Whoopi Goldberg's secret

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Summary: Whoopi Goldberg lived and performed in East Germany from 1979 to 1981, working in theater productions in East Berlin during the Cold War. She supported fellow actors by bringing restricted items across the border. The experience came early in her career, before her Broadway and Hollywood breakthroughs, and offered her unique insights into life behind the Iron Curtain in what was then the German Democratic Republic.

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Long before Oscar wins and daytime TV fame, Whoopi Goldberg took a step that still surprises many fans today. In the late 1970s, the New York-born performer left the United States for East Germany, where she spent two years immersed in theater work under communist rule.

Some call it "Whoopi's Jane Fonda treason," but, unlike Fonda, Whoopi actually stayed for several years.

Goldberg, then still building her career after time in San Francisco's theater scene, arrived in East Berlin around 1979. She participated in several stage productions during her stay, which lasted until 1981. This period came at a tense time in the Cold War, with the Berlin Wall standing as a stark symbol of division between East and West.

What drew her there remains something of a personal quest for artistic experience, we are told. In an era when few Americans ventured behind the Iron Curtain for extended periods, Goldberg embraced the challenge. She worked alongside local actors and contributed to productions that offered her a different perspective on performance and life under strict government oversight.

Her time in East Germany also involved quiet acts of support for her colleagues. She brought in everyday items that were hard to find locally, such as magazines, movies, radios, and basic medicines. These small gestures helped bridge gaps in a society marked by shortages and restrictions. Were her actions legal? Who knows?

The experience shaped her in lasting ways. Exposure to a completely different political and cultural system added depth to her worldview, something that later infused her comedy and acting with broader insights. After returning to the U.S., Goldberg launched into her breakthrough one-woman show on Broadway in 1984, which catapulted her to national attention.

Her East German chapter highlights an adventurous spirit. At a young age, she chose the unknown over comfort, trading familiar streets in America for the complexities of life in the communist German Democratic Republic. This move came well before her major successes, including her Oscar-winning role in "The Color Purple" in 1985.

Today, the story serves as a reminder of Goldberg's woke mindset. Few entertainers of her stature can claim time spent performing in a divided Cold War Germany. Even Fonda had the sense to come home after a brief stay in North Vietnam.

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Sources:

Whoopi Goldberg Wikipedia
German Wikipedia entry on her DDR years

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