Oprah Gail Winfrey ( born January 29 , 1954 ) is an African-American businesswoman and actress . Winfrey owns a number of books , magazines and movies as well as what she is most famous for , her television talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which has been on television everywhere in the United States since September 8 , 1986 . Winfrey , who has no surviving biological children , described maternal feelings towards the girls at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls : Winfrey teaches a class at the school via satellite .