Whoopi proved a good singer in the 1992 comedy smash "Sister Act," but she admits she's no Bette Midler ("Hocus Pocus," 1993).

The role was originally written for Midler -- an accomplished recording artist and musical theatre star -- but she rejected it (a decision she came to regret). When Whoopi stepped in to replace her, she was frank with the producers about what she could and couldn't do.

"The only thing I said was, 'You know that that's not really what I do, so [the character] can't be a great singer. She has to be, like, a one-hit-wonder,'" she told Entertainment Weekly magazine. "And they were like, 'Whatever you want to do, let's have some fun.'"

It also helped, she said, to have two truly gifted backup singers — Jenifer Lewis ("Black-ish") and Charlotte Crossley ("Beaches," 1988) — for the pre-convent lounge-singing scenes. "The two of them got me through all of the musical stuff."

Goldberg said she got over her initial reluctance pretty quickly, as evidenced in the years since. Not only did she return for the 1993 sequel, but she later produced and (briefly) starred in a stage version that toured the U.S., including Broadway, before moving to London's West End theater district. There are plans to revive it there in 2022.

She's also co-producing a third "Sister Act" film, and will (according to Variety magazine) reprise her role as Deloris. The plan is to release it on the Disney streaming service.

Many of the other stars of the original films will reportedly be coming back, including breakout star Kathy Najimy ("Rat Race," 2001).

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