(Pasadena, Calif.) The press tour ballroom was close to a record silence just
before Oprah Winfrey took the stage at the TCA Winter Press Tour. It was, of course, the most anticipated event of the day. Oprah whisked on stage in a variety of purples, made herself comfy in a white plush chair and then, somewhat nervously, turned herself over to the critics.
“It’s like being thrown to the wolves,” Oprah joked.
Her nerves were short-lived, for she quickly commanded the room as she detailed her vision for OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, her network that was launched on Jan. 1, 2011. She described OWN as a new kind of TV, “where people will respond to the idea of something meaningful and positive in their lives.”
The New Years Day OWN launch was a dream come dream. She joked that on the date of the launch she and best buddy Gayle King were talking on the phone, ecstatic that the network even had commercials. “I didn’t know I’d love Febreze so much.”
She complimented a reporter for his question he asked on what she dreamt she would be as a child, saying “Nobody ever asked me that.” And went on to share stories of her early career days and what her grandmother’s dreams were for her.
“My big dream was to be a guest host on Good Morning America. A substitute for Joan [Lunden],” she said. But her agent told her there wasn’t room for more black people on TV, afterall, “they already have Bryant Gumbel.” Of course, that agent’s career was short lived. Her grandma simply wanted a “nice white family” to take care of her, as if she’d be their housekeeper.
Oprah graciously fielded questions from TCA reporters for well over her scheduled panel time and into the evening, where she later attended a network party. At the party, Winfrey never made it 10 feet past the door, as critics swarmed. Her only reprieve was when fellow celebrities like Mike Tyson, Carson Kressly and Nancy O’Dell broke in to say hello.
More soundbytes from the session include:
On dreaming big: “God can dream a bigger dream for you than you can dream for yourself.”
Her gratitude: “I fully understand that this platform I’ve been given is a gift.”
Her spirituality: “My definition of spirituality is to live with an open heart. …Extending yourself in grace and gratitude.”
On change: “My life pattern has been whenever I have outgrown a circumstance or situation I move on. … I’m constantly working to grow myself forward.”
— Barb Oates