Oprah Winfrey biography, age, height, husband, net worth, awards 2025

Biography of Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is a unique American television host, actress, and the world's first Black female billionaire. She's hailed as a legend, celebrated as a self-made woman, and regarded as the ultimate role model. She built an entire media empire: a film studio, "O" magazine, a radio network, and a cable channel.

She earned three Oscar nominations and received an honorary Oscar in 2011 for her philanthropy. The world's most distinguished figures sit down for interviews with Oprah. In 2021, she conducted a bombshell two-hour interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Her net worth is an estimated $3 billion.

Childhood and Youth

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in winter 1954 to a young woman named Vernita Lee in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She was originally named after Orpah, the biblical sister-in-law of Ruth, but the midwife mixed up the letters and recorded her as Oprah. Later, though, Winfrey claimed she changed her name herself because no one could pronounce it correctly.

Her father was Vernon Winfrey. A former coal miner, he was serving in the army when Oprah was born and later became a barber before being elected to the city council.

Eighteen-year-old Vernita left her daughter with her own mother, Hattie Mae, and went to work as a maid in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Oprah recalled:

I never had a family in the true sense of the word. In my life, there was my grandmother, my mother, my father—all separate… I called my grandmother 'mom,' and she became my first role model. She could be strict, of course, sometimes whipping me with a switch when I disobeyed. But my grandmother gave me the most precious gift—she taught me to read and write when I was just 2.5 years old. I grew up loving books.

Her grandmother said that from the moment Oprah started talking, she was drawn to performing. As a small child, Oprah interviewed dolls and crows on the fence, and when she started kindergarten, she wrote a letter to her teacher asking to skip directly to first grade. Her request was granted.

After her first year, she skipped directly to third grade, amazing her teachers. But everything changed when her mother brought her to Milwaukee. The future TV host later said that remembering those years was especially difficult and painful:

While I was away, she had two more children—my brother and sister. She lived with them and another man in a house I could never call home or feel safe in. Suspicious faces flitted in and out… When I was 9, my cousin sexually abused me… Other relatives later did the same...

By then, Oprah had already experimented with drugs and started stealing money from her mother. At 13, she decided to run away from home. But Vernita found her and forced her to come back.

At 14, she gave birth to a baby conceived after being molested by another relative. The baby lived for only a few days.

During this dark period, her father literally saved Oprah's life. He took her in, helped restore her to a normal life, got her a library card, and made her write essays about the books she read. Oprah had to learn five new vocabulary words every day or go without lunch.

Oprah became student council president, joined the debate club, participated in drama, and competed in various contests and quizzes. Vernon firmly believed education would be his daughter's key to success. She soon joined a delegation of outstanding teenagers that visited the White House, where she met President Richard Nixon. At 16, Oprah won a public speaking contest that earned her a scholarship to Tennessee State University, where she quickly became one of the top students.

Career Path

While still in college, Oprah started working in local television and made history as Nashville's first Black female reporter. In 1972, she competed in the "Miss Black America" pageant, where she caught the attention of CBS executives who offered her a job.

The real turning point came when Oprah was chosen to host the morning talk show "People Are Talking." She later said that after her first broadcast, she felt like she could finally breathe—this was exactly what she'd dreamed of doing since childhood.

In 1985, Oprah made her big-screen debut, delivering a powerhouse performance as Sofia in the social drama Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple," earning nominations for a Golden Globe and an Oscar. She formed an incredible on-screen partnership with Whoopi Goldberg. Next came films like "Native Son," where Oprah played the main character's mother, "Throw Mama from the Train" (cameo), and several television series.

1986 marked a career-defining moment: "The Oprah Winfrey Show" launched in more than 130 U.S. cities. The show became a massive hit, earning Oprah both devoted fans and her first millions. Politicians, actors, musicians, and athletes—she conducted nearly five thousand interviews in her signature warm, heart-to-heart style throughout the show's run. The program was watched in more than sixty countries worldwide.

Oprah's guests at various times included Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Whitney Houston. Oprah interviewed Houston privately in the studio without an audience, as the singer was already struggling with illness. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" racked up numerous prestigious awards and earned a spot on TV Guide's list of the fifty most influential American programs.

In 2011, Oprah announced the project's closure. She decided to launch her own cable channel, OWN:

I was going to launch a spiritual, consciousness-awakening channel! But I quickly realized: nobody wanted it. I wanted to be like Anthony Bourdain, but for spirituality instead of food. I wanted to travel the world, conducting interviews in remote forests, igloos, mountaintops—bringing back pieces of enlightenment. Oh my God, if only I'd known! America wasn't ready for that kind of awakening. Here's what I figured out—people need...what do you call it? TV snacks. They want enlightenment they can consume on the go.

