Oprah Winfrey Once Received a Shockingly Low Salary for a Steven Spielberg Film

Oprah Winfrey is a highly successful talk show host. But apart from this, many do not know that she is also an actress, who has appeared in several films.

‘The Purple Color’

You can see her talent in acting in the 1985 film ‘The Purple Color.’ Steven Spielberg helmed the movie, so you can expect nothing short of a masterpiece.

BAKOUNINE / Shutterstock — Steven Spielberg directed ‘The Purple Color’

The movie, which is based on the Alice Walker novel under the same name, revolves around a 14-year-old girl Celie Harris and the problems African-American women faced during the 20^th century. The viewers witnessed how the young lady grew up amid the hardships.

Oprah portrayed Sofia, the fiancé of Albert’s son in ‘The Purple Color.’ The talk show host’s character frequently got into fights with her partner.

The coming-of-age drama was a success, to say the least, and critics praised the film for its cinematography and astounding performances. As such, one would expect that the actors as well as the director walked away with massive paychecks.

Three Sixty Images / Shutterstock — Oprah was used to TV before acting

Well, not for Oprah. She only went home with a meek $35,000. The reason behind such a small amount is because, at the time of the release, she was still relatively unpopular.

Even before she became one of the highly celebrated talk show hosts, Oprah first struggled to act in front of the camera. This was definitely a stark contrast to what she has become today and her wealth is a testament to that. Her estimated net worth is a whopping $3.5 million from different ventures.

How Oprah Felt about The Part

Here’s a fun fact: Oprah wasn’t confident in taking the role of Sofia. She wasn’t just hesitant, she was awfully terrified of the part due to her reservations about acting.

As such, Oprah was scared she would be fired because she once heard about someone getting axed from another film. What frightened her the most was the fact that she had no idea that actors can get fired from movies.

In her first scene, she accidentally stared directly into the camera as she delivered her lines. This may be because she had done TV prior to snatching the part. However, Oprah redeemed herself by learning the skills needed in shooting a movie.

Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock — Oprah was terrified of getting fired

Although she learned the ropes in acting, Oprah still feels intimidated about the craft. Her nervousness on the set showed that she’s just a human being like us.

As such, it’s only normal to feel scared and terrified on the first day at work, especially if you are working with big names. However, don’t let this stop you from learning from the industry you are in and how you can improve yourself.