Oprah Winfrey Was Surprised by Mary Tyler Moore 28 Years Ago This Week, Leading to That Amazing Meme

Mar. 15, 2025

Mary Tyler Moore holds a tearful Oprah Winfrey in 1997.Photo:OWN/YouTube

OWN/YouTube

Mary Tyler Moorehad a profound influence on so many women working in television. Among them wasOprah Winfrey.In February 1997, theMary Tyler Mooreshow icon surprised the talk show host during the filming of an episode ofThe Oprah Winfrey Show. The segment featured Winfrey discussing influential women in television.Moore starred in her iconic series as Mary Richards, a single career woman out to “make it on her own," as the show’s popular theme song described.It was a progressive conceptthat marked a shift in popular and political culture and would go on to influence a generation of women, inspiring them to visualize a world for themselves outside of simply being a wife and homemaker.“Mary Tyler Moore, one of the greatest ever. I love her. Thank you, Mary, for being such an inspiration to us all — all of us women in television. Thank you so much,” Winfrey said on her own show.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.As she prepared to move on, the audience roared as Moore herself walked out from backstage. When Winfrey realized what was happening, she let out a huge scream and then started sobbing. The reaction has since become a fan-favorite reaction meme on social media for those moments in which one is surprised and emotional.Speaking with PEOPLE for the 50th anniversary issue, Winfrey reflected on the unforgettable moment.“I went into the ugly cry,” she recalled. It even led her to implement a new rule with her staff about how surprises should be handled in the future.“I said, nobody will ever surprise me again [and] if you want to continue to work here, do not surprise me,” she added with a laugh.Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards in a 1970 episode of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’.CBS Photo Archive/GettyWinfrey also looked back at the moment in 2017, when Mooredied at 80.“Mary Tyler Moore majorly influenced my life and career," Winfrey told PEOPLE at the time.“I respected and admired her business acumen, her passion and compassion for all life, and most importantly, the values espoused through her storytelling. I thank her for being a light that shined so brightly, it let me see myself in her.”The two met many times, beyond that 1997 surprise. “What I’m grateful for is that, in my lifetime, I was able to share with her what her presence in television had meant to me as a young, growing, aspiring reporter,” Winfrey said.

Mary Tyler Moorehad a profound influence on so many women working in television. Among them wasOprah Winfrey.

In February 1997, theMary Tyler Mooreshow icon surprised the talk show host during the filming of an episode ofThe Oprah Winfrey Show. The segment featured Winfrey discussing influential women in television.

Moore starred in her iconic series as Mary Richards, a single career woman out to “make it on her own,” as the show’s popular theme song described.It was a progressive conceptthat marked a shift in popular and political culture and would go on to influence a generation of women, inspiring them to visualize a world for themselves outside of simply being a wife and homemaker.

“Mary Tyler Moore, one of the greatest ever. I love her. Thank you, Mary, for being such an inspiration to us all — all of us women in television. Thank you so much,” Winfrey said on her own show.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

As she prepared to move on, the audience roared as Moore herself walked out from backstage. When Winfrey realized what was happening, she let out a huge scream and then started sobbing. The reaction has since become a fan-favorite reaction meme on social media for those moments in which one is surprised and emotional.

Speaking with PEOPLE for the 50th anniversary issue, Winfrey reflected on the unforgettable moment.

“I went into the ugly cry,” she recalled. It even led her to implement a new rule with her staff about how surprises should be handled in the future.

“I said, nobody will ever surprise me again [and] if you want to continue to work here, do not surprise me,” she added with a laugh.

Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards in a 1970 episode of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’.CBS Photo Archive/Getty

CBS Photo Archive/Getty

Winfrey also looked back at the moment in 2017, when Mooredied at 80.

“Mary Tyler Moore majorly influenced my life and career," Winfrey told PEOPLE at the time.

“I respected and admired her business acumen, her passion and compassion for all life, and most importantly, the values espoused through her storytelling. I thank her for being a light that shined so brightly, it let me see myself in her.”

The two met many times, beyond that 1997 surprise. “What I’m grateful for is that, in my lifetime, I was able to share with her what her presence in television had meant to me as a young, growing, aspiring reporter,” Winfrey said.

source: people.com