Whoopi Goldberg is taking a leave of absence from The View, but don’t worry, this time it’s on her own terms and has nothing to do with controversial remarks about the Holocaust. Just like she did with The Stand for CBS All Access (now Paramount+), Goldberg is helping bringing another book to life by starring in Amazon’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys. Although, it sounds like Goldberg will be missing for a while longer and not filming episodes of the daytime talk show like she did in her The Stand wardrobe.
“If you’re wondering where Whoopi is, the girl’s got a movie she’s making and she will be back when she finishes whatever she’s doing,” Joy Behar announced during Monday’s episode of The View. “So she’s gone for a while.”
As for why Goldberg won’t be pulling acting and hosting duties, she’s in Scotland shooting the Gaiman adaptation. That’s kind of a rough commute back to New York where The View is filmed. According to Variety, Goldberg is playing the “menacing” Bird Woman from the novel:
Bird Woman is the God of Birds and a key antagonist in the series. She’s the embodiment of birds. Not just beautiful stately birds in flight. Anyone who’s had a close encounter with a seagull knows that some birds are more dangerous than others, and Bird Woman is the most dangerous of them all. Long ago Anansi did her wrong. Now may be her chance to turn the tables.
“I have been a fan of this book for a very long time and when Neil Gaiman told me it was being brought to the screen, I did everything I could to be part of it to help make people aware of Anansi and all his magic,” Goldberg told Variety in a statement announcing her Anansi Boys casting.