Whoopi Goldberg in May 2026 via Associated PressBetween her work as an actor, comedian and presenter, Whoopi Goldberg is one of the most celebrated stars in Hollywood today – and she’s got the EGOT to prove it. AdvertisementHowever, during an interview on the podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, Whoopi opened up about how the role of conwoman-turned-psychic-medium Oda Mae Brown in the hit romance drama didn’t come easy. When she enquired with her agent as to why this was, her team claimed: “[We] suggested you [for the part]. They didn’t want you, because they felt people would take you out of the movie. So, every time I went looking for [a role] they were like, ‘oh, no, no, no, this isn’t for you’.