Whoopi Goldberg has had a long career in film and television. Thanks to this, she has worked with a variety of figures. Recently, she opened up about one co-star who is no longer with us: Patrick Swayze, with whom she starred alongside in Ghost.
Whoopi Goldberg Played Oda Mae Brown Alongside Patrick Swayze’s Sam In 1990’s Ghost
Many viewers know Goldberg today from her work on The View. However, she has had a long career as an actress, appearing in films like Sister Act, The Color Purple, and The Lion King.
To many, one of Goldberg’s most famous roles is playing an eccentric medium, Oda Mae Brown, in the 1990 film Ghost. In the story, she helps the spirit of a murdered man, Sam Wheat, played by Patrick Swayze, as he tries to warn his grieving girlfriend about impending danger.
Tragically, Swayze passed away on September 14, 2009. He had been battling stage IV pancreatic cancer at the time.
Recently, Goldberg appeared on The Rich Eisen Show. At the time, the host surprised Goldberg with a picture of her winning an Oscar for her work in Ghost.
During the moment, Goldberg shared that she was grateful for having earned the award for a film where someone really wanted to work with her. She went on to explain that Swayze was the reason she was in the film.
As Goldberg explained, she was at lunch with a friend who auditioned for the movie. Surprised that she didn’t know about the film, she called her agent.
The View Co-Host Shared That Things Worked Out To Be A ‘Match Made In Heaven’
As Goldberg shared, “When we got finished with lunch, I called my agent and said, ‘Do you know about this movie that everybody’s talking about?’ He said, ‘Oh, who told you?’ And I told him, I said, ‘Why did you say it like that?’ He said, ‘Because they don’t want you.’”
However, this changed when Swayze was cast and wanted to know why Goldberg wasn’t attached to the movie. As Goldberg shared, “Patrick Swayze, he said, ‘Well, I don’t know if I want to commit to this until we find out if she would do it, because I think I should do it with her.’”
The cast of ‘Ghost’ 1990 Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn, Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. pic.twitter.com/I5to07qCfG
— Modern History (@modernhistory) December 29, 2025
“And it was a match made in heaven, for me, made in heaven, because he was extraordinary. As you think he might be, he was even better. And we created this movie that you know, lives on.”
What is your reaction to Whoopi Goldberg’s recent share? Did you also see her in Ghost? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.