As a single mom, she had her fair share of odd jobs to make ends meet.

As a licensed beautician, she didhairand makeup for dead people after seeing an ad in the paper.

“It’s a rough gig,” she toldHuffPost.

Whoopi Goldberg smiles

“You have to be a certain kind of person.

And you have to love people so you can make them worthy of a great send-off.”

In particular, she recalls a moment when her comedic boss hid in the funeral home drawers.

casket at funeral home

“He said, ‘Now, the worst thing that you could imagine has happened.

That’s the worst thing that can happen.

It’s already happened … .

You still want to work?'”

Goldberg says in the OWN video.

“Once he did that, I was fine.”