In 1992, the heavens opened up and rained $231.6 million on Sister Act.
Made for just $31 million, the comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg as a singer on the run from the mob became the summer’s biggest surprise hit. It went on to become the sixth-highest-grossing film of the year globally, and the third-highest in the United States, after Batman Returns and Lethal Weapon 3.
Okay, but seriously, looking back, it totally makes sense why Sister Act was such a hit! Goldberg’s comedy is just perfect, those nuns are unbelievably lovable, the music gets stuck in your head immediately, and the whole idea of a singer hiding out as a nun? Genius! It just worked, you know? It feels obvious now, but at the time it was magic!
Historically, Hollywood rarely focused on films with mostly female leads. While A League of Their Own was a success, the year’s next biggest blockbuster was A Few Good Men, with A League of Their Own ultimately landing in the top 10. It seems audiences enjoy well-made, high-quality films, regardless of cast composition.
Whoopi Goldberg, recently winning an Oscar for Ghost, had a lot of influence. She played a key role in shaping Sister Act and helping it succeed, working closely with director Emile Ardolino.
In 2020, while appearing on The Late Late Show With James Corden, Goldberg described the film as enjoyable and uplifting. He joked that it’s a feel-good movie where ‘nobody’s mad,’ featuring everything from terrible to terrific singers, and even nuns—a combination he considered unbeatable.
The first Sister Act film was so successful that a sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, was quickly approved and released on December 10, 1993.
Getting a third movie made proved much more challenging, but by 2020, Sister Act 3 finally started to become a reality for fans.
We’re working on getting all the logistical and business aspects sorted out,” Goldberg explained to Elle.com that December. “It’s just the usual challenges. Once that’s handled, we’ll start writing the script. I’m trying to let everyone focus on their roles, because otherwise, I’d just be fielding questions from the actors asking if they can start performing or improvise without a completed script.
I really want us to focus on getting the essential parts of the business sorted out. It’s moving forward and will definitely come to fruition, so keep looking forward to it!
I was absolutely thrilled to hear Disney+ officially greenlit the movie later that month! What really excited me was learning that Tyler Perry would be producing, and they’d tapped Tim Federle to direct. Plus, Madhuri Shekar is writing the script – I’m a big fan of her work and can’t wait to see what she brings to this!
In April 2022, while promoting Disney+’s Better Nate Than Ever, producer Federle mentioned that a Sister Act reboot was a high priority for Disney. He said the script was in development and that Whoopi Goldberg was enthusiastic about the project, with hopes of starting production that year, according to DisneyPlusInformer.
However, as Goldberg recently pointed out, a full reunion of the original cast is unlikely. Maggie Smith, who famously played Mother Superior in the first Sister Act film, sadly passed away in September 2024 at the age of 89.
Whoopi Goldberg recently shared that she wished she could have finished working on Sister Act 3 before her friend Maggie passed away. Speaking with Zuri Hall at a March event called Live From TopMob: The Oscars, she said the script is now complete, and she’s hopeful they’ll be able to move forward with the film.
Amen to that.
Despite its popularity with audiences, the making of this Golden Globe-nominated comedy was surprisingly difficult, and it almost didn’t get finished in time for its release.
Read on for the secrets of how Sister Act came together after almost falling apart:
You know, it’s funny how roles come to be! I recently remembered reading that the part of the singer disguised as a nun – the one in that classic mob story – was actually first offered to Bette Midler. But she turned it down! She told Metro magazine back in 2010 that she just didn’t think her audience wanted to see her in a nun’s habit. Can you imagine? It just goes to show, even the biggest stars have to consider what their fans expect!
She was reflecting on some of her past decisions. Bette Midler mentioned turning down the role in Misery, which later earned Kathy Bates an Oscar. While she didn’t reject Sister Act right away, she eventually convinced herself it wasn’t the right fit, according to screenwriter Paul Rudnick.
Rudnick first conceived of the film in the late 1980s, imagining it as a starring role for Bette Midler. As he explained in a 2009 essay for The New Yorker, he initially wanted to playfully mock and challenge the overly sentimental tone of movies like The Sound of Music and The Flying Nun. He described it to Entertainment Weekly in 1992 as a battle between show business and the church, with show business being the clear victor.
I’m a huge fan, and I remember reading that he really loved Some Like It Hot. He was trying to come up with a story with a similar feel – maybe involving people in disguise. That’s when the idea of nuns and showgirls just came to him, and honestly, it’s brilliant!
