In Whoopi Goldberg’s career there have become references to global pop culture: Sister Act, Ghost, The Color Purple, as well as several awards: an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony Award – the so-called EGOT. Almost 20 years later, they were joined by The View, one of the most watched talk shows on American television. It is a career built between American cinema and TV, which now adds an unexpected stage: the entrance into the cast of Un posto al sole, the Italian soap opera in air since 1996 and produced by Rai Fiction, Fremantle and the Centro di Produzione Rai di Napoli.
A place in the sun is the longest series of Italian television, aired for thirty years precise; Goldberg is called to play Eleonor Price, an American entrepreneur who moves to Palazzo Palladini, the fictitious condominium that serves as the main setting of the soap opera. The arrival of a Hollywood star in a series such as A Place in Sole is an event in itself, given the format often considered “minor”, both in Italy and, above all, in the United States. At the same time, however, it should be remembered that A place in the sun is an industrial production with over 6,500 episodes broadcast and an average of more than 1.5 million spectators per episode – not peanuts, in short.
Interviewed for the occasion by Repubblica, Goldberg explained the choice starting from the long time spent in Italy in the past, between Sardinia and Sicily, where he matured the desire to work to an Italian product. After taking part in a film in America, she seemed the perfect opportunity to get back on the set after years on television and her talk show. The soaps, he observed, suffer from widespread prejudice, but require the actors an intense preparation, with simultaneous storage of several episodes and tight productive rhythms.
The filming period in Naples coincided with the Christmas holidays and was lived by the actress as a slower bracket than the American routine. Goldberg told about a city marked by bad weather, but also a warm welcome by the cast and crew. Among the stages that struck her most are the Cathedral of San Gennaro and the tradition of monumental cribs.
In his account of Italy, Goldberg often recalled the cinema as the first channel of contact with the country. Vittorio De Sica’s films with Sophia Loren have represented, for her, a founding image of Italianity, capable of transmitting abroad an idea of belonging and familiarity. He also mentioned the regret that he had never been able to work with Federico Fellini, who died in 1993, making himself available to collaborate today with contemporary Italian directors.
The most personal memory remains linked to Ghost and the relationship with Patrick Swayze, who supported his candidacy during the casting of the 1990 film. Goldberg told how that intervention was decisive to achieve the role that Oscar earned her as the best non-star actress, and also remembered the friendship with Robin Williams.
L’articolo Whoopi Goldberg retires to A place in the sun proviene da IlNewyorkese.
