Goldberg originated the voice of Shenzi the Hyena in the 1994 Disney animated feature version of The Lion King, on which the musical is based.

The performer received a Drama Desk and Theatre World Award for her 1985 Broadway solo show Whoopi Goldberg. She has also starred on Broadway in Xanadu, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and another solo show, Whoopi. She has won numerous awards during her career including the Grammy, Golden Globe, as well as the Academy Award for Ghost, and hosted both the Tony Awards and the Academy Awards.

Most recently, she received a Daytime Emmy for her work as co-host of The View.