Fantasia Barrino Celebrates Birthday with Oprah Winfrey, ‘Color Purple’ Cast
Getty Images Reading Time: 2 minutes
American Idol winner Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino recently celebrated her 39th birthday with Oprah Winfrey and the cast of The Color Purple. Barrino stars as Celie in the upcoming musical adaptation.
Fantasia Barrino Celebrates Birthday with Oprah Winfrey
In a video posted to Instagram, Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson can be seen carrying a birthday cake toward Barrino while singing “Happy Birthday” by Stevie Wonder. The sweet gesture causes Barrino to tear up.
Before blowing out the candles on the cake, Barrino turns to hug Winfrey, who starred as Sofia in the previous film adaptation and is producing the new movie. The cast was together at the 2023 Essence Festival in New Orleans and took a moment to celebrate Barrino.
The Color Purple is set to be released this Christmas. It’s based on the Broadway musical, which was inspired by the 1985 film adaption of Alice Walker’s 1982 novel. Barrino stars in the new movie as Celie, who was previously played by Whoopi Goldberg.
SEE ALSO: ‘AMERICAN IDOL’ WINNER FANTASIA SCORES ROLE IN MOVIE MUSICAL OF ‘THE COLOR PURPLE’
Barrino Previously Received a Gift from Winfrey
This wasn’t the first surprise Barrino has received from Winfrey. After wrapping production on The Color Purple last year, the singer came home to find that Winfrey had gifted her a gramophone with a plaque reading, “Fantasia Barrino as Celie, The Color Purple Musical Experience, 2022.”
The gift also included a handwritten card from Winfrey, who wrote in part, “Your reward is coming. Wait til the world responds to the Celie you’ve created.” Barrino thanked Winfrey on Instagram, writing, “I’ve been going so hard that this reminded me of the work we all just put in.”
This isn’t Barrino’s first time playing Celie. She previously took on the role in a Broadway production of the musical from 2007 to 2008, and later on the national tour. The new adaptation, also starring Halle Bailey, Louis Gossett Jr., H.E.R., and Corey Hawkins, will be released in theaters on December 25, 2023.
