Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 1991
Whoopi Goldberg Ghost 1991
SEX WORKER ROLE
Jamaican Lady in Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway 1985
Character Is A Paid Companion—Sex Included.
Whoopi Goldberg: Direct from Broadway 1985
Whoopi Goldberg first came to national prominence with her one-woman show. In it she played five different characters. One of which was “Jamaican Lady,” a paid companion where sex is part of her job description.
In the segment “Old Raisin,” an elderly man hires a Jamaican lady (played by Whoopi) to be his “companion.” The job entails housekeeping, cooking, and a “little nookie.” At first, Jamaican Lady doesn’t know what “nookie” is and figures she will just learn on the job. Eventually it is made obvious to her exactly what her job entails. She gives in, only to have her elderly boss die during their lovemaking.
But then the unexpected twist occurs: the Jamaican Lady is shocked to learn that her elderly boss has left her his entire fortune. Overnight, she becomes a millionaire!
Honorable Mention: In her real life, Whoopi Goldberg once worked as a phone sex operator when she was struggling to be an actress. She insists the phone job helped her become a better actress. “What you have to do is you have to be a good actor … when I was younger, the money was great.”
Watch “Jamaican Lady” Monologue
To read more about other Oscar-winning actresses playing characters working in the sex trade industry, please continue perusing Oscar Hookers