Oprah Winfrey Calls ‘The Color Purple’ Earnings The “Best $35,000” Of Her Career

DeMicia Inman
·2 min read
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Oprah Winfrey doesn’t regret how much she earned for her starring role in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 The Color Purple film. The media mogul opened up about the experience with ESSENCE in a roundtable-style conversation with Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, and H.E.R. who are all set to star in the upcoming musical film executive produced by Winfrey.

“Thank you all for this. I can’t even begin to tell you what it means to me—a person who wanted nothing more in my life than to be in The Color Purple. And God taught me to surrender—that was the big lesson for me,” explained the 69-year-old.

“They were only offering $35,000 to be in this film, and it is the best $35,000 I ever earned. It changed everything and taught me so much. It is God moving through my life. And to have all of you beautiful Black women bearing witness to the story, as the story moves forward, means so much.”

Oprah Winfrey 'The Color Purple'
Oprah Winfrey in ‘The Color Purple’ (1985).

In the acclaimed feature film, Winfrey starred as Sofia, a strong, defiant, woman who delivered some of The Color Purple‘s most notable lines.

She echoed the sentiments of the current cast: “I believe that what Fantasia has said is true: Everybody who comes to see our film is going to be touched. They will be moved. And they will be healed. So thank you for the blessing.”

The Color Purple cast
Oprah Winfrey, Taraji P. Henson, Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks pose for photos as they promote the upcoming film “The Color Purple” during the Warner Bros. Pictures presentation at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, on April 25, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada

Set for a Christmas Day release, The Color Purple musical film also stars Halle Bailey, Ciara, Colman Domingo, and Corey Hawkins. Unlike the original film, it is an adaptation of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical, based on Alice Walker’s acclaimed novel of the same name.

“I think that this is a movie that people will celebrate with their families. But I think women in particular will be healed from this movie and its portrayal of sisterhood,” shared Winfrey.

Watch the latest trailer for the film below and read the full conversation between the leading ladies on ESSENCE.

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