Whoopi Goldberg, candidly admitting she’d love to retire but “can’t afford to,” and Joy Behar, insisting that creativity keeps her working at 83, revealed during The View’s season 29 launch how age, purpose, and financial reality shape their very different views on retirement—sparking both admiration and bittersweet reflection.
The women of The View are no strangers to spirited debate, but when the cameras aren’t rolling, the conversation can be just as compelling.
As season 29 of the long-running ABC talk show kicked off this week, Entertainment Tonight caught up with co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar on set in New York City.
What followed was an unexpectedly raw and thoughtful discussion about aging, creativity, and what retirement really means when you’ve spent decades in the spotlight.
Joy Behar, who will celebrate her 83rd birthday this October, leaned back in her chair as she considered the question of whether she ever thinks about stepping away.
For her, the answer was clear: retirement simply doesn’t make sense for a creative person.
“You don’t retire from creativity,” she said firmly, her trademark wit laced with just enough seriousness to make the audience pause.
“Writers, comedians, actors—we don’t stop because there’s always something to say.
There’s always a joke to tell.
It’s not about the paycheck, it’s about the purpose.”
Behar has been a fixture of The View since its earliest days, joining the show in 1997.
Aside from a brief departure in 2013—when she later admitted she never truly felt “done” with television—she has remained one of the program’s sharpest voices, blending humor with social commentary.
She smiled as she reflected on how her career has stretched across decades.
“If I had stopped working at 65 like people say you should, I would’ve missed almost 20 years of my best material,” she said.
“And trust me, the world has given me plenty to talk about.”
Sitting beside her, Whoopi Goldberg offered a very different perspective.
The Academy Award-winning actress, who will turn 70 in November, admitted that she would actually love to retire—but she doesn’t feel she has the luxury.
“I would love to stop,” Goldberg confessed, her tone both blunt and vulnerable.
“I would love to sit on my porch, drink some tea, and just watch the world go by.
But I literally can’t afford to not work.”
Goldberg didn’t elaborate on the specifics, but her candor about financial realities struck a chord.
For someone who has starred in box office hits like Ghost and Sister Act, and earned accolades across film, television, and theater, the admission was startling.
Yet it also underscored the truth that Hollywood glamour often hides: even the most recognizable stars sometimes live with financial pressures that demand they keep going long past the point of exhaustion.
“It’s not just about money,” Goldberg added after a pause.
“It’s also about purpose.
When you stop, what are you? What do you do? That’s scary.
But yeah—I would take retirement if I could.
Don’t think I wouldn’t.”
The conversation between the two co-hosts highlighted the contrast not just in their personal outlooks, but also in how they’ve navigated their long careers.
Behar, ever the comic, insisted she thrives on having a stage, while Goldberg, with her grounded honesty, admitted she dreams of silence.
And yet, both women agreed that The View—with its mix of cultural commentary, political sparring, and often unpredictable live moments—has kept them engaged and challenged in ways few other jobs could.
Season 29 of The View arrives at a time when daytime television faces increasing competition from streaming platforms and shifting audience habits.
But the show has remained a ratings powerhouse, in no small part because of the chemistry between its hosts.
Goldberg and Behar, who have been sparring partners for decades, embody the push and pull that makes the show work.
“We’re like sisters,” Behar laughed.
“We fight, we roll our eyes, and then we go out to dinner.
That’s what makes it fun.”
Fans have long speculated about when the two might step away, especially as both approach milestone birthdays.
But judging by their comments, neither is planning to walk off the set anytime soon—at least not together.
“Look, if she leaves, I’m not going anywhere,” Behar quipped, pointing at Goldberg.
“I’ll sit here alone if I have to.
They’ll just give me more time to talk.” Goldberg rolled her eyes and laughed, a moment that summed up their unique partnership: opposites in outlook, but bound by humor and resilience.
As the conversation wrapped, the two women returned to the stage, preparing for the next segment of the show.
Watching them, it became clear that whether they continue for another season or another decade, Goldberg and Behar’s presence on The View is more than just television.
It’s a reflection of two women who refuse to let age—or expectation—define them.
“I’ll retire when the jokes stop coming,” Behar said with a grin.
“And so far, the world keeps giving me material.” Goldberg nodded quietly, her smile tinged with both exhaustion and gratitude.
“And I’ll retire,” she said, “when I can finally afford the porch.”