Oprah Winfrey wished to be Martin Luther King, Jr. as a kid

Oprah Winfrey has revealed that she wanted to be Martin Luther King Jr. growing up.

The 60-year-old media mogul, who walked the red carpet at the Ziegfeld premiere of her film 'Selma' despite being down with the flu, said that she was so fascinated by Dr. King, that she wanted to have her own church, run her own congregation and be her own order and lead the people, the New York reported.

The TV personality, who has a supporting role in the historical drama about Dr. King, and even financed the project with Brad Pitt, added that though she didn't exactly get to do all that, her show was a way of doing that.

Winfrey, who was friends with Mrs. King as well until her death, added that "every generation there comes along a person like Dr. King who has the ability to garner the hearts and the spirits of a nation" and she greatly respects the legacy he left for the people.

She joined this project to help director Ava DuVernay and star David Oyelowo as she wanted them to thrive, said Winfrey.