Oprah Winfrey's birthday: Lesser-known facts about producer-actor-talk show host
American talk show host, TV producer, actor, and media proprietor Oprah Gail Winfrey is undoubtedly a talent powerhouse! Known for her legendary talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show—which ran from 1986 to 2011—she is also a media mogul with her OWN network. She has also starred in films like A Wrinkle In Time (2018). On her 70th birthday, we gather lesser-known facts about her.
Did you know her birth name is 'Orpah'?
Winfrey's original name—"Orpah"—is inspired by a biblical figure from the Book of Ruth. The alteration to "Oprah" is attributed to mispronunciation. In a 1991 interview, she shared, "My Aunt Ida had chosen the name...it went down as Orpah on my birth certificate, but people didn't know how to pronounce." "They put the 'P' before the 'R' in every place other than the birth certificate."
She got her first job while still in high school
A bright star from the start, Winfrey—in high school—earned a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, majoring in speech communications and performing arts. While still in high school, she began her career as a part-time news reporter at WVOL radio station in Nashville. At 19, she became the youngest co-anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV, scripting history as the first Black woman in that role.
Winfrey has her own grocery line
In 2017, Winfrey collaborated with Kraft Heinz to launch Mealtime Stories—introducing the "O, That's Good!" frozen food line in 2019. Driven by her influence in weight loss and nutrition, the venture allocated 10% of profits to charities Rise Against Hunger and Feeding America, dedicated to combating food insecurity. The grocery line features diverse offerings, from soups and side dishes to cauliflower-infused frozen pizzas.
Unstoppable rise of Winfrey's massive self-made billionaire status
In 1986, Winfrey established Harpo Productions, becoming its owner, chairwoman, and CEO. Derived from her name spelled backward (also the name of her on-screen husband in The Color Purple), Harpo has evolved from a TV production company into a multimedia powerhouse. It includes the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) cable network, a film studio, and Harpo Print, a publishing company producing O, The Oprah Magazine.
Her extensive philanthropic work
In 1987, Winfrey established the Oprah Winfrey Foundation to support women and children globally. Separately, using her financial success to make a difference, she exemplified generosity by treating her editorial staff and their families to a fully paid 10-day Mediterranean cruise in 2009, costing $706,877. Similarly, after acquiring a reported $900,000 condominium off Miami Beach, she held a bonding tour there for editorial staff.
