Daytime television legend Oprah Winfrey has revealed her true name to talk show host Keke Palmer during an appearance.
Oprah Reveals the Story Behind Her Real Name
“The Oprah Winfrey Show” spanned 25 seasons and made her one of the most recognizable hosts in history and an inspiration for many who came after her. She appeared on rising star Keke Palmer’s show, “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer,” recently and shared a lot about her time in the industry, along with anecdotes about her own life.
Winfrey even revealed that her real name is Orpah, not the name she used on her hit TV show, Oprah.
She then explained that it was from “Ruth, first chapter, 14th verse. It’s that whole Ruth and Naomi story.”
“And you know, Ruth said, ‘Wherever thy goest, I will go.’ And then Orpah said, ‘I’m going back. I’m sorry. I can’t. Too long. The road’s too long.’”
Oprah then said she changed her name in childhood because no one knew how to spell it, but it’s how it appears on her birth certificate.
She said she didn’t even realize it was spelled differently there until she was 20 because her nearest and dearest had been calling her “Oprah.”
What Money Can’t Buy, According to Oprah
GettyThe Daytime Emmy winner also had a lot of positive things to say about what brings her peace when Palmer asked what money can’t buy.
“Oh my gosh. I would have to say, for me, it’s the peace of mind and satisfaction that has come from living a life well lived. It’s the peace of mind and satisfaction,” Winfrey said.
“You know, when I first started out, it was hard. I know you’ve had this, too, every relative comes out of the closet. You got cousins you didn’t know, and you got everybody wanting and demanding of your time and your money. And I didn’t know how to say no. I didn’t know how to manage all of that in the beginning. And I had really strong mentors. I had the best.”
The Mentors Who Helped Shape Oprah’s Career
GettyShe also answered questions about her mentors and those who inspired her to push forward in journalism.
“I had Maya Angelou. I had Sidney Poitier. I had Quincy Jones. I had Coretta Scott King. Those were my mentors. So when something would go wrong, I would call one or the other of those people … and Maya and Sidney more so than anybody else.”
Winfrey has discussed many other topics during her appearances on the show, including her favorite guests out of the 3,500-plus interviews she did during her long tenure on the air. She listed author Alan Levi, who wrote the book “Theo of Golden,” referring to him as “the best guest I’ve ever had,” along with a surprise pick, Mary Tyler Moore.
Will Oprah Ever Return to Daytime TV?
Fans of Winfrey have always questioned whether she will return to daytime television after she left her talk show in 2011. When Palmer asked Oprah if she’d ever return to the daily grind, she said that would be too much. Winfrey did mention her current podcast, which she does twice a week and sometimes even has an audience to mimic her heyday on daytime television.