Once the project began, the writer visited the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, where Dolores Hart – a former Hollywood actress who became a nun – lived with the other sisters. They supported themselves by running a farm, a dairy, and a pottery studio, which may have inspired the secluded convent of Sister Mary Lazarus in the story.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Bette Midler hoped Pedro Almodóvar, a Spanish director famous at the time for his 1988 film Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown, would direct the movie. It’s not known if Almodóvar was ever aware of this. However, the studio preferred Emile Ardolino, the director of Dirty Dancing and an Oscar winner for his 1983 documentary He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin’, to direct Sister Act.
I was such a fan of Ardolino’s work, and it meant so much to see him direct Bette Midler in the TV movie Gypsy. It was a huge success, earning an incredible 12 Emmy nominations – including one for him as director! They did win one Emmy, for music direction, which was wonderful. It was heartbreaking, though, because he sadly passed away from complications due to AIDS in November 1993, just weeks before Gypsy even aired. He was so talented, and only 50 years old. It still feels like a real loss.
After Bette Midler decided not to take the role, Disney explored many other actresses, including Whoopi Goldberg, Tracey Ullman, Madonna, and Cher. As Whoopi Goldberg explained on The View in 2017, the studio considered a huge number of people before finally casting her. She joked that they went through “100 million people” to find the right fit.
After Bette Midler left the project, composer Alan Menken (Rudnick’s collaborator) was unsure if he should continue, but he decided to try. Rudnick explained that Disney’s feedback, while always presented positively, was actually the biggest issue. He described it as being overwhelmed by relentlessly cheerful criticism – “like being trampled to death by cheerleaders.”
Despite being the only credited writer for the film, the author eventually disassociated himself from the project, attempting to leave when his contract ended in February 1991. He jokingly said the script was then heavily rewritten by many writers in Southern California. After reading the final version, he asked for his name to be removed from the credits, which led to the film being credited to the pseudonym “Joseph Howard” – a name he created. He wasn’t involved with the sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, but the credits still stated it was “based on characters created by Joseph Howard.”
7. As of 2009, at least, Rudnick said that he had never watched Sister Act.
After the original writer left the project, Disney brought in Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., the writers of Top Gun, to make the story more dangerous and change the setting. According to Entertainment Weekly, they were the first to work on it. Surprisingly, the studio then re-hired the original writer, despite his concerns – as he explained in a 2009 New Yorker article – about Whoopi Goldberg’s desire to rename his character Terri Van Cartier to Deloris, a name she had always wanted to play.
After the main actors were chosen, Nancy Meyers, a writer with hits like the 1986 comedy Jumpin’ Jack Flash, took a shot at directing, even though she hadn’t directed before. Later, in September 1991, Whoopi Goldberg asked her friend Carrie Fisher, a well-known script editor, to refine the dialogue. Robert Harling, the writer of Steel Magnolias, also contributed to the script.
Despite having a large team working on the movie, the actors and crew started filming before the script was fully completed.
Oh my gosh, it was SO hard getting it just right! I read that director Ardolino told the Chicago Tribune back in 1992 that the script was originally written with Bette Midler in mind. Can you imagine?! Then, when the amazing Whoopi Goldberg stepped in, they had to rewrite parts to fit her – which, honestly, was the best thing that could have happened, but it must have been a huge undertaking! It just proves how much work went into making this perfect movie.
He explained that people initially believed the change would be quick, expecting it to only take a few weeks. However, that turned out to be an unrealistic timeframe.
There wasn’t going to be a miraculous fix, so the team simply began working with the resources they currently had. “It created a tough situation for Whoopi and me,” Ardolino explained. “It’s challenging to film scenes out of sequence and then unexpectedly arrive at a scene that hasn’t been scripted. It makes you wonder what happened before and what will happen next.”
But they obviously made it work, a credit to everyone involved.
The director explained that while Whoopi Goldberg had disagreements with the studio, they always managed to film a scene each day. They never had a major fight, and consistently completed footage. Though the process was often stressful and they both voiced concerns, they maintained a good working relationship. The director believes they both performed their best, adding that Whoopi is a creative force and they pushed each other to excel.
While a witness to a murder might be able to find temporary shelter at a convent in real life, pretending to be a nun to hide is illegal. Impersonating a religious figure is a serious crime.
You know, people always tell me how natural I sounded as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act, but the truth is, I really had to learn how to sing for that role! I actually told Entertainment Weekly back in ’92 that being asked to sing was like asking me to compete in the Olympics as a swimmer – it just wasn’t something I had any training in!
According to Goldberg, Marc Shaiman, the film’s music producer and orchestrator, helped her find the right approach. Speaking at the 2020 Vulture Festival, she explained that once they established Deloris’s character as a singer who’d only had one hit and then fallen on hard times working in casinos, it became much easier to portray her authentically. “Once we figured that out, everyone was on board,” she said.
