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‘Sister Act’ Cast Reunites and Performs for 25th Anniversary, and Maggie Smith Sends a Message!

They’ve still got it! Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy and Wendy Makkena reunited for an epic Sister Act reunion!

The leading ladies of the 1992 classic got together on The View on Thursday, September 14, to reflect on their favorite memories from filming. Najimy (Sister Mary Patrick) and Makkena (Sister Mary Robert) recalled the songs they sang for their auditions. Meanwhile, Goldberg (Deloris Van Cartier), who confirmed that she was really singing in the comedy, revealed that Bette Midler was initially going to portray her award-winning role!

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Whoopi Goldberg Kathy Najimy Wendy Makkena Sister Act
Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena and Marc Shaiman.

“It was [her] movie and she couldn’t do it. She turned it down. They went through 100 million people and then got to me,” The View host, 61, joked.

Later in the episode, Maggie Smith (Mother Superior) surprised her former costars with a heartfelt message. “Hello, Whoopi. I can’t believe this is happening and it was 25 years ago. I would like to say hello to all of the nuns. I feel I must be the oldest nun left. Every single nun was wonderful,” the Harry Potter alum, 82, said via a pre-recorded video message. “And how are you? Because I remember the last time I saw you was rather sad. It was at the London Palladium and your mother was not well and I am sorry about that, but it was terrific to see you. But I have such fond memories of when we did those crazy, crazy films. And we laughed and laughed. I can’t believe it’s been 25 years. I send you lots of love and I wish I were with you.

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When asked what it was like working with Smith, Goldberg explained, “I couldn’t believe she wanted to do the movie. I said, ‘You’re Maggie Smith. What are you doing here?’ She said, ‘Darling, I have to eat.’ She also said, ‘I have to act, it’s what I do. I want to be here. It seems like fun.’ When she came to see it, it was kind of extraordinary.”

The actresses also remembered a time when they had to stay in a not-so-nice hotel while shooting in Reno. “Kathy and I would get a little bored. We would be playing blackjack all day in our habits and nobody knew who we were,” Makkena reminisced. “That was fun.”

Whoopi Goldberg Sister Act
Whoopi Goldberg in ‘Sister Act.’
Kathy Najimy Wendy Makkena Sister Act
Kathy Najimy and Wendy Makkena in ‘Sister Act.’

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Najimy added: “The habit was great. You could get in anywhere. You could eat anything. In one of these hotel rooms, we ordered wine and fries as one does in a nun’s outfit.”

Watch the clip above to see your favorite nuns reunite in song!

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