How Patrick Swayze Saved Whoopi Goldberg’s Role in Ghost

Goldberg recounted the struggle during a recent appearance on the Baby, This is Keke Palmer podcast, explaining that her agent was told she would take audiences out of the movie. While the casting director advocated for her, the studio remained firm until Patrick Swayze signed on as the male lead. Swayze, who insisted on working with Goldberg, flew alongside director Jerry Zucker to Montgomery, Alabama, where Goldberg was filming The Long Walk Home, to meet with her and hold an impromptu audition. The chemistry proved undeniable.

Despite her legendary status as an EGOT winner, Goldberg admitted that accolades rarely guarantee future roles. She noted that her daily commitment to The View often leads producers to assume she is unavailable, forcing her to actively lobby for parts. Her persistence continues to pay off, however; she is set to star in the upcoming Netflix series Women Like Us, alongside Jennifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams, and Vivica A. Fox. The production, helmed by the Obamas' Higher Ground company, marks another chapter in a career she insists is far from over.