PEOPLE’s special edition ‘Oprah: Her Incredible Life’ is out now

Oprah Winfrey at the premiere of "The Color Purple"

Oprah Winfrey on Dec. 6, 2023. PHOTO: GILBERT FLORES/VARIETY VIA GETTY IMAGES

Oprah Winfrey‘s monumental career is the focus of a new PEOPLE special edition.

To celebrate the influential media mogul’s 70th birthday this month, the special issue Oprah: Her Incredible Life, out today, compiles all the ways Winfrey changed the culture, from a groundbreaking talk show (and its 25-season run!) to a movie career, philanthropic work and more.

Winfrey’s keys to a happy life are also within the 100-page magazine, plus a look back at her biggest moments — and her journey to bringing The Color Purple into its latest movie-musical iteration.

The star, of course, had a breakout Oscar-nominated performance as Sofia in the 1985 film, and she served as a producer behind the new movie, out now.

Oprah special edition cover

“Oprah: Her Incredible Life,” out now.

When she spoke to PEOPLE for a cover story in December, Winfrey said, “Gratitude really is my religion,” adding that The Color Purple “was a spiritual opening for me to see my life in a different way” at that time in her life.

She added that her lifelong purpose is to help uplift others.

“I still continue to rise, and I’m in a space now where my offering is to help other people to rise,” said Winfrey. “The principle that is the underbelly, the cornerstone for how I operate in the world. … Life is better when you share it.”

Oprah Winfrey attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Oprah Winfrey.AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY

Oprah: Her Incredible Life also features a 1985 interview from the PEOPLE archives, when Winfrey was on the brink of global stardom. She said at the time, “What works best in television is your ability to feel comfortable in front of the camera — and I feel real good.”

The Color Purple is now in theaters and available on demand.