Whoopi Goldberg reveals why she's rocking new hair on 'The View'

Whoopi Goldberg unveiled a whole new look when she arrived on stage in front of the live audience on "The View" Wednesday.

The longtime co-host and EGOT winner surprised viewers and fellow co-hosts alike when she displayed a platinum white head of faux locs. Although silvery hair has become a fad in recent years, Goldberg didn't change her iconic do to make a fashion statement.

During author Stephen King's guest appearance on "The View" on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Goldberg announced her role in the new limited series "The Stand" on CBS All Access, which is based on King's 1978 novel. For her role as 108-year-old Mother Abigail, she underwent a transformation.

After revealing her new look, Goldberg spoke about why she's excited to be portraying an elderly black woman on the show.

"People need to know that 100 is no longer what you think 100 used to be. When [Stephen King] first wrote this book, Mother Abigail was probably this tall, and she looked like Miss Jane Pittman on steroids," Goldberg said referring to the 1974 film "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman."

Goldberg said she believes they made actress Cicely Tyson "so wrinkly" when she played Pittman "because people had no idea what older black women looked like, because no one looked at old black women."

"Now we look at an older black woman...[and] you're looking at amazing faces."

Goldberg's locs, created by hairstylist Jeffrey Bautista, were originally several inches longer before the show, nearly touching her hips. She said they needed a trim, though.

"I’ve lost weight, and so my face got lost in the hair," said Goldberg, who had a health scare earlier this year in which she battled pneumonia for months.

In March, Goldberg opened up about her extended absence from "The View" in a videotaped message that played on the show.

"I came very, very close to leaving the Earth," she said in the message. "Good news: I didn't."

She also discussed her health scare with her doctors on "The View" in May, during which they said that she had a one in three chance of dying from the illness.

Although Goldberg will continue to co-host season 23 of "The View," she said she's looking forward to returning to acting.

"I'm so proud to be doing this," she said on Wednesday. "Kudos to ABC who is allowing me to go and do what my first love is."

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