Sheryl Lee Ralph Says 'Hell Yes' to Joining Whoopi Goldberg in 'Sister Act 3' (Exclusive)
If fans were wondering if Sheryl Lee Ralph would make a cameo in the long-awaited Sister Act sequel being pushed by Whoopi Goldberg and Tyler Perry, the actress has a firm answer for you.
"Hell yes!" Ralph tells ET at the 2024 SAG Awards, when asked if she plans to take Goldberg up on her invitation to return for the developing project that has been in the works since 2020.
Earlier this month, when Ralph -- who played Florence Watson in 1993's Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit -- visited The View to promote the third season of Abbott Elementary, Goldberg surprised the star by asking her to return for the third film.
She also asked the Emmy winner to return to the show for an upcoming Sister Act cast reunion thrown by the show's producers.
"Something that's gonna happen here in order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sister Act 2, the producers here at The View are working on putting together a reunion," Goldberg told Ralph after the show aired a scene from the second film. "And we're gonna try to get as many cast members on to share memories from the movie. Would you do us the honor of coming back? And as soon as we know when it is, we'll do that."
Ralph responded that she "would love to" return for a cast reunion soon, and when Goldberg threw out the pitch for the SAG Award winner to also join Sister Act 3, she emotionally reacted to that as well.
While the Abbott star hadn't been able to answer during her appearance, she tells ET that not only would she love to return, but she also has ideas about her role in the project.
"Well, listen, everybody thinks it has to be a linear story. I could come back to Sister Act 3 as a completely different woman," she theorizes, pitching herself as a possible friend of Rita, played by Lauryn Hill in Back in the Habit. "Maybe I'm now her best friend. One never knows. But would I do it? Hell yes!"
Until the project officially goes into production, fans can enjoy Ralph in her Emmy-winning role as Abbott's Barbara Howard. The hit ABC series was recently renewed for a fourth season just days after the premiere of season 3.
"The cast of Abbott Elementary, we actually get along. We actually have an understanding for each other as human beings and artists," Ralph says of the tight bond between her cast. "We are living in entertainment heaven; things are going well for us and our show continues to rise."
The first vice president of the SAG AFTRA Los Angeles local noted that the show's new installment premiered after a tough TV season, during which shows were affected by the strike but, casting for a silver lining, notes, "In many ways, we were helped by it because there was that pause that has just pulled us back and now we're like, 'Whew!' And people [can] catch up with Abbott Elementary and I'm like, 'Thank you, God.'"
And catch up fans can! According to ABC, Abbott Elementary had the "strongest season average" for an ABC comedy since the 2019-2020 season and is currently ranked as ABC's No. 1 multiplatform series.
The show launched season 3 on Feb. 7 and welcomed some fresh faces to the cast, adding The Other Two and Scream VI star Josh Segarra, Hacks alum Kimia Behpoornia and Never Have I Ever's Benjamin Norris.
The trio play new school district representatives who are determined to bring about change to Abbott Elementary. The new characters also brought about a shakeup, recruiting Brunson's character, Janine Teagues, into a fellowship with the district that takes her away from teaching.
At the Golden Globes in early January, series stars Chris Perfetti and recent Celebrity Jeopardy! champion Lisa Ann Walter talked with ET about season 3 having "so many great characters" and shared some exciting new updates.
"I will tell you this, the premiere episode of season 3 is so chock full of new, exciting stuff that you are not expecting that," Walter, 60, teased. "I can't even, we're not allowed to say it obviously. But all I can say is stay tuned. It's a lot."
The 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards is on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and is streaming live on Netflix from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles. Follow along at ETonline.com for full coverage from the awards show, including red carpet arrivals, the complete winners list and more.
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