Oprah's Wildest Dreams Bus

Oprah's Wildest Dreams Bus!
It's Oprah's Wildest Dreams season, and now she's added major horsepower and found a new way to deliver more dreams—with her very own bus!

This is no average vehicle—it's a 45-foot, 23-ton state-of-the-art luxury apartment on wheels, custom made in Nashville, Tennessee, by the Hemphill Brothers. They're the best in the business and have built lavish buses for superstars like Beyoncé, Jessica Simpson and Justin Timberlake.

This bus will be traveling all over the country making dreams come true, so it's only fitting it's got all the comforts of home—a 42-inch plasma TV, DVD, VHS and sound system. Even the outside of the bus is outfitted to make dreams come true!

"This is a home!" Oprah exclaims. "I could move in here. This is fantastic. Can't wait to get started!"
Oprah's surprises Paolo

An Aspiring Actor
We hit the road, and our first stop was at a suburban Chicago grocery store to meet a big dreamer being pulled in two directions. Since the age of 11, Paolo has worked at the family store, taking care of everything from customer service and refunds to returns and pick-ups. For years, Paolo's father has encouraged him to stay working at the store.

"We know what Paolo is doing right now is not exactly what he wants to be doing," Paolo's sister says. "He does it because he wants to make my father happy."

Paolo says he loves his family, but he longs to do what he has dreamed about since he was a child: act.

"It's like I'm being pulled," Paolo says. "Store, acting. Store, acting. My heart says acting. My family wants me to help them out at the store. What do I do?"

Well, pack your bags, Paolo! Oprah surprises Paolo at the grocery store with some good news: "You're going to NBC studios in Burbank," Oprah says. "I have gotten you a walk-on, speaking role in Will & Grace!"
Paolo and the cast of 'Will & Grace'

The Role of a Lifetime
It's a dream come true for Paolo just to be on the set of Will & Grace! After a tour of the set, he meets the cast. Even the comedy behind the scenes is nonstop, and everyone makes Paolo feel welcome. But, still, there's a show to rehearse, and a star to be born. Paolo is even given his own dressing room with his name on the door!

In his prime time debut, Paolo plays the role of Mark, an attorney in Will's office. Paolo delivers his line without a hitch and, at the last minute, the producers decide to give Paolo an extra line. Paolo's stellar performance brings down the house. Then, after a long night of taping, two days of rehearsal and a lifetime of waiting comes the moment Paolo's only dreamt of: his Will & Grace curtain call.

The night belonged to Paolo. It was an adventure he will never forget.

"Paolo, you are a special person," says actress Debra Messing, who plays Grace. "Thank you for coming to spend some time with us and to show your light."
Paolo and Oprah

Paolo on His Dream Coming True
Paolo says this experience gave him more confidence.

"So many things I've been dealing with in life—since [the show], I can walk with my head up," Paolo says. "I love myself. I'm the type of person that likes to take care of my family and my friends, but this has been one week that I've taken care of myself, and it feels so good."

We have one more surprise for Paolo: a call from Megan Mullaly, who plays Karen on Will & Grace!

"You're such a lovely guy," she says. "We loved having you here. You have to come back and visit us."

Paolo didn't leave empty handed! To always remember his once-in-a-lifetime gig, the show gave him a cast photo and his very own Will & Grace director's chair!
Oprah surprises Bernadette

Struggling Single Mom
For her next mission, Oprah headed to a Starbucks in Chicago, where the employees wrote to us about their special co-worker, Bernadette. Over the past three years, this single mother of three has seen her family triple in size as she came to the rescue of her six nieces and nephews who were placed in state custody.

Bernadette's responsibilities are overwhelming. Without a car, she takes the bus to her job. Every day she hopes to pick up extra hours. Making ends meet has been nearly impossible. The entire family is crammed into a three-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. Bernadette shares a bed with two of her nieces.

"I'm happy that we're all together, but it just makes me feel sad that I can't do [any] better to accommodate them and make them happier," Bernadette says.

Bernadette is shocked to see Oprah, but she has no idea what else is in store for her and her children!
A Toys 'R' Us shopping spree

A Toys"R"Us Shopping Spree!
With the holidays just around the corner, we thought that Bernadette and her nine children were in need of some Christmas cheer! Bernadette and her children are overwhelmed when the Wildest Dreams Bus pulls into the parking lot of Toys"R"Us for a shopping spree!

With more than 10,000 different toys and only one shopping cart per child, it's not as easy as it looks!

But in just 20 minutes, Bernadette's children scoop up almost $15,000 worth of toys, books, bikes, dolls, electronics, games and clothes! After shopping, Oprah lets each child take home only one of the toys…the rest will be wrapped up and put under the tree for a Christmas they will never forget.
New furniture for Bernadette

A Surprise Home Makeover
But Oprah has another surprise, and this one is especially for Bernadette. She will get full access to our dream decorator, Nate Berkus!

Nate is going to furnish her apartment with everything she needs: a lovely new living room and dining room from Walter E. Smithe Furniture, a brand new top-of-the-line kitchen from Sears, and all kinds of things for her home, from towels to plasma TVs.

But there's more! Bernadette and all of her children will each get their own new bed, also from Walter E. Smithe Furniture!
Oprah and Bernadette

A New Home for Bernadette
But where will all the toys and new furniture go in Bernadette's small, cramped apartment?

Another surprise—the biggest one yet! Oprah's hired her Realtor®, Ameta Cartwright, to help Bernadette choose a brand new house!

"Bernadette, for the first time in your life, you're going to be a homeowner!" Oprah says.
North Laurel Elementary School lunch ladies

Dedicated Lunch Ladies
Oprah's best friend Gayle King hit the road to serve up some dreams, too! She took the Wildest Dreams Bus to North Laurel Elementary School in Delaware to surprise seven lunch ladies. According to their principal, Dr. Cristy Greaves, they show up early every day for work because they want to serve 520 kids breakfast, in their classrooms! "Our cafeteria ladies are the hardest-working women in school business," Dr. Greaves says. "We love them, because they care enough to give us their best. They work hard every day to ensure every child is a satisfied customer." Well, surprise, ladies! You deserve a break for working so hard. As our Wildest Dreams Bus approaches the school, the principal calls all the pupils into the cafeteria for a special announcement. Meanwhile, Gayle has a tough time gathering Eisele, Grace, Penny, Georgie, Evon, Pat and Carrie, they're so dedicated, they won't leave the kitchen! But they'll have to! Oprah's invited them to Chicago, where they'll be pampered, and transformed from "lunch ladies" to "ladies who lunch!"
North Laurel Elementary School lunch ladies

The Lunch Ladies Get Makeovers
Our lunch ladies receive five-star treatment from the fabulous Peninsula Hotel. For once, they are served and waited on. They get the pampering of their lives; massages, manicures and pedicures, and champagne and caviar! Then, everyone gets a full makeover, done by our beauty dream team Ken Pavés, Rita Hazan and Joanna Schlipp. And then there is one more thing we have to do, get them out of those unflattering polka dotted smocks! So we call in some experts to design some fashionable lunch lady uniforms. Our lunch ladies are wearing brand new, custom-designed outfits by Jesse Steele. "You look gorgeous!" Oprah says.