In 2013, a new film premiered, with Oprah in the leading role of Gloria Gaines. Her co-stars in the biographical drama "The Butler" included Forest Whitaker, John Cusack, and Jane Fonda. The following year, Oprah took on the role of Ann Lee Cooper in the historical drama "Selma." She then played Mavis McCready in the series "Greenleaf," and delivered a compelling performance as Mrs. Which in 2018's adventure film "A Wrinkle in Time."

Beyond television, Oprah expanded into publishing, launching "O" magazine, which went fully digital in 2020. She's also built an empire that includes a radio station, book club, and production company Harpo Films. Oprah continues her philanthropic work and hosts virtual interviews with celebrities from home, addressing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Oprah Winfrey's Personal Life

Oprah struggled with romantic relationships for years following the abuse she endured as a teenager. The only child she gave birth to passed away in infancy, and she was unable to have more children.

At one point, tabloids ran wild with claims that the TV host had a secret son named Calvin Mitchell. She shut down the rumors, explaining that she'd simply helped Calvin's mother find work and better housing, while the boy started attending private school. Oprah refers to the girls from the Leadership Academy she founded in South Africa as her daughters.

Her personal life reflects exactly what works for her. Winfrey has been with American businessman, educator, and author Stedman Graham for over thirty years. Both describe their relationship as a "spiritual union."

The couple held a commitment ceremony in 1992, though they never officially married. Neither Oprah nor Stedman discuss their decision, but the TV host once said that traditional husband and wife roles just don't work for them. Breakup rumors swirled for a while, but Winfrey and Graham never addressed them, continuing to show up together at events.

Oprah Winfrey Today

The biggest moment in the TV host's 2021 was her explosive interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The bombshell revelations from the former working royals dominated media coverage for months. The interview even scored an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Informational Series or Special," but Oprah didn't take home the coveted statue. The Television Academy awarded the prize to the documentary mini-series about actor Stanley Tucci's journey through Italy.

Winfrey's fans and Sussex supporters were convinced the royal family had interfered, allegedly bribing academy members, while critics of the controversial interview felt the academy made the right call choosing an uplifting, informative film instead.

Meanwhile, teaming up with Prince Harry, Oprah brought viewers the mental health documentary "The Me You Can't See," featuring celebrities who've battled various mental health struggles.

Interesting Facts

One of the heartbreaks Oprah faced as a teenager was when her father banned the dog she'd brought from Milwaukee from their home. The puppy vanished, and she vowed that once she had money, she'd have as many dogs as she wanted. After hitting it big, she kept eleven dogs at her Indiana home, and when her father visited, she told him it was their house and he'd need to ask the dogs' permission to sit down. Later, the TV host admitted it was total hypercompensation.
In 2017, Winfrey published her own cookbook, "Food, Health, and Happiness: 115 On-Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Better Life." It was followed by the collection "The Wisdom of Sundays: Life-Changing Insights from Super Soul Conversations," which included interviews with many of her famous guests.
Despite winning countless awards, Oprah's proudest achievement is having a Chicago street named after her. The TV host revealed that when she first moved there, she walked nearly the entire city in one day.
Winfrey considers Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" the greatest love story, and prefers watching the TV series "Desperate Housewives."

Important Life Events

1970: Enrolled at Tennessee State University and became the youngest reporter and first African-American woman reporter at CBS in Nashville.
1972: Won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant.
1976: Began hosting the morning talk show "People Are Talking" in Baltimore.
1985: Debuted in the film "The Color Purple." Nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar.
1986: Launched her own television program "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
1992: Married longtime partner Stedman Graham.
1998: Appeared in the film "Beloved." Received a People's Choice Award.
2000: Received an Emmy Award for Best Television Movie.
2002: Co-founded the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa with Nelson Mandela.
2007: Named the most influential woman by Forbes.
2009: Named the most influential person in show business by Forbes.
2011: Announced the end of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and launched her own television network OWN. Received an honorary Oscar.
2013: Appeared in the film "The Butler." Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
2018: Appeared in the film "A Wrinkle in Time." Received a Golden Globe Award.
2020: Transitioned "O" magazine to digital format and published several books.
2021: Conducted a high-profile interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, which was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.

Photos: Oprah Winfrey