Whoopi Goldberg Reveals Real Reason Behind 2-Week Absence From The View

Whoopi Goldberg shared why she was away from The View for two weeks, revealing that she took a leave of absence to appear on the Italian soap opera Un Posto Al Sole.

By Sabba Rahbar Dec 02, 2025 12:59 AMTags
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Whoopi Goldberg is saying “buongiorno” to The View

The Oscar winner was officially back on the daytime talk show for her hosting duties after a two-week absence, during which she filmed a guest starring role on the Italian soap opera Un Posto Al Sole.

“We should say ‘bienvenuto,’” cohost Ana Navarro joked on the Dec. 1 episode, “’cause I think this b---h has forgotten to speak English.”

And as Whoopi admitted, Ana wasn’t entirely wrong. 

“I don’t know what language I’m thinking in,” the 70-year-old laughed. “What time zone I’m in?

Despite her whirlwind trip, the Ghost star added her time aboard “was really good.”

"I learned a lot because I'd never done a soap opera before,”  she continued, “and so doing a soap opera in a different language, in a different country, made for a really interesting time. It was great.”

Whoopi also made sure to send her View cohosts plenty of videos from Italy, quipping, “I just wanted y’all to know I was actually working.”

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And while she was in a very picturesque location of Naples, it was less than ideal weather-wise. 

“It rained every day,” she told the audience. “And I don’t mean like, ‘Oh, it’s raining, how beautiful.’ It was like, ‘rain, rain, storm, thunder.’ It was crazy.”

But aside from the weather, Whoopi shared that she and her costars “had the best time.”

Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock

The Sister Act star first announced her role on Un Posto Al Solewhich has been running since 1996 and centers around residents living at the Palazzo Palladini apartment building—in June.

"I just wanted to stop in and say how happy I am to be joining the cast of Un Posto Al Sole," Whoopi said in an Instagram video at the time. "They know it's a crazy idea. I know it's a crazy idea. But, what a wonderful thing to do. I'm looking forward to it and I’m excited.”

As for the language barrier? Not an issue at all. “My Italian is not perfect,” Whoopi added, “but we've worked it out.”

According to the show, Whoopi’s episodes will air in 2026.

For more stars who’ve dabbled in soap operas, read on…

Brad Pitt

Ah yes, one of the world's biggest movie stars landed his first speaking role on Another World. It was for only two episodes that he played a young basketball player. Everyone has to start somewhere and then end up an Academy Award winner.

Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks appeared only in one scene of All My Children as none other than a waitress that Josh Duhamel's character is flirting with. The episode aired in 1999, two years before Banks starred in cult star-studded classic Wet Hot American Summer. 

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is Hollywood gold, but few know he was on sitcoms like Roseanne and Growing Pains before his Titanic fame. He even made an appearance in soap opera Santa Barbara in a brief flashback sequence in 1990.

 

Demi Moore

Before becoming a screen icon, Demi Moore did her her time (1982-83, to be exact) on General Hospital. She played Jackie Templeton, an investigative reporter from New York City trying to track down her missing sister.

Julianne Moore

The Academy Award winner also landed a Daytime Emmy Award in 1988 for her portrayal of long-lost half-sisters Frannie and Sabrina Hughes on As The World Turns.

Kelly Ripa

The Live With Kelly and Ryan host played Hayley Vaughan on All My Children from 1990 to 2002. It was here that she met her real husband, Mark Consuelos—who also played her husband on the series

Mark Consuelos

Prior to being a famed baddie mob boss on Riverdale, Mark Consuelos got his first big break on All My Children in 1995.

John Stamos

Prior to being Uncle Jesse on Full House, heartthrob John Stamos played teen rocker Blackie Parrish on General Hospital. 

Josh Duhamel

 The Jupiter's Legacy star started out in soaps with the role of Leo du Pres on All My Children; his character eventually perished in a freak waterfall accident.

