From ‘The Color Purple’ to ‘Greenleaf’

If you only know Oprah Winfrey for her popular daytime talk show (which celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier in September) or her groundbreaking network, OWN— you only know a small part of her expansive career in the entertainment industry. In fact, Winfrey’s hand in Hollywood reaches well beyond sitting on a couch and conversing with famous folks.

In addition to becoming a household name through her talk show, Winfrey has also made an impressive name for herself by acting in or producing stories that have impacted the culture. In honor of the 40th anniversary of her groundbreaking talk show, we’ve rounded up a handful of films and TV shows that she’s been a part of over her decades-long career.

“The Color Purple”

We had to start with the movie that put Winfrey on the map. The 1985 Steven Spielberg-directed film, “The Color Purple,” marked her big-screen acting debut, and boy, she did not come to play! In the film adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel, she played Sofia, a loud, proud, and fiercely independent woman who refused to let the world break her spirit. The role earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, which subsequently helped launch her acting career.

Related: Wait…Is ‘The Color Purple’ a Black Film?

“Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

In 2013, Winfrey partnered with Lee Daniels and returned to the big screen to star opposite Forest Whitaker in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.” As Gloria Gaines, Winfrey appeared as a loving and devoted wife who sadly has to deal with alcoholism, infidelity, and the emotional toll of watching her family navigate a changing America. This role reminded folks that Winfrey could still bring the drama when she wanted to.

“Selma”

In Ava DuVernay’s “Selma,” Winfrey played Annie Lee Cooper, the real-life Alabama activist who was famously denied the right to register to vote. She also served as a producer on the Oscar-nominated historical drama. Although her scene is brief, Winfrey’s character’s voter-registration scene packs a serious punch, especially as Cooper faces the humiliating barriers Black voters were forced to overcome during that time.

“Beloved”

In 1998, Winfrey starred as Sethe in “Beloved,” the haunting adaptation of Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. She also produced it. The movie took nearly a decade to make because of how deeply Morrison’s story resonated with her. Despite the personal ties, the film failed to perform well at the box office, which the former daytime talk show host later shared sent her into a depression.

“Greenleaf”

Oprah once again pulled double duty in 2016, acting and executive producing her network’s popular show, “Greenleaf.” In it, she starred as Mavis McCready, a blues bar owner and recovering alcoholic who is estranged from her powerful megachurch family. Winfrey once said that her character was modeled after her real-life mentor, the late Maya Angelou, with some tweaks.

“The Women of Brewster Place”

Before “Greenleaf,” Winfrey played another complicated Black woman at the center of a powerful ensemble in “The Women of Brewster Place.” Her character, Mattie Michael, is a mother whose life takes a series of painful turns before eventually bringing her to Brewster Place. Additionally, Winfrey executive produced the ABC miniseries through Harpo Productions, making it an early example of her using her growing power to put Black women’s stories on television.

“Precious”

Though Winfrey didn’t appear onscreen in the 2009 film, “Precious,” her fingerprints were all over the critically acclaimed project as an executive producer. The movie centers around Claireece “Precious” Jones, a teenage Black girl navigating horrific abuse, poverty, and an education system that has largely failed her. The project became a major awards-season success (looking at you, Mo’Nique) and earned Winfrey another Hollywood producing credit.

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”

Opting to wear two hats once again, Winfrey executive-produced and starred in HBO’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” in 2017. In it, she plays Deborah, Lacks’ daughter, who embarks on a complicated journey to understand the mother she barely knew and her extraordinary scientific legacy.

“The Great Debaters”

With talents like Denzel Washington, Nate Parker (pre-controversy), Jurnee Smollett, and Denzel Whitaker, Winfrey signed on as a producer for the 2007 film, “The Great Debaters.” The film revolved around a historically Black college debate team and followed the students as they challenged powerful institutions and confronted racism in 1930s America.

“A Wrinkle In Time”

Teaming up with Ava DuVernay once again in 2018 in “A Wrinkle in Time,” Winfrey played the celestial goddess Mrs. Which— one of three supernatural beings who help young Meg Murry (played by Storm Reid) travel across space and time to rescue her father. The hilariously iconic part of this film? Winfrey literally appears larger than life at one point, which only feels apropos when you consider her real-life status in the entertainment industry.

“The Six Triple Eight”

Winfrey likes being in front of and behind the camera at this point, and the role she played in Tyler Perry’s 2024 film “The Six Triple Eight” just further proves that. She stepped into the role of legendary civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune while the film tells the story of the first and only all-Black, all-female battalion to serve overseas during World War II. Bethune appears as an advocate for the women and their mission, giving Winfrey yet another opportunity to portray a real-life Black woman who helped push history forward.

“Sidney”

While Winfrey was behind the camera for the 2022 documentary, “Sidney,” it was clear this was a project that meant the most to her as she and the late Oscar-winning actor and activist Sidney Poitier developed a deep bond and close friendship over the years. The Apple TV+ documentary chronicled the life and legacy of one of Hollywood’s most groundbreaking and history-making Black stars. She even spoke to The Root about the film a few years ago!

“The Princess and the Frog”

Blink, and you might miss this one! In 2009, Winfrey lent her voice to Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” as Eudora, Tiana’s loving mother. Eudora was a New Orleans seamstress who encouraged her daughter to dream big while reminding her that life is about more than simply getting what you want. So yes, Oprah technically has a Disney princess connection—even if she wasn’t the princess herself!