT, THAT'S ALL YOU CAN REALLY DO WITH YOUR CHILDREN IS
JUST ENCOURAGE THEM IN EVERY WAY.
DON'T TELL THEM WHAT THEY CAN'T DO, TELL THEM WHAT THEY CAN DO.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK MY MOM ALWAYS KIND OF FELT A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE WERE IN AND
MAYBE SHE FELT SHE WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, A LITTLE STRANGE, AND
SHE KNEW SHE WAS RAISING TWO STRANGE KIDS BECAUSE I HAVE AN
OLDER BROTHER.
WE WERE KIND OF A SMALL UNIT, I LOVE FILMS, MY BROTHER LOVES
SPORTS AND MY MOTHER LOVED EVERYTHING.
SO IT WAS GREAT.
>> James: THAT'S SO TERRIFIC TO HEAR.
IT'S JUST 28 DAYS TILL THE ELECTION.
>> I THOUGHT YOU WERE REFERRING TO ME, 28 DAYS.
I THOUGHT, HOW DO YOU KNOW?
( LAUGHTER ) >> James: IT'S 28 DAYS UNTIL
THE ELECTION.
YOU HAVE TALKED AND SEEN EVERY KIND OF NEWS STORY EVERY DAY.
IS THIS THE CRAZIEST NEWS ENVIRONMENT YOU'VE EVER SEEN?
>> YEAH, HONEY, YEAH.
( LAUGHTER ) I MEAN, I DON'T -- WE CAN DIG
PEOPLE UP WHO HAVE BEEN DEAD FOR 50 YEARS, THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
THIS IS AS WILD AS IT'S EVER GOTTEN FOR ANYBODY.
YOU KNOW, I CAN'T -- I -- SEE, I DON'T KNOW -- HOW DO YOU POINT
TO ONE THING?
YU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S CRAZY.
>> James: WHEN YOU SEE THOSE SHOTS AND WHEN YOU HEAR THE NEWS
OF TRUMP GOING IN A HOSPITAL AND THEN HE PUTS OUT THE VIDEO LIKE
HE DID YESTERDAY, WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHT WHEN YOU SEE THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BEHAVING IN SUCH A MANNER?
>> WELL, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HE'S SHOOTING A THING FOR HIS
REELECTION CAMPAIGN.
THAT'S WHAT HE WAS DOING.
HE WAS STANDING THERE.
HE YANKED OFF THE MASK TO SHOW HE HAD THE CAY HO NAS OF A -- I
DON'T KNOW WHAT, AND IT WAS JUST LIKE, DUDE, BIG BALLS DON'T MEAN
ANYTHING, IF YOU'RE DYING, YOU KNOW.
THEY REALLY DON'T.
SO GO INSIDE AND MAYBE GET YOURSELF WELL AND STOP, YOU
KNOW, MESSING AROUND.
I KEEP HAVING TO REMEMBER WORDS NOT TO SAY EVEN IN LATE NIGHT.
>> James: YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT.
>> NO, NO, BECAUSE I'LL GET UP TOMORROW AND YOU KNOW THAT'S ALL
THAT WILL COME OUT OF MY MOUTH.
SO I'M GOING TO BE GOOD.
BUT YOU CATCH MY DRIFT.
>> James: HEY.
( BLEEP ) EVERYONE.
RIGHT?
( LAUGHTER ) I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS
TO COOK, AND YOU HAVE BEEN POSTING THE RESULTS ON SOCIAL
MEDIA.
THIS IS A PASTA DISH.
>> NO, NO.
HERE'S THE THING.
IT WAS JUST DURING COVID TIME, OKAY.
NOW THAT PEOPLE CAN COME BACK TO THE HOUSE, THE PEOPLE WHO COOK
ARE COOKING.
( LAUGHTER ) I THOUGHT MAYBE I COULD SAVE
MYSELF A FEW DOLLARS.
>> James: RIGHT.