Eva Longoria

There's nothing like playing a crazy wife who was put away in a mental hospital after trying to kill her lover's first wife to kick off a career. At least, that's how Eva Longoria made it happen on The Young and the Restless from 2001 to 2003. 

Lindsay Lohan

Before capturing hearts with Parent Trap, a young Lindsay Lohan played the adorable Alli Fowler on Another World from 1996 to 1997. 

Ryan Phillipe

A then-18 year old Ryan Phillipe's role on One Life to Live as Billy Douglas made history as the first only gay teenager on daytime TV. 

Hayden Panettiere

From 1996 to 2001, the Nashville star played the first incarnation of Guiding Light's Lizzie Spaulding. 

Susan Sarandon

Susan Sarandon was the leading actress on A World Apart from 1970 to 1971, with a whopping 325 episodes total—and Sarandon appeared in every single one as main character Patrice Kahlman. 

Justin Hartley

Justin Hartley is heartbreaker actor Kevin Pearson in This Is Us and it seems art does imitate life: Hartley first got his start on Passions before wooing audiences in The Young and the Restless.

Chrishell Strause

The former Mrs. Justin Hartley is now a real estate agent on Selling Sunset, but before earning her realtor license, Chrishell Strause sold every line on The Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless.

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts may be best known for thriller Mulholland Drive yet the talented star first started on Home and Away

Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan proved his talent on critically-acclaimed drama The Wire before landing a coveted role on All My Children as teen Reggie Montgomery. Chadwick Boseman originally was cast as Reggie but famously left following claims of perpetuating a stereotype. Jordan parted ways with AMC in 2006 and went on to star in Parenthood before captivating audiences with turns in Black Panther and Creed.

Nathan Fillion

You fell in love with him as Castle's sexy crime-solving mystery writer Richard Castle, but the fan-fave Canadian first made his name as favorite son Joey Buchanan on One Life to Live from 1994 to 1997. 

Christian Slater

The Dr. Death star was a high schooler with a secret in Ryan's Hope for 20 episodes in 1985.

Marcia Cross

Before she was a Desperate Housewife, before she was Linda on Everwood, heck, before she was eccentric Kimberly Shaw on Melrose Place, the redhead played a feisty archeologist named Katheryn "Kate" Sanders who came between Cord and Tina on One Life to Live from 1986 to 1987.

Laurence Fishburne

Morpheus began as a teenager with a three-year stint on One Life to Live, playing the role of Joshua Hall.

Heather Locklear

The Melrose Place star first captivated audiences as Sammy Jo Dean in Dynasty from 1981 to 1989. 

Tommy Lee Jones

Before he was married to a Coal Miner's Daughter or schooling aliens with Will Smith in Men in Black, the Harvard-educated actor played sneaky Dr. Mark Toland on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975.

Taye Diggs

Taye Diggs already had found Broadway fame with Rent and Chicago but he made his TV debut with Guiding Light in 1997. 

Lacey Chabert

Pre-Mean Girls, Lacey Chabert was a famed child star in Party of Five and soap opera All My Children.

Colin Egglesfield

He may have wooed both Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin in Something Borrowed, but Colin Egglesfield was well-known to soap opera fans long before the hit 2011 romantic comedy. Egglesfield played Joshua Madden in All My Children from 2005 to 2009.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

During her time at All My Children, Sarah Michelle Gellar played Erica Kane's long-lost daughter, Kendall Hart. Now, Kendall had anger issues because she was the product of rape and pissed that her mom left her, so she was all about vengeance—locking her little sister in a crypt and trying to seduce her stepfather. In 1995, Gellar left along—with her Daytime Emmy.

Morgan Freeman

The iconic film star began his career in TV, with soap operas Ryan's Hope and Another World. 

Ted Danson

Mr. Mayor found his Good Place on soap operas! Ted Danson wowed on Somerset and The Doctors for years. 

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