Whoopi Goldberg: Mel Gibson is a bonehead, not a racist

Actress Whoopi Goldberg, 54, made her name in
Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film adaptation of The Color Purple before going on to appear in Sister Act and Ghost, for which she won an Oscar. This month Goldberg plays the role of Mother Superior in Sister Act The Musical.

Whoopi Goldberg: She’s mates with Mel Gibson (Pic: Getty)Why did you decide to do the musical?

It came up in a roundabout way. Sheila Hancock was leaving and there was going to be a gap between her going and the next person starting so I said ‘let me think about doing it’ and before I knew it I was doing it. It means the show doesn’t have to close until they found someone.

Is it scary?

Yes, extremely scary. I sang on stage last year when I was filling in for someone on Xanadu but you want to be absolutely rock solid with your performance and I’m a bit of a space cadet so I need to keep focused. I remember when Maggie Smith did it in the film and I wish I could be that good.

Does it make you feel old going from playing Deloris to the Mother Superior?

No matter what I do, I’m getting older. I feel it in my knees. It’s reminded me there’s not much of an adult in me, what little there is I’m putting into Mother Superior.

What effect did the original film have on your career?

It re-solidified my mainstream appeal. Even if people had a problem with my politics they still loved the film.

You met President Obama on your US talk show The View recently. What was he like?

He’s great. I like him but wouldn’t want his job. It’d be good if we could have more of a coalition government like you guys, it means not everybody’s right and not everybody’s wrong. It can’t be a bad thing if people get together to work things out. No one feels a particular way the whole time; people are more complex than that. You might be for women’s reproductive rights but you might also be a gun collector.

What did you talk about?

I said he’s been there for 18 months, he’s brought us back from the brink of another great depression, he’s given us health care and people have criticised him for not acting fast enough on the oil leak, can you win as president? And he said no, whatever you do someone will be p***ed off. Unlike a lot of our other presidents he hasn’t come from money, he’s doing the job because he really wants to do it.

Have you seenLoose Women, the British version of The View? What did you think?

I’ve been on it. It’s different. They don’t talk politics at all. They’re very funny but I think they should talk politics – they’re mothers, they have opinions. It wouldn’t be bad. I liked those women very much and I said they should talk about world events but they said that’s not the show they were hired to do, which I understand.

You’ve stuck up for Mel Gibson recently. Why was that?

I didn’t actually. All I said was that in my opinion Mel Gibson isn’t a racist. That isn’t sticking up for someone. I know him, I’ve spent time with him, my family have spent time with him – I’d have noticed if he was racist. On slow news days people hear what they want to hear. I didn’t stick up for him but I said I’ve met real racists and he isn’t one of them. He’s a bonehead.

Did you get any criticism for it?

Sure, from bloggers who don’t have anything else to do but reinterpret what they think they heard and comment on a clip from YouTube rather than listen to what I said in its entirety. My response is: ‘Kiss my behind; if you want to discuss what I’ve actually said then cool but I’m not responding to stupid BS’. The angering part about bloggers is that they’re anonymous. They’re chickens. I say what I’ve got to say and keep on rolling.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?

I’ve never had a job I hated. I’m lucky. One of the most unusual jobs was doing hair and make-up on dead folk. I did it for two years until I got acting work.

Goldberg appears in Sister Act until August 31 at the London Palladium.