• Celebrity
    • OTE – Meagan Good
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • OTE – Meagan Good
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Entertainment

'Sister Act' Cast Get Back In The Habit For 25th Anniversary Performance

It’s time, once again, to strain your vocal chords to hit that high note in “Happy Day”
‘Sister Act’ Cast Get Back In The Habit For 25th Anniversary Performance
Getty Images
By Nick Romano · Updated October 26, 2020

This article originally appeared on EW.

brightcove-video:5448507844001

It’s time, once again, to strain your vocal chords to hit that high note in “Happy Day” (don’t lie, we know you’ve tried it) because Whoopi Goldberg and a few of her Sister Act cast members reunited for a special performance of “I Will Follow Him” in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary.

The song featured as the finale hit to the 1992 film, which starred Goldberg as Deloris Van Cartier, a lounge singer who goes into hiding at a convent after witnessing her mobster boyfriend kill a man in cold blood. The Oscar winner stepped out onto the stage of The View Thursday morning to lead costars Wendy Makkena (Mary Robert), Kathy Najimy (Mary Patrick), Sherri Izzard, Darlene Koldenhoven, Beth Fowler, Andrea Robinson, and Prudence Holmes in a celebratory performance.

Stepping in for Sister Alma (actress Rose Perenti died in 1996) was the film’s music supervisor, Marc Shaiman, on the piano. Watch below.

The reunion kicked off with an interview between Goldberg, Makkena, Najimy, and Shaiman with surprise guest Harvey Keitel (Vince LaRocca) and a special message from Maggie Smith (Mother Superior). “I have such fond memories of when we did those crazy, crazy, crazy films,” Smith said in a video recording for Goldberg. She added, “I send you lots of love.”

The actors noted they’ve had casual cast reunions in Goldberg’s dressing room, but nothing this official. Each took a turn calling back their favorite memories of making the original movie. Najimy described how her funny “opera voice” helped land her the jovial role of Mary Patrick, while Makkena explained how nervous she was to have to sing a girl group song in the audition. 

She first figured she’d “play the guitar and sing some nice nun song,” but then hired three backup singers to sing “Mr. Postman” — which fans will remember popped up later in the opening medley to the Sister Act sequel. “They burst through the door and they drowned me out,” Makkena said.

Another story for the history books, Najimy described a prank they pulled on a hotel waiter: “[We were in] one of those hotel rooms and we ordered wine and fries, as one does in a nun’s outfit, and we ordered room service… and room service came up and right before it came up I put porn on the TV and we were both in our nun outfits, and I said to [Makkena], ‘Don’t you change it! Don’t you change it!’”

Makkena remembered “sitting on the edge of the bed just watching” the porno while room service came in.

Keitel finished off the interview portion of the Sister Act reunion with a special gift for Goldberg. Referencing the scene in the film when Vince gives Deloris his wife’s coat, the actor offered her a box containing her own purple fur jacket with the words “Whoopi. Love, Harvey” stitched on the inside.

Keitel said he always admired Goldberg for one particular moment in the film: She really wanted Deloris to tell Vince “f— you” instead of the written line, “bless you,” in the final scenes. But she used her frustration to flawlessly deliver the line. “I just think that’s one of the best moments I’ve ever seen on screen of an actress making something work from her own talent,” he said.

COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now