Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey was reared by her grandmother
on a farm where she "began her broadcasting career" by learning to read aloud
and perform recitations at the age of three. From age six to 13, Oprah lived in
Milwaukee with her mother. Having suffered abuse and molestation, Oprah, a
runaway teenager in search of herself, was sent to a juvenile detention home at the
age of 13, only to be denied admission because all the beds were filled. As a last
resort, she was sent to Nashville to live under her father's strict discipline. Vernon
Winfrey saw to it that his daughter still met her midnight curfew, and he required her to
read a book followed by a book report each week. "As strict as he was," says Oprah,
"he had some concerns about me making the best of my life, and would not accept
anything less than what he thought was my best."
Seen nationally since September 8, 1986, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" has enjoyed
even more success, attaining the rank of number one talk show in national syndication
in less than a year. In June, 1987, in its first year of eligibility "The Oprah Winfrey
Show" received three Daytime Emmy Awards in the categories of Outstanding Host,
Outstanding Talk/Service Program and Outstanding Direction. In June, 1988, "The
Oprah Winfrey Show" received its second consecutive Daytime Emmy Award as
Outstanding Talk/Service Program. Also in 1988 Oprah was the recipient of the
International Radio and Television Society's "Broadcaster of the Year" Award. She is
the youngest person and only the fifth woman ever to receive the honor in IRTS's 25-year history.
In 1985 with her poignant portrayal of Sofia in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's
masterpiece, The Color Purple. Winfrey's performance earned her nominations for an Academy Award
and Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress. Critics again lauded her performance
in her second role, as Mrs. Thomas in Native Son, a movie adaptation of Richard Wright's 1940 classic novel.
Oprah formed her own production company, HARPO Productions, Inc.,
in 1986. Today. The Women of Brewster Place, an adaptation from the
Gloria Naylor novel, was its first co-production and will be
followed by productions of Kaffir Boy, Mark Mathabane's autobiography of growing
up under apartheid in South Africa, and Beloved, Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize
winning novel.
In October, 1988, television history was made when HARPO Productions, Inc.
announced it had assumed ownership and all production responsibilities for "The Oprah
Winfrey Show" from Capitol Cities/ABC, making Oprah Winfrey the first woman in
history to own and produce her own talk show.
Visit Oprah at Her WebSite
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