Celie and Sofia are back together again!
Whoopi Goldbergand Oprah Winfrey recently reunited on The View while marking 40 years since they starred together in the Oscar-nominated film The Color Purple.
While Goldberg and her co-hosts on The View welcomed Winfrey as a guest on the Wednesday, Jan. 14 episode of the daytime talk show, the two actresses had a special moment together as they reminisced on their roles in the Steven Spielberg-directed movie, which premiered in December 1985.
“The Color Purple sisterhood—40 years!” Winfrey, 71, celebrated in the ABC Television studio on Wednesday after she and Goldberg, 70, engaged in a long hug together.
“Did we just say 40?” Winfrey said with a laugh, while neither of them seemed to be able to believe so much time has passed.
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“40 years later, Celie and Sofia are doing good ya’ll 
” Goldberg and Winfrey captioned a joint Instagram clip on Wednesday, referring to their respective characters in the groundbreaking film.
“Today, @oprah and @whoopigoldberg reunited on @theviewabc and it was like we were back in 1985!”
The Color Purple film was adapted from Alice Walker‘s 1982 novel of the same name. At the time of the film’s 1985 release, The Color Purple was nominated for 11 Oscars, with Goldberg and Winfrey earning nominations for Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, at the 1986 Academy Awards.
The film also received a nomination for Best Picture, though the award ultimately went to Sydney Pollack‘s Out of Africa that year.
The Color Purple was later remade into a musical version in 2023, starring Fantasia Barrino as Celie and Danielle Brooks as Sofia.
The reunion quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the week, not just for fans of The Color Purple, but for anyone who grew up watching Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey redefine what was possible for Black women in Hollywood. Seeing Celie and Sofia together again, laughing and hugging on the The View stage, felt less like a television appearance and more like a full-circle cultural moment.
During their conversation, Winfrey reflected on how The Color Purple changed her life forever. At the time, she was just beginning her rise in television, and being cast by Steven Spielberg in such a powerful role gave her a new sense of confidence and purpose. Goldberg, who was still early in her film career, echoed that sentiment, sharing how Celie became one of the most meaningful characters she ever played. “That movie didn’t just tell a story,” she said. “It told our story.”
The actresses also spoke about how much the themes of The Color Purple — sisterhood, resilience, survival, and healing — still resonate today. Winfrey noted that even four decades later, fans continue to approach her with tears in their eyes, saying the film helped them through their own painful experiences. “That’s the power of telling the truth through art,” she said. “It lives on long after the cameras stop rolling.”
Goldberg added that the bond formed on that set has never faded. Though their careers took them in different directions, she said she has always felt connected to Winfrey through the legacy of the film. Their reunion on The View felt like picking up a conversation that had never truly ended.
The timing of the reunion also felt especially meaningful following the release of the 2023 musical remake of The Color Purple. Both women expressed pride in seeing a new generation of actors take on the iconic roles. Winfrey, who served as a producer on the remake, praised Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks for honoring the spirit of Celie and Sofia while bringing fresh energy to the story.
As the segment wrapped, Goldberg and Winfrey once again embraced, smiling as the audience applauded. Forty years later, Celie and Sofia are still standing — stronger, wiser, and just as powerful as ever.