LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Whoopi Goldberg may be best known for her comments on 'The View' but she held plenty of odd jobs before hosting the daytime television talk show. Prior to receiving an Oscar for her role as a psychic in the movie 'Ghost', Goldberg worked at a funeral home, which was undoubtedly a spooky place to work. Goldberg stated, "I needed money, and I needed to work." So, she reasoned, "I figured I’d rather lay bricks than laymen."
Following Pat Sajak's announcement that he would be leaving the iconic game show, Goldberg is prepared to assume the role of 'Wheel of Fortune' host. During Tuesday's (June 13) episode of 'The View' which aired less than 24 hours after Sajak announced his retirement, Goldberg, 67, declared herself in the hunt to be the next 'Wheel of Fortune' host. "I want that job," the 'Sister Act' star stated. "I think it would be lots of fun," as reported by Page Six.
'I did hair and makeup on dead people'
However, Goldberg's life wasn't always glitzy on the big screen. In fact, one of her initial jobs was assisting in the glamorous makeover of others. She told the Huffington Post, "I did hair and makeup on dead people. There was an ad in the paper!" Goldberg shrieked. "And I’m a licensed beautician as well because I went to beauty school." She chuckled as she recalled the incident.
Although she responded to the job posting and took the position, Whoopi acknowledged at the time that working in a funeral home may be challenging and is definitely not for everyone. "It's a rough gig," she remarked, adding, "You have to be a certain kind of person. And you have to love people in order to make them worthy of a great send-off."
On Oprah Winfrey's 'Master Class', Goldberg admitted that she had a few scary occurrences while working in the funeral home. At the time, her manager wanted to get her prepared for the daily challenge of managing anxieties that might hinder her performance. So he invited her to join him in the funeral home's basement so they could talk. Her employer was getting ready to reprimand her.
Goldberg recounted the incident and explained how the funeral home's basement was filled with refrigerators for the dead bodies. She recalled that she noticed an odd creaking sound as she waited for her boss to come. "As I start to look around, I see that one of the drawers is moving, and it’s moving out, it’s opening. As my brain puts together the fact that the drawer is opening … I’m getting up to run. It’s all coming together at the same time." Goldberg recalled that as the drawer slowly creaks open, her boss casually stood up from inside and remarked, "Hello there."
Whoopi Goldberg ready to host 'Wheel of Fortune'
Following Sajak's announcement that he is leaving the position after 40 years, Goldberg wants to host 'Wheel of Fortune'. During Tuesday's panel discussion on 'The View', the subject of Goldberg's hidden desire came up. Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said, "Another legendary game show host Pat Sajak just announced that he's going to be retiring from Wheel of Fortune at the end of next season."
In the meantime, Goldberg can be heard stating, "I want that job. I think it would be lots of fun." As a producer on the 1998 remake of Hollywood 'Squares', Goldberg was no stranger to game shows and was designated "center square." Sajak announced on Monday, June 12, 2023, that he would retire as the host of 'Wheel of Fortune' following Season 41.
