Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, to an unmarried teenage mother. She overcame a difficult childhood to become one of the most influential media personalities.

Winfrey moved to Baltimore's WJZ-TV in August 1976 to co-anchor the six o'clock news in Nashville, Tennessee. She was removed as co-anchor within the first year but stayed at the station as a reporter and later became the host of a local talk show, 'People Are Talking'.

Oprah Winfrey's film debut occurred with the release of 'The Color Purple,' directed by Steven Spielberg, in which she played a significant supporting role as Sofia. The film was an adaptation of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.

Oprah Winfrey established Harpo Productions, a media production company, to produce the content for her media ventures, eventually expanding into film production and magazine publishing.

After The Oprah Winfrey Show ended, Winfrey shifted focus to her cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), which launched on January 1, 2011. She took on a role as chief executive officer and chief creative officer in October of that year.

Oprah Winfrey received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 75th Golden Globe Awards on January 7, 2018, for her outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment. Her acceptance speech, addressing the #MeToo movement and racial inequality, was widely praised.