You better wake up and pay attention, because the sequel to Sister Act celebrated a milestone anniversary without two of its biggest stars.
Lauryn Hill and Jennifer Love Hewitt were nobodies in Hollywood when they were cast in Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit. But 30 years after its release, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t know both of their names.
One is a Grammy-winning music icon; the other is a TV superstar. But neither of them showed up for the reunion special hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.
And fans are devastated.
The Cast of ‘Sister Act 2’ Reunites Without Lauryn Hill or Jennifer Love Hewitt or Maggie Smith
The gang was almost all together again.
Whoopi Goldberg, who led an all-star cast in both the Sister Act and Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit films, brought together the cast of the sequel for a special reunion show.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary, stars like Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkena, and Sheryl Lee Ralph joined Whoopi and her The View co-hosts to look back on the iconic movie and share memories from the set.
They were also joined by the “student” cast members, who are all grown up now, but still recognizable. There was Ryan Toby who played Ahmal, Whoopi’s daughter Alex Martin, and Tanya Trotter, who is best known today as one half of the Grammy-nominated duo The War and Treaty, but back then played Lauryn Hill’s best friend. You might remember her bes for singing “His Eye is on the Sparrow” with Lauryn in the film.
But noticeably absent from the celebration were three of the movie’s biggest stars. First, Maggie Smith did not attend. The acclaimed actress, known for her roles in Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, also played Mother Superior in both Sister Act films.
Given that she’s now 89 and lives in the U.K., it’s understandable that she didn’t make the trip.
Where Were Rita and Margaret?
Before she was Grammy-winning recording superstar Lauryn Hill, fans knew her as Rita Wilson – aka, her character in Sister Act 2. Her tough-talking, high-note belting high school character was Lauryn’s big break, and it set her on the bath of her explosive career.
Sheryl Lee Ralph played Lauryn’s mother and in her absence, her film momma talked up her daughter, who she had recently reunited with at a concert. Sheryl gushed that it was great to see her “ grow into the woman she’s become” and teased that she knew it would “work out” for her, though she was initially skeptical about the Fugees.
Also missing from the event was Jennifer Love Hewitt, who played the vain Margaret in the movie, her nose always buried in a compact mirror.
However, she did send in a video message (see above), along with some other stars who couldn’t make the taping, like Jenifer Lewis and Erica Campbell.
Fans Call Our Lauryn Hill
As a pivotal part of the film, it was heartbreaking for a lot of fans to watch the reunion go on without her.
“Smh @ Lauryn Hill for not coming back for the Sister Act Reunion,” posted one watcher on X.
“Lauryn Hill showed up 5hrs late huh?” teased another on X, referring to incidents in the past where the singer kept fans waiting in concert.
And then some people even got a little mean.
“Lauryn hill not showing up messing this up is very on brand for her. Lmao,” posted another X user.
But despite her absence, it was a joyful, JOYFUL experience for all.
Whoopi Goldberg Cries During Reunion Performance
While it was sad not to see some of the stars that made Sister Act 2 so special, the movie’s lead was still in tears by the show’s end.
Whoopi found herself wiping away tears as her “students” recreated the film’s climactic performance of “Joyful, Joyful.”
Tanya Trotter took over the opening solo portion for the absent Lauryn Hill, and then it was off to the races.
As the number ended, Whoopi could be seen overwhelmed with emotion, with tears welling in her eyes as she hugged Sheryl.
When is Sister Act 3 coming again???