Oprah Winfrey Talks About Special Meaning Of ‘The Color Purple’ As Her Portrait Is Unveiled At National Portrait Gallery

Ted Johnson
·3 min read
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Shortly after her portrait was unveiled on Wednesday at the National Portrait Gallery, Oprah Winfrey told the 100 or so guests, to laughter, “I chose the color purple not just because I knew the movie was coming out.”

In her portrait, from artist Shawn Michael Warren, Winfrey is in a striking purple dress, standing near a tree at her Montecito property, and beaming. The portrait will join others on display at the gallery, including those of presidents, civil rights figures and entertainers.

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Winfrey said that she chose the color purple because it has had special meaning in her life, most recently the musical version of the movie The Color Purple debuting this month. Winfrey is a producer along with Quincy Jones, and she was nominated for an supporting actress Oscar in 1986 for her role in the original.

Winfrey fought back some tears as she talked about being included in the gallery along with figures such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Lena Horne and Barack and Michelle Obama. Winfrey’s ceremony in the main atrium rivaled in size that of the Obamas, whose portraits have become one of the star attractions at the gallery.

“I keep living God’s dream for me, and so as I stand here on the eve of my 70th birthday,” she said, while she marveled at having her portrait “included in the National Portrait Gallery alongside all the greats.” Winfrey’s birthday is next month.

She said, “It is not just because I was in a movie that The Color Purple represents so much to me. …In fact, the color purple and noticing it to me is the essence of what God represents.”

She said her role “served as the foundation for my future because when I received the opportunity to do The Color Purple, my bosses at the time said. ‘You only have two weeks to get this film done. And I needed two months. So I said I will give up all of my vacation for the remainder of my contract in order to do it. I will not take a vacation or a sick day or a holiday again until the contract is over. And when the show started to be successful my attorney at the time, Jeff Jacobson, said, ‘You never want to be in that position again. You want to be in a position where you own yourself and nobody tells you whether you can or cannot go and shoot a film. And it is because of The Color Purple that I saw, ‘Yes, I will take the risk of owning myself.'”

Warren called Winfrey “one of the most influential and polarizing figures of our time, a pioneer in the arts, entertainment, a generous giver and a woman who has been in our homes and lives for years and can relate to many of us when it comes to everyday challenges of life.”

In his remarks, Warren said that when he was chosen by Winfrey, he asked her how she “wanted to be depicted to the generations that don’t exist yet.”

“Thank you for being sensitive and aware, and letting that question resonate with you,” Warren said.

He added, “It is my hope that this portrait will cause future generations to become curious of the life and legacy and philanthropic acts of Miss Winfrey, and that it will inspire the next generation of leaders … in years to come.”

The portrait was commissioned by the gallery, and went on public display shortly after the ceremony.

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