Oprah Winfrey’s desire to be involved with “The Color Purple” went so far that she made a trade her lawyer advised against. “The Oprah Winfrey Show” host made a sacrifice that lasted for the rest of the daytime hit’s run so she could play the role of her dreams.
Oprah Winfrey Gave up Ever Having a Vacation Again for ‘The Color Purple’
“The Oprah Winfrey Show” aired five days a week in Chicago, which made it hard for the host to film other projects. Winfrey revealed she had to make a bargain to be available to play Sofia in “The Color Purple” in North Carolina. She told LinkedIn Editor in Chief Dan Roth that the role was “what I wanted more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
“I promised them my entire contract’s vacation, if you would just let me go shoot this movie,” she revealed. “If you just let me do this, I’ll give up all my vacation for all the years of my contract to come. I’ll never ask for a vacation again.”
Her contract originally included two weeks’ vacation, and the movie’s schedule required two months. The filming occurred a year before the movie’s 1985 release. Winfrey was paying for that until the daytime talk show ended in 2011.
Her lawyer advised her against it and questioned if this would be worth it. The Steven Spielberg movie earned 11 Oscar nominations. The Alice Walker adaptation became a classic with a long legacy of people referencing the movie.
Winfrey Celebrated ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’s 40th Anniversary
GettyThe talk show premiered on Sept. 8, 1986, and the producer is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The “A Wrinkle in Time” star attended a party in Chicago with Stedman Graham that reunited people who worked on the hit show.
She posted a video of herself talking into the microphone on Instagram. “I can’t even believe as of next month, September 8, it will be 40 years since we first launched ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ Thank you for being the greatest team ever!” she shouted to the crowd.
Winfrey hugged many people during the outdoor event in the video. The guests got shirts that read, “Harpo Employee Studios Reunion.”
It’s also the 30th anniversary of Oprah’s Book Club, and it started as a segment on the talk show in 1996. This led to many books becoming bestsellers. The host brought the book club back in 2012 through Oprah Magazine and The Oprah Winfrey Network. The club has covered 124 titles throughout the years.
“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker is what inspired the book club. Winfrey related to Celie’s story of moving forward after abuse. The talk show host connected with producer Alice McGee over books and exchanged them. McGee suggested they bring the book club to television.
Winfrey said the book and her talk show were a “touchstone” in her life. She was determined to be involved with the movie the moment she heard it was in the works. The “Greenleaf” actor revealed how she used every minute on set.
“There was a huge tree with a tree house, and I used to climb the ladder and sit and watch the filmmakers, whether I needed to be on set that day or not,” read her website. “Observing them, I understood what it meant to be in alignment with your life.” Winfrey used what she learned on the talk show.
