Whoopi Goldberg's cameo appearance in the new musical version of The Color Purple was top secret and only key members of the crew were told about it in order to keep the news quiet
Whoopi Goldberg's cameo appearance in the new musical version of 'The Color Purple' was kept top secret until the film's release.
The 68-year-old actress made her big screen debut in the original 1985 movie - based on the novel by Alice Walker - and won an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and it's now been revealed she returned to make an appearance in Blitz Bazawule's new musical take on the story, but the director went to great lengths to keep the cameo quiet.
He told Variety: "We had to be stealthy about her involvement from the beginning. Only key crew were aware that Whoopi was playing the role.
"We also never mentioned her in any press and she remained uncredited for the role."
The actress played the lead role of Celie in the first film, and the character is played by Fantasia Barrino and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi in the new version with Whoopi returning to play a midwife who helps Celie when she gives birth and Blitz says the role was perfect for the returning castmember.
He added: "I always knew I wanted a connection between the original cast of ‘The Color Purple’ and the new cast. The obvious person was Whoopi because she’s synonymous with the title.
"We settled on the midwife because of its symbolic meeting."
Screenwriter Marcus Gardley also explained the meaning of Whoopi's role to the Los Angeles Times, saying: "She’s the one to not only encourage her during the birth, but it’s like she herself gave birth to the role and now we see her passing it down.
"It’s one of the most beautiful scenes because you see [Goldberg] looking upon [Mpasi] with pride and telling her, ‘You can do it'."
Blitz went on to tell Variety about asking Whoopi to take on the part, admitting he was racked with nerves as he made the phone call. He said: "It was probably one of the most nervous calls ever.
"She was warm from the start and then she ended by saying, ‘Blitz, the only way I’m not going to be there is if I get hit by a bus.’ I broke out laughing. It was the best phone call ever."
On the same day that Glastonbury welcomed back Margate's adopted sons, The Libertines, Margate itself put on it's very own Leisure Festival as it...
Sheffield's very own all girl group Pretty Fierce are still on a high after the recent release of their debut single - 'Ready For Me'.
Three nights before the end of his current tour Will Varley returned to his home town of Deal to delight a sold out crowd in The Astor Theatre.
With only a few days to go before Portsmouth based songstress and producer WYSE releases her new single, 'Belladonna', we caught up with her to find...
Colorado raised, Glasgow educated and Manchester based Bay Bryan is nothing if not a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist performing as both...
Former Marigolds band member Keelan Cunningham has rediscovered his love of music with his new solo project Keelan X.
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Luke De Sciscio, formally known as Folk Boy, is set to release is latest album - 'The Banquet' via AntiFragile Music on...
Electronic music pioneer and producer Annie Elise says that the release of her first EP - 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' feels "both vulnerable and...
A-list director Ron Howard worked with the surviving Beatles to assemble this engaging documentary, which...
In the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia lies a blue-collar coal-mining town called Big Stone Gap,...
Andre Allen has been voted the Funniest Man in America in his illustrious career as...
Some years ago, four baby turtles were discovered in a puddle of radioactive ooze in...
April O’Neil is a fearless news reporter whose job to land stories is all the...
In a city rife with crime and destruction, there's danger at every turn and suffering...
This beautifully assembled documentary traces the creation of Paul Simon's seminal 1986 album Graceland, focussing...
Kevin Clash is one of America's most popular performers, and yet he's rarely recognised in...
Underneath the famous Muppet Theatre, oil has been discovered. Tex Richman, an oilman, finds out...
Shot in the style of a bland Hollywood rom-com, this film is actually a weepie...
Tyler Perry re-works and Ntozake Shange's 1975 choreopoem/play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide...
I'm a little ashamed to say this, but here goes: I didn't know what Doogal...