12. Marc Shaiman was also Kathy Najimy‘s hero of the hour.
She explained at the 25th reunion of the cast on The View that this music producer and vocal coach was instrumental in her career. She first worked with him again immediately after Sister Act on Hocus Pocus, and then quickly after that on Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. She jokingly added that she always felt a connection to Sister Act even during other projects.
Najimy remembers that during her audition, the director asked her to perform another song. She began singing an operatic piece, and he immediately told her, “That’s it! Just sing that!” she recalled with a chuckle.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Goldberg nearly lost her job in the summer of 1991 after missing three appointments with vocal coach Seth Riggs. Goldberg explained that these meetings were scheduled before she officially signed a contract, so she wasn’t obligated to attend.
Although it seems like the shy Sister Mary Robert suddenly develops an amazing singing voice, that’s actually singer Andrea Robinson providing the vocals for actress Wendy McKenna in those scenes.
In 1992, Entertainment Weekly reported a growing conflict between Whoopi Goldberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, the head of Touchstone Pictures, reached a high point during a disagreement over who should play Deloris’ love interest in the film. According to the magazine, Katzenberg preferred a Black actor, while Goldberg felt they should also consider white actors. During one heated exchange, she reportedly asked Katzenberg, “How long have you been in this business?” A friend to both, Carrie Fisher, jokingly advised Goldberg to send Katzenberg a hatchet with a message saying, “Please bury this on both our behalfs.”
According to the report, Goldberg sent Katzenberg a hatchet, and she responded by sending him two large brass balls – a gesture meant to show she wouldn’t back down.
Whoopi Goldberg shared that when casting for the movie, she hoped they’d choose the best actor for the role, regardless of race. However, she felt the focus shifted to finding a Black actor. Harvey Keitel was already cast as the villain, so they were looking for someone to play the protective cop, Eddie Souther – a character who clearly had a crush on Deloris, though a romance wasn’t included in the final film. Goldberg suggested Dennis Farina, Charles S. Dutton, and Gregory Hines for the part, but Bill Nunn, known for his role in Do the Right Thing, ultimately got the role.
Director Emile Ardolino explained to EW that the studio was keenly aware of the significance of casting a prominent Black actress, and also recognized the possibility of casting a Black actor in the role.
Filming in San Francisco, the filmmakers used the outside of St. Paul’s Catholic Church in the Noe Valley neighborhood to represent St. Katherine’s, the church where Deloris finds safety. To make the area appear less affluent, the set designers changed the look of the nearby shops.
Sally Struthers, who famously played the cheerful and loud Sister Mary Patrick, objected to a scene where her character directly protested an adult bookstore, feeling it didn’t fit her character’s kind nature. Instead, the scene was changed so that a potential customer was dissuaded simply by seeing the nuns selling raffle tickets, unable to get past Mary Patrick’s warm and welcoming smile.
19. Najimy’s take on Mary Patrick was inspired by Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart.
Najimy recalled that one evening, while watching television, actor Hart said, ‘Sally Field…you gotta love her.’ That moment sparked the idea for her character – a cheerful, perpetually smiling woman who used a wheelchair.
The actress sent Hart roses, but didn’t explain the real reason why.
When Goldberg caught a cold at the start of filming, she used the time to address some concerns about accommodations for her fellow actresses, she told Vulture. She explained that the older women in the cast weren’t receiving the support she believed they deserved – things like having their hotels and meals covered so they could focus on their work without financial worries.
Goldberg said she wouldn’t strike, but mentioned a minor issue was quickly resolved, and it happened to occur around the time she was coughing and sneezing.
In 1992, even with rumors of difficulties on set, Najimy praised her experience working with Whoopi Goldberg, telling the LA Times that Goldberg was incredibly generous and talented. She said it was the most enjoyable time she ever had making a film.
Harvey Keitel enjoyed his time filming and was eager to reprise his role as the mobster, Vince LaRocca, if given the chance.
In a 2021 interview with Insider, the actor said the one movie sequel he’d always hoped for was a continuation of Sister Act. He was surprised when he never received a call about it, feeling the concept – the villain tracking her down after being released from prison – was ideal. He even insisted to his agent that he was in the movie, but was told otherwise.
Don’t worry, Deloris isn’t gone! In Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, she’s undercover as a nun again, but this time she’s teaching at a high school. The plot isn’t perfect, but it’s still a really fun and uplifting movie.
With rumors circulating that Sister Act 3 was being developed for Disney+, Keitel jokingly proposed a storyline: “Let’s give them this idea – finally, her ex-boyfriend gets released from prison and comes after her.”