I HAVE NO INTEREST.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT, I DON'T KNOW WHERE STUFF IS IN THE
KITCHEN.
I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST TRY.
PLEASE, WHY DO I CARE?
I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
>> James: WELL, I'M GLAD YOU'VE DONE THIS BECAUSE LOOK AT
THIS PHOTO OF A PASTA DISH THAT YOU MADE.
>> YES.
>> James: I MEAN -- SO SAD!
>> James: HOW MANY CLOVES OF GARLIC ARE IN THAT PASTA?
>> 54 CLOVES OF GARLIC.
>> James: 54 CLOVES OF GARLIC.
SEEMS LIKE AN ODD QUESTION, IS THIS YOUR OWN RECIPE?
>> IT JUST GOT GOOD TO ME.
SOMETIMES YOU GET IN THE KITCHEN AND YOU THINK, OH, THIS IS GOING
WELL.
THEN YOU GET IT DONE AND YOU THINK, WHAT THE -- HOW MUCH
GARLIC IS IN HERE?!
IT'S, LIKE, WHEN DID IT PUT ALL THIS ON THE PLATE?
WHEN DID I MISS THIS?
IF YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, THIS IS THE PROBLEM.
YOU END UP WITH 54 CLOVES OF GARLIC IN A TINY LITTLE PASTA
DISH, AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE CLOVES WAS GREAT.
>> James: WELL, GOOD FOR YOU.
GOOD FOR YOU.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE WHEN YOU WERE STARTING
OFF IN REPERTORY THEATER IN SAN DIEGO, YOU ALSO WORKED AT A
FUNERAL HOME AS A MAKEUP ARTIST.
>> YES.
>> James: TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS, HOW DID YOU END UP THERE,
WHAT WAS IT LIKE, DID YOU ENJOY THIS JOB?
>> SO I'LL TELL YOU A VERY FAST STORY, SHALL I?
>> James: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FAST.
YOU CAN TELL IT AS LONG AS YOU WANT.
>> SO I WENT IN ONE DAY WITH A GUY THAT HAD HIRED ME AND HE'D
ASKED ME TO COME TO HIS OFFICE, WHICH I DID.
I'M SITTING IN HIS OFFICE -- IN THOSE DAYS, THE DRAWERS -- THERE
WERE DRAWERS AND YOU PUT THE PEOPLE IN THE DRAWERS AND IT WAS
REALLY A LOT OF WOOD AND THE BIG THICK DOOR YOU HAD TO OPEN TO
COME INTO HIS OFFICE AND IT WAS GREAT.
SO I'M IN THERE AND I'M WAITING FOR HIM, AND I HEAR OUT OF JUST
THE CORNER OF MY BEING, I HEAR --
( SQUEAKING NOISE ) -- AND I'M THINKING, WHAT IS
THAT?
NOW, PART OF ME IS YOU SHOULD GET UP.
AND I'M GOING, WHAT IS THAT SOUND?
AND THE OTHER VOICE SAYS, NO, NO, YOU SHOULD GET UP.
AND I'M THINKING, OKAY.
AND I'M GETTING UP SLOWLY, AND I'M TURNING, AND IT LOOKS LIKE
THE DRAWER IS OPENING.
AND, SO, I'M GETTING UP, I'M LOOKING, I'M TURNING, I'M
THINKING, THAT DRAWER IS OPENING AND, NORMALLY THERE'S A DEAD
PERSON IN THE DRAWER.
SO MAYBE I SHOULD GET OUT.
SO I'M GOING, I'M ABOUT TO GO, AND SOMEONE SITS UP AND GOES,
HELLO.
AND, BOOM!
I WALKED INTO THE DOOR.
RIGHT INTOO THE DOOR.
>> James: NO.
YEAH.
AND HE SAID TO ME -- IT WAS MY BOSS -- AND HE SAID, NOW THE
WORST THING THAT YOU THINK COULD EVER HAPPEN HAS HAPPENED.
