Oprah Winfrey 'thought about' doing a cameo in The Color Purple before deciding it was 'distracting'

To cameo or not to cameo? It has become an ever-present question in a world loaded with reboots, remakes, and better-late-than-never sequels. 

The Color Purple, which hit theaters on Christmas Day, featured a cameo from Whoopi Goldberg, but one of the original movie's other Oscar-nominated actresses decided against appearing in the new stage-to-screen adaptation. Oprah Winfrey admitted in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she "thought about" making a cameo. However, she ultimately decided it would be "distracting" from Danielle Brooks, who costars in the new film as Sofia. 

"It would've been good in the church scene," Winfrey said, "but I thought it would also be distracting when Sofia is getting married that if the old original Sofia was just one of the people in the church."

There were also other obstacles to Winfrey appearing in the film. "They were shooting that in the middle of Georgia when COVID was [spreading]. Like, 'OK, well I ain't sitting in that church all day anyway,'" she said. 

Winfrey is a producer on the new film along with Steven Spielberg, who directed the original 1985 film based on Alice Walker's seminal novel. 

While Winfrey doesn't make a cameo, Goldberg, who starred as Celie in the original, plays a midwife during young Celie's childbirth in the new film. "[We] just thought it was a wonderful Easter egg for audiences who have appreciated the film over the years, for the diehards," Winfrey said. “And we also thought it was a lovely homage to Whoopi.”

Screenwriter Marcus Gardley talked about that cameo with the Los Angeles Times earlier this month. "Symbolically, that felt like the perfect part, because she's the one to not only encourage her during the birth, but it's like she herself gave birth to the role and now we see her passing it down," Gardley said. "It's one of the most beautiful scenes because you see [Goldberg] looking upon [Phylicia Pearl Mpasi] with pride and telling her, 'You can do it.'"

The Color Purple is already finding success just days after its release. Its $18 million opening day is the second biggest Christmas Day opening ever. It also garnered a pair of Golden Globe nominations. Fantasia Barrino grabbed one for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, and Brooks got a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture.

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