Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg is making her directorial debut with the HBO documentary Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley: The story of Jackie “Moms” Mabley, an African-American stand-up comic who was once billed as “The Funniest Woman in the World.”
Mabley emerged from the chitlin’ circuit of African-American Vaudeville, performing in minstrel shows and later becoming a mainstream star on the stage and TV. She performed up until her death at the age of 81 in 1975. She pushed the boundaries of comedy by tackling topics such as gender, sex and racism, making her one of the first taboo-pushing comedians on the comedy circuit.
According to reports, the North-Carolina-born comedian was openly lesbian and often made her sexuality a part of her routines.
