Oprah Gail Winfrey

Oprah Gail Winfrey
"Talk show host" is the simplest but wholly inadequate description of Oprah Winfrey, who rose from humble origins to reach the highest tier of media success. Her Chicago-based talk show, in national syndication since 1986, brushed aside veterans like Phil Donohue to become the top-rated in the country. Winfrey leveraged that success into an acting career, earning an Academy Award nomination for her first role in "The Color Purple." Every selection for her talk show's "book club" has become an instant bestseller. She's also launched "O, the Oprah Magazine," and the cable…