He did attend the 2017 reunion, and he gave Goldberg a coat with “Whoopi, Love Harvey” stitched inside as an apology. This was because Vince had previously tried to give Deloris his wife’s purple mink coat – it even had her initials sewn into it – hoping to distract her from his reluctance to commit to a relationship.
23. These nuns were a bunch of pranksters!
According to a 1992 interview with the LA Times, Najimy remembers that as soon as they heard ‘Action!’, Whoopi Goldberg quickly removed her hands from beneath her costume, revealing her iconic oversized white Mickey Mouse gloves. Najimy described a rapid shift in atmosphere, going from playful, slightly inappropriate games and songs to immediately performing a hymn.
Najimy shared that she and Makenna often continued acting like their characters even when they weren’t filming in Reno. “I really enjoyed it because I love to gamble,” she explained. “Wendy’s character smokes, and we’d be at the blackjack table, still in our nun costumes, with drinks. It was just really funny.”
To really prank someone, the actresses once answered room service while fully dressed and had adult content playing on the television to surprise the waiter.
During a 2017 cast reunion, Najimy recounted an interaction where he approached her and she playfully urged him to ‘come in a little further’ and ‘roll it in.’ She explained that Wendy had offered her a hundred dollars if she could keep a straight face, but she couldn’t resist laughing.
While Maggie Smith is memorable as the stern and initially unimpressed Reverend Mother who slowly warms to Deloris’s influence at St. Katherine’s, many now consider her portrayal of the witty and formidable Violet Grantham, the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey, to be her most iconic role.
But the British Oscar winner still remembers her turn in the habit fondly.
Speaking at a 2017 cast reunion on The View, she expressed her disbelief that 25 years had passed. In a video message, she fondly remembered her time working with the other nuns, saying she might be the only one left. She described them all as wonderful and recalled how much fun they had making the films, often laughing together. She sent her love to everyone and wished she could be celebrating with them in person.
As a lifestyle expert, I always say music can truly lift your spirits! And the Sister Act soundtrack is a perfect example. It’s got that wonderful blend of pop and gospel that everyone loves, and it was a huge hit! People really connected with it – it stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for an incredible 54 weeks, peaking at number 40. It’s a feel-good classic that still holds up today.
Donna Douglas, the actress famous for playing Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, and her partner, Curtis Wilson, filed a $200 million lawsuit against Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler, their production companies, the talent agency CAA, and Disney. They claimed the movie Sister Act was based on a script they had sent to Disney in the 1980s, which itself was inspired by the book A Nun in the Closet. While reports say they rejected a $1 million settlement offer, hoping to win more money in court, the judge ultimately sided with the defendants.
Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE this! Apparently, back in 2011, this incredible nun named Delois Blakely actually sued Disney and Sony! She claimed Sister Act – my absolute FAVORITE movie, by the way – was basically ripped from her life story! She wrote this amazing memoir, The Harlem Street Nun, way back in 1987, and she said that’s where the movie REALLY came from. It was wild! She first dropped the case, but then filed again, asking for a BILLION dollars! Can you imagine?! Sadly, the court dismissed it for good in 2013, but still, the idea that Sister Act could have been based on a REAL person’s life… it just makes me love the movie even MORE!
Despite some earlier legal issues, the long-awaited Broadway musical version of Sister Act finally debuted in April 2011. It received five Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical and recognition for Alan Menken’s original score, but closed after just over a year in August 2012.
Goldberg temporarily joined the West End show, taking over the role of Reverend Mother from Smith.
29. That big 2017 reunion was actually the cast’s first in 25 years.
Whoopi Goldberg’s daughter loves Sister Act 2, which features Goldberg alongside a young Lauryn Hill. Hill plays a rebellious teenager with an incredible singing voice, as she and the choir compete for the state championship.
“I think it’s a generational thing,” Goldberg told Elle.com in 2020.
Read More
- FC 26 reveals free preview mode and 10 classic squads
- When Perturbation Fails: Taming Light in Complex Cavities
- Jujutsu Kaisen Execution Delivers High-Stakes Action and the Most Shocking Twist of the Series (Review)
- Fluid Dynamics and the Promise of Quantum Computation
- Where Winds Meet: Best Weapon Combinations
- Dancing With The Stars Fans Want Terri Irwin To Compete, And Robert Irwin Shared His Honest Take
- 3 PS Plus Extra, Premium Games for December 2025 Leaked Early
- Hazbin Hotel season 3 release date speculation and latest news
- Why Carrie Fisher’s Daughter Billie Lourd Will Always Talk About Grief
- 7 Most Overpowered Characters in Fighting Games, Ranked
2025-12-10 21:19