“The Color Purple” writer explains emotional reason for Whoopi Goldberg cameo

"Symbolically, that felt like the perfect part," Marcus Gardley said of bringing Goldberg back for a small role after she appeared in the 1985 version.

Director Blitz Bazawule's new musical adaptation of The Color Purple offers a fresh take on Alice Walker's literary classic, but it also includes a surprise cameo from a key figure in the tale's storied past.

Toward the beginning of the movie, original Celie actress Whoopi Goldberg — who scored her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress in Steven Spielberg's 1985 take on The Color Purple — appears in a brief role as a local midwife who helps young star Phylicia Pearl Mpasi's version of Celie deliver a baby.

Screenwriter Marcus Gardley told the Los Angeles Times that he'd long felt compelled to include Goldberg in the new movie, and even considered bringing her back as Celie's mother (a role played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in Bazawule's film). Though that interpretation felt "too on the nose," he eventually landed on creating the midwife role for Goldberg for an emotional reason.

"Symbolically, that felt like the perfect part, because 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," Gardley said. "It's one of the most beautiful scenes because you see [Goldberg] looking upon [Mpasi] with pride and telling her, 'You can do it.'"

Bazawule added that the View host made filming the scene a comical affair, thanks to her warm presence on set.

"We had to stop and laugh because of everything [Goldberg] did, and you forget that she comes from stand-up [comedy]," the director recalled. "But more than anything, I just remember how caring and loving she was to Phylicia. It was symbolic not only because of what Whoopi represents in the canon of The Color Purple, but what Whoopi represents, period — the juggernaut that she is, and the doors she kicked open."

Goldberg starred in Spielberg's 1985 masterpiece as Celie, a Georgian woman who, over several decades, attempts to reconnect with her sister, Nettie, after Celie's relationship with her abusive husband drives an emotional and physical wedge between the siblings.

The film earned 11 Oscar nominations in 1986, including one for Best Picture and another for supporting actress Oprah Winfrey, who returned to produce the 2023 movie alongside Spielberg. The new film has generated significant attention on the awards circuit, with Fantasia Barrino (as the adult version of Celie) and Danielle Brooks (who took over for Winfrey in the role of Sofia) earning standout nominations from major awards bodies so far.

The Color Purple is now playing in theaters nationwide.

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