Whoopi Goldberg Makes Waves by Proposing Sister Act 3 Role to Pope Francis, Reveals He’s a Fan.
In 2023, the Oscar-winning actress visited the Vatican and presented Pope Francis with an array of “Sister Act” merchandise.
Whoopi Goldberg’s recent trip to the Vatican could potentially complete the lineup for her much-anticipated Sister Act 3 film.
At 68 years old, Goldberg has been hinting at the Tyler Perry-produced Disney+ project for years, discussing potential cast members ranging from Sheryl Lee Ralph to her co-hosts on The View. Yet, in October 2023, she aimed high, targeting Pope Francis for what could be the most divine cameo ever.
“I wanted to thank him,” Goldberg told Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday’s Tonight Show episode. “I’ve been trying to meet up with him for about 10 years. Every time I say ‘okay, we’ll do it’ I’d step in something and then I couldn’t do it and they’d cancel the appearance.”
She continued, “This is supposed to be the guy that you talk to. I like him. He’s annoyed a lot of people because he said some things that people don’t think are correct, but I do. You’re the Pope. You say, ‘We welcome everybody. We want everybody at our party. We’re not going to judge you. Only God judges you.’
She then disclosed that Pope Francis “actually appears to be quite fond” of her portrayal of a singer-turned-nun in the Sister Act movies, which are among the most beloved in her Oscar-winning career.
When Fallon asked about the possibility of Pope Francis appearing in the third installment of the series, Goldberg revealed, “I extended an invitation. He said he’d check his schedule.”
We contacted Pope Francis’ representatives for a statement.
Goldberg’s trip to the Vatican in late 2023 captured attention when she took a short hiatus from her role as moderator on The View. During her visit, Goldberg mentioned she talked about the Sister Act sequel with the Pope, who commended her contributions to entertainment.
“You know, we’re working to modernize the sisters for the 21st century,” Goldberg explained to him. Although she described the project as “silly,” Pope Francis corrected her, stating, “One of the best things you can do for people is to assist them, bring them joy, and make them laugh.”
In September 2022, Perry shared with The View cohosts that he had a solid script for Sister Act 3 but expressed frustration with the slow pace of bringing the film to life in the current environment.
“I’m enthusiastic about making this happen, but the Hollywood system operates slower than I’d prefer,” he remarked. “We have a good script. We’re off to a strong start. We’re just trying to get everyone aligned and moving forward to kick things off.”
See Goldberg talk about Pope Francis and Sister Act 3 in the video above.