Whoopi Goldberg is one of the handful of few people to be known as an EGOT winner. For those who aren't familiar with the phrase made popular by 30 Rock, that's Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner. The View host made a rare TV acting appearance on Law & Order: SVU to remind you she earned that EGOT.
In the episode, "Institutional Fail," Goldberg played Janette Grayson, a Department of Child Services supervisor who is put on trial for manslaughter after a child dies and falsified case reports are discovered by the SVU detectives. Goldberg didn't have very many scenes in the episode, but when she took the stand she really delivered with an emotional speech about New York City, the disparity between the rich and the poor and bureaucracy at its worst.
"I met Whoopi when she played a pathological foster mother on a Criminal Intent episode I co-wrote. I was knocked out by her performance. When this part came up—a career civil servant struggling to survive the impossible caseload demands of the Department of Child Services—I immediately thought of her," executive producer Warren Leight said in a statement. "She had the pathos, toughness, world weariness, and heart the part demanded. If she doesn't break your heart when she takes the stand, you are made of stone."
So, are you made of stone? See some of the passionate performance above.
Goldberg's EGOT broken down:
E—Two Daytime Emmys, one for The View and one for Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel.
G—One Grammy for her comedy recording Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show Recording.
O—One Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in Ghost.
T—Best Musical Tony for Thoroughly Modern Millie.
"It's always nice to be invited back into the Law & Order family, especially with this cast and producers who I love," Goldberg said in a statement.
Law & Order: SVU airs Wednesdays, 9 p.m. on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)