Oprah Filming Scenes for New Movie: A Look at Her Past Acting Roles

Oprah Winfrey is making her return to the big screen as part of the all-star cast of the upcoming film "The Butler." The talk show host was recently seen sporting a beehive-style hairdo while shooting scenes for the historical drama about a long-tenured White House servant. The film, which is directed by Lee Daniels, features names like Robin Williams, Liam Neeson, Nicole Kidman, and Lenny Kravitz. Seeing that Oprah has not acted as anyone other than herself in 14 years, it seems possible that she might be intimated by sharing the screen with such heavyweights. However, that doesn't seem likely given her talent and comfort level. Despite the long break, Oprah has proven that she is more than capable of playing different characters. Here is a look back at her best acting roles over the years.

Sofia - "The Color Purple"

The TV queen's feature film debut remains her most iconic role to date. The 1985 Steven Spielberg drama featured Oprah as a resilient housewife that doesn't take her abuse in stride. In a movie that featured strong performances from seasoned actors like Danny Glover and Whoopi Goldberg, it was Oprah's inspiring work that held the movie together. Her scene-stealing performance landed her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Sethe - "Beloved"

Prior to her turn in "The Butler," this was the last big screen acting performance for Oprah. In the 1998 film, which she also produced, she plays a former slave that struggles to make a good life for her family. The emotional film was based on a book by Toni Morrison and was directed by Oscar winner Jonathan Demme. Though the movie didn't earn the same box office success and critical acclaim that "The Color Purp! le" did, Oprah's strong performance earned some high marks from her peers. Co-star Thandie Newton described her as "a very strong technical actress, and it's because she's so smart. She's acute. She's got a mind like a razor blade."

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