Happy Birthday, Oprah! The 5 Films Where Oprah Winfrey Portrayed Historical Women

Oprah Winfrey, who turns 71 today, has portrayed several influential historical women throughout her acting career. In the 1999 animated film Our Friend, Martin, she voiced Coretta Scott King, bringing warmth to the role of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife. In The Butler (2013), she played Gloria Gaines, a fictional character inspired by Helene Lee, wife of White House butler Eugene Allen, depicting a determined mother navigating political and personal struggles.

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In Selma (2014), which she also co-produced, Winfrey portrayed activist Annie Lee Cooper, highlighting the injustices of the Jim Crow era. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017), she played Deborah Lacks, exposing the medical exploitation of her mother’s cells. Most recently, in The Six Triple Eight (2024), Winfrey appeared as Mary McLeod Bethune, advocating for the formation of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during WWII.

Through these roles, Winfrey has honored trailblazing women, using her platform to highlight their struggles and contributions to history.

Source: BET