Whoopi Goldberg mourned the loss of her longtime friend and Sister Act costar Dame Maggie Smith following her death on Friday, September 27.
“Maggie Smith was a great woman and a brilliant actress,” Goldberg, 68, wrote via Instagram on Friday, sharing a photo of the pair dressed as nuns in the 1992 film.
The actress confessed, “I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to work with the ‘one-of-a-kind’ [star],” adding, “My heartfelt condolences go out to the family … RIP.”
Abbott Elementary actress Lisa Ann Walter commented on Goldberg’s post, writing, “Wonderful talent. You were magic together.” (Walter costars on the ABC comedy with Sheryl Lee Ralph, who acted alongside both Goldberg and Smith in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.)
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Smith’s sons, Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens, confirmed her death on Friday via a joint statement, revealing that the Oscar winner died at the hospital that morning. Smith was 89.
“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother,” the men said told the BBC. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.”
Smith’s loved ones concluded by thanking fans for “all your kind messages and support” and asked for privacy as they grieve.
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Smith was an icon in the acting world, having worked for seven decades. She was a thespian, breaking into theater in the 1950s, before trying her hand at film and television. Smith won a Tony Award in 1990 for her role in Lettice and Lovage.
On the small screen, she is best known for playing Dowager Countess Violet Grantham on Downton Abbey from 2010 to 2015, which earned her three Emmy wins. She received a fourth Emmy for her part on My House in Umbria.
Smith’s film catalog is even more expansive. In addition to winning Oscars for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1970 and California Suite in 1979, she won over a younger generation of moviegoers while playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter franchise.
Before portraying the beloved teacher in eight films, Smith slipped into a nun’s habit and embodied Mother Superior in Sister Act alongside Goldberg’s Sister Mary Clarence/Deloris Van Cartier. The actresses teamed up again for the sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, in 1993.
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Goldberg reunited with Sister Act’s two other favorite nuns, Kathy Najimy and Wendy Makkena, who played Sister Mary Patrick and Sister Mary Robert, respectively, in September 2017. While Smith was unable to make the reunion in person, she called into The View to celebrate their 25-year milestone.
“I can’t believe this is happening and it was 25 years ago. I would like to say hello to all of the nuns. I feel I must be the oldest nun left. Every single nun was wonderful,” Smith said in a video message. “I have such fond memories of when we did those crazy, crazy films. And we laughed and laughed. I can’t believe it’s been 25 years. I send you lots of love and I wish I were with you.”
In October 2020, Goldberg announced that she was working on Sister Act 3. Two years later, she revealed that there was a script. There’s no word on whether Smith was going to reprise her role or not.
