Today, Whoopi Goldberg is one of America's best known and most cherished entertainers. Her films, The Color Purple, Ghost and Sister Act have won her an international following. Her appearances as host of the annual Oscar broadcast and as a regular on such television programs as Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Hollywood Squares have brought her into the homes of millions of Americans. Over the course of a turbulent early life, she survived poverty, drug addiction, single motherhood and a stint on welfare in the 1970s to become the world's most highly paid actress in the early 1990s. She has also become a highly visible spokesperson for humanitarian causes, campaigning for the rights of children and the homeless, and supporting the struggles against AIDS and substance abuse. Over the course of her career, Whoopi Goldberg has achieved success as a comedian, dramatic actress, writer and producer, and has won the top honors in her profession, including an Oscar and the Mark Twain Award for American Humor. Millions of Americans watch her every day as co-host of the daily television discussion program The View.