Oprah Winfrey Recalls Steven Spielberg Yelling At Her On Set Of ‘The Color Purple’ On ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’: “I Had Never Done A Film”

By Samantha Nungesser @samjnungesser
Published Dec. 27, 2023, 10:45 a.m. ET

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Drew Barrymore and Oprah Winfrey have at least two things in common: they’ve both hosted their own daytime talk shows and they both worked with Steven Spielberg on their feature film debuts.

While appearing on this morning’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Winfrey recalled the time Spielberg scolded her for saying her lines directly into the camera when she filmed her first scene for The Color Purple back in 1985.

“When I did my first film, which was The Color Purple [in] 1985, I had never done a film, been in a film, knew anything about filming but wanted to be in The Color Purple more than anything in my life,” she told Barrymore.

(Editor’s Note: The Drew Barrymore Show is currently on hiatus. This article was originally published on Dec. 12, 2023 when this episode first aired. Drew will return with new episodes in January 2024.)

According to the veteran journalist, her first scene during her first day on set required her to walk into the juke joint with her onscreen boyfriend and say hello to Ms. Celie, who was played by Whoopi Goldberg. However, she was quickly called out for looking right into the camera when she spoke — a habit that resulted from her existing career in broadcast television, which began when she was 19 years old.

“Steven yells, ‘Cut! Cut! Cut! What are you doing?'” she remembered. “[I said], ‘Uh. I was just doing my lines.’ He said, ‘What are you doing looking in the camera?’ I go, ‘I’m not supposed to look in the camera?’ He goes, ‘No! Ms. Celie’s over here!'”

Winfrey added, “I didn’t know. I didn’t know. I had never been on a movie set.”

'The Color Purple
Photo: Everett Collection

That first day on set might have been a doozy for Winfrey — but it surely paid off in the end. The actress later landed several nominations for her role, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.

Nowadays, Winfrey is gearing up for the release of The Color Purple (2023), which she co-produced alongside Spielberg.

“So full circle!” she said of working with the director again after nearly 40 years. “Look at God looking at me! I think it’s so incredible.”

The Drew Barrymore Show airs on weekdays on CBS. You can check the website for local airtimes.