Women Like Us: Whoopi Goldberg & Vivica A Fox

Black Hollywood is about to deliver something special. Women Like Us, a new Netflix film, has assembled a powerhouse cast that feels less like a movie lineup and more like a masterclass in longevity and excellence. Whoopi Goldberg, Jenifer Lewis, Vivica A. Fox, and Vanessa Williams are joining forces for what’s already generating serious buzz among fans and industry observers alike.

Produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground alongside MACRO, the film will be directed by Tasha Smith with a script by Tracy Oliver. Women Like Us centers on a recently widowed woman who gets pulled into a Hamptons weekend trip that was supposed to mark her 30th anniversary. What starts as a dreaded getaway becomes something deeper: a reckoning with grief, marriage, sisterhood, and the realization that life doesn’t follow an expiration date.

The Story

The premise is intimate but explores something universal. That weekend in the Hamptons becomes a space for these women to examine the bonds that have held them together, the choices they’ve made, and what it means to keep dreaming when society tells you it’s too late.

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg’s presence in this cast is significant. After her breakout in “The Color Purple,” she became a force in mainstream cinema with films like “Ghost,” “Sister Act,” and “How Stella Got Her Groove Back.” In 2002, she made history as the first Black woman to achieve EGOT status, a feat that underscores her extraordinary reach across entertainment mediums.

Her filmography reveals something interesting: her biggest box office hits often rely on her voice rather than her physical presence. “Toy Story 3” pulled in $1,067,316,101 globally. “The Lion King,” where she voiced Shenzi, the lead hyena, earned $979,161,632. Even “Ghost,” her live-action classic with Patrick Swayze, generated $505,703,557 worldwide. That catchphrase “Molly, you in danger girl” remains culturally embedded decades later.

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams broke barriers as the first Black woman crowned Miss America, but that title barely captures her actual career trajectory. She’s successfully navigated music, Broadway, television, and film with a grace that comes from genuine talent rather than crossover optics. Emmy, Grammy, and Tony nominations speak to her range. Her film roles—from “Soul Food” to “Eraser” to “Ugly Betty”—show an actress who works strategically and chooses projects that matter.

“Eraser” (1996) earned $242,295,562 with Williams opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Shaft” brought in $107,626,125, with Williams holding her own alongside Samuel L. Jackson. “Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor” made $53,143,144. She plays authority figures and strong women with an understated confidence that makes those roles feel earned rather than performed.

Vivica A. Fox

Since the 1990s, Vivica A. Fox has been one of the defining Black actresses in Hollywood, working across action films, romantic comedies, and ensemble pieces that became cultural touchstones. She expanded possibilities for Black women in mainstream cinema while simultaneously building a career behind the camera as a producer.

“Independence Day” (1996) stands as her most commercially successful film, grossing $817,400,891 worldwide. Fox held her own alongside Will Smith in that alien invasion spectacle. “Kill Bill Vol. 1” earned $180,908,413 and gave her a place in Tarantino’s universe. “Set It Off” (1996) made $41,590,886 and remains beloved because all four leads—Fox, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Kimberly Elise—felt equally essential to the story.

Jenifer Lewis

Jenifer Lewis has earned the title “The Mother of Black Hollywood” through decades of scene-stealing performances across television, film, and animation. Whether she’s Ruby Johnson on “Black-ish,” a guest star on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” or voicing a character in an animated feature, Lewis brings warmth, humor, and authenticity that registers immediately.

“The Princess and the Frog” (2009) grossed $267,056,816, and Lewis voiced Mama Odie, the Bayou hoodoo woman who guided Anika Noni Rose’s Princess Tiana. That film mattered because it finally gave Disney audiences a Black animated princess—a moment Lewis helped elevate through her work. “Sister Act” (1992) earned $231,605,150, and while the film belonged to Whoopi Goldberg, Lewis was right there as one of the backup singers, making every moment count. “GOAT” (2026) brought in $180,908,413, with Lewis voicing Flo, a warthog character who delivered both comedic and emotional beats.

What makes this cast special isn’t just individual achievement. It’s the accumulated weight of four women who’ve spent decades in this industry, who’ve survived its shifts and survived being underestimated, and who are still working at a time when ageism in Hollywood remains relentless. “Women Like Us” feels like it knows exactly what it has.