Sheryl Lee Ralph reflected on her time filming “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” during a recent appearance on “Good Morning America.”
While there, the 66-year-old actress revealed the advice she once gave her co-star, Lauryn Hill, about her group’s name.
Ralph — who played Hill’s mother in the 1993 film — shared her reaction to the recording artist telling her about her new band, “Fugees.”
The “Abbott Elementary” actress said that she advised a young Hill that she to pick a new name for her band.
“That was one of the best times because I got to work with this enthusiastic, bright, talented young woman,” Ralph recalled. “When I tell you, I look at Lauryn Hill, I remember Lauryn Hill telling me, ‘Ms. Ralph, I’m going to have a band, and the name is going to be the Fugees,’ and I was like, ‘Baby, you will definitely have a band, but you may need to rethink that name.’
“And she said, ‘Ms. Ralph, you oughta get it, Fugees. Re-fugees,’ and I was like, ‘OK, I get it, but, rethink it,” Ralph continued. “But she was absolutely right.”
Related: Lauryn Hill Says the ‘Culture’ Needed a Fugees Reunion Tour
The Fugees consists of three founding members: Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michael. The trio went on to release two albums and multiple hit records, including “Ready Or Not,” and “Fu-Gee-La.”
The multi-platinum hip-hop group earned two Grammy Awards in 1997 with their second project, “The Score,” including Best Rap Album. They won Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for their hip-hop remake of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.”
Hill first rose to fame as an actress with “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” as her breakout role.
In the movie, the lyricist plays Ralph’s daughter, Rita Louise Watson, who desperately wants to pursue a career in music. However, her overprotective mother, Florence Watson, would prefer a more lucrative career option for her daughter.
Ralph also discussed working with actress Whoopi Goldberg in the film, which follows her character Delores Van Cartier. She disguises herself as Sister Mary Clarence to help her nun friends at a Catholic school by teaching a music class.
The two previously worked together in the 1996 film “Bogus” and the 2003 sitcom “Whoopi.”
“And then to work with Whoopi, I think that might’ve been like the second time that Whoopi and I wor—, or maybe it was the first. Because we’ve actually worked together about three times in three different projects.”
When the Emmy winner was asked if she’d do another “Sister Act” film, she responded, “With Whoopi? Absolutely. Another, ‘Sister Act 3?’ Absolutely, just ask me. Come on, ask me!”
Disney announced “Sister Act: 3” was in the works back in December 2020, which never came to be. But nearly seven months ago, Goldberg confirmed the third installment was on its way with Tyler Perry as co-producer. During his appearance on “The View” last September, he expressed his excitement about being a part of the classic film.
Goldberg said she was told “nobody wanted to see” another “Sister Act” movie until the beloved filmmaker said, “I want to see it.”
In another interview, she expressed interest in adding cast members like Keke Palmer, Lizzo, and Nicki Minaj. There has been no official release date for “Sister Act 3.”
