Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey opens up about turning 70: ‘I'll never be done'

In a new interview, Winfrey, who is a producer on the upcoming film adaptation of "The Color Purple," says she has no plans to slow down as her 70th birthday approaches

Oprah will be Oprah'ing until her "last breath," she says.

Oprah Winfrey turns 70 on Jan. 29, and she tells People in a new cover story that her work "will never be done."

“I will never be done until my last breath is done,” she told the outlet in a story published Dec. 13. “And whenever that happens it will be a peaceful breath.”

Winfrey is currently on a press tour for a new film adaptation of "The Color Purple," which is due out Dec. 25.

She starred in the original 1985 film, which earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress in a supporting role. The original film received a total of 11 nominations. The new movie is based on a 2005 Broadway musical adaptation of the 1982 Alice Walker book.

Winfrey's eponymous talk show ran for 25 seasons, and she's also built a conglomerate-sized business between her magazine, TV network, books, as well as producing and starring in films.

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

When discussing what she wants her legacy to be, Winfrey quoted her late friend and poet Maya Angelou.

“I now know that what Maya Angelou told me when I came back from opening my school in South Africa," Winfrey told People.

"I was like, ‘Oh, Maya, this school is going to be my greatest legacy, these girls,'" she recalled. "And she said, ‘You have no idea what your legacy’s going to be ... because your legacy is never one thing. Your legacy is every life you’ve touched.’”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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