Whoopi Goldberg Says She Was 'Hoping' to FilmSister Act 3with Maggie Smith Before Her Death but It Didn't Work Out

Mar. 15, 2025

(L) Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith.Photo:Monica Schipper/Getty;David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

Whoopi Goldberg maggie smith

Monica Schipper/Getty;David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

Whoopi Goldbergand theSister Actfranchise is feelingMaggie Smith’s loss.

On the2025 Oscarsred carpet,The Viewhost, 69, gave fans an update on the long-awaited thirdSister Actmovie and how production has progressed since her late costar’s death.

“I had hoped to get it done before Maggie passed, and we weren’t able to do that,” she toldE! Live from the Red Carpet. “But they have they have the script now. So fingers are crossed.”

Maggie Smith.John Phillips/Getty

Maggie Smith arrives at “The Lady In The Van” - Centrepiece Gala, at Odeon Leicester Square on October 13, 2015 in London, England.

John Phillips/Getty

“It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith,” the statement read. “She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.”

Shortly after the announcement, Goldberg shared a heartfelt message about her lateSister Actcostar onInstagram, alongside an image of the pair on set of their iconic film.

(L) Maggie Smith and Whoopi Goldberg.Mike Marsland/WireImage; Rob Kim/Getty

Maggie Smith attends a photocall for “The Lady In The Van”; Whoopi Goldberg attends Shorts: Animated Shorts Curated By Whoopi Goldberg

Mike Marsland/WireImage; Rob Kim/Getty

“Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress,” she captioned the post at the time. “I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind.'”

“My heartfelt condolences go out to the family…RIP,” she concluded.

While Goldberg and Smith first worked together on the 1992 film — which also featuredKathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena and Mary Wickes. They later teamed up again on the film’s 1993 sequelSister Act 2: Back in the Habit. In the films, Goldberg portrayed lounge singer Deloris, who helps turn a nuns’ choir into a worldwide smash, as Smith played the memorable Mother Superior.

This isn’t the first time Goldberg has addressed Smith’s absence from the upcoming sequel.

During a Wednesday, Nov. 6, appearance onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,Goldberg shared that Smith’s death had prompted changes in the third installment of theSister Actfranchise.

“We’re having to make some readjustments because we just lost Maggie Smith, as you know,” she said. “And so, we will get it done. We will get it done. It’s just, it’s a shift.”

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source: people.com