( LAUGHTER ) YES, HE SAID BECAUSE PEOPLE COME
IN AND THEY'RE NERVOUS AND THEY'RE JUMPY.
SO THIS WAS HIS WAY OF LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, OKAY, YOU DON'T
HAVE TO BE SCARED NOW BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED TO YOU.
BUT WHEN I TELL YOU THAT YOU SUDDENLY -- DO YOU REMEMBER THE
$6 MILLION MAN WHEN HE WOULD TURN HIS HEAD IN SLOW MOTION AND
IT WOULD BE, LIKE, 50 SIDE THINGS OF IT?
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR ME, 50 FACES GOING, IS THERE
SOMETHING HAPPENING?
OH, MY GOD SOMEBODY'S COMING, OH, ( BLEEP ), BOOM.
SO THAT TOOK CARE OF IT FOR ME.
>> James: WOW, THAT'S RIGHT UP THERE AMONGST THE SCARIEST
THINGS I COULD EVER IMAGINE HAPPENING, GENUINELY, IT IS.
>> YES.
>> James: COULD I TALK TO YOU ABOUT "SISTER ACT" FOR A MINUTE?
>> YES.
>> James: "SISTER ACT" ONE AND TWO, IF YOU'RE EVER ON TV, THAT
WILL BE ME FOR THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF.
I AM SUCH A FAN OF THOSE MOVIES.
DO YOU EVER SIT DOWN AND REWATCH THEM?
I WATCHED IT ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO WITH MY SON, I TOLD HIM, YOU
WILL REALLY ENJOY THIS.
I'M WONDERING, WHY HASN'T "SISTER ACT" THREE EVER
HAPPENED?
>> BECAUSE FOR A LONG TIME THEY KEPT SAYING NO ONE WANTED TO SEE
IT, AND THEN QUITE RECENTLY IT TURNS OUT THAT THAT MAY NOT BE
TRUE, PEOPLE MIGHT WANT TO SEE IT.
SO WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET
EVERY -- GET THE GANG TOGETHER AND COME BACK.
>> James: OH, MY GOD I WOULD LOVE IT SO MUCH.
>> LISTEN, IT'S A REALLY FUN MOVIE.
>> James: YEAH.
IT'S FUN AND IT FEELS GOOD& AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY'S MAD.
IT'S JUST, LIKE, LISTEN, BAD SINGING, GREAT SINGING, OKAY
SINGING, AND THEN NUNS.
WHAT'S BETTER THAN THAT?
>> James: I'M ALL IN.
WE'RE IN ON SISTER ACT THREE, AREN'T WE, GANG?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THAT'S AN EXCLUSIVE, GUYS,
"SISTER ACT" THREE.
>> YEAH.
>> James: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW SERIES ON CBS CALLED
"THE STAND."
>> YES.
>> James: TELL US ALL ABOUT IT.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE YOU ACTING IN THIS SHOW.
>> ME, TOO.
ME, TOO.
WHO KNOWS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
I HOPE IT'S GOOD.
BUT IT'S BASED ON STEPHEN KING'S BOOK, AND I'M A HUGE STEPHEN
KING FAN BECAUSE I LOVE HORROR, AND I'M PLAYING A 109-YEAR-OLD
WOMAN WHO HAS VISIONS OF THE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD RESTART THE
WORLD, AND THEY'RE ALL -- YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A VIRUS THAT
HITS AND WIPES EVERYBODY OUT -- YEAH.
THAT'S KIND OF -- YEAH, HMM...
ANYHOO, SHE'S ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF GOOD, AND THERE'S ONE WHO IS
NOT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF GOOD, BUT I AM.
AND, SO, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE IN IT, TOO.
>> James: IT'S GOT A BRILLIANT CAST.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE IT.
"THE STAND" WILL AIR ON CBS ALL ACCESS IN DECEMBER AND WEEKDAYS
WHOOP WHOOP MORE WHEN WE COME BACK.