West End Role Was Surprise for Whoopi???

Soon-to-be-star of Sister Act, Whoopi Goldberg, has revealed that she ended up in the role of Mother Superior only after joking she might cast herself. Goldberg, who played Deloris in the 1992 film, is a co-producer on the West End show and was asked to help find a replacement for Sheila Hancock when she leaves the role at the end of this week. When asked, Goldberg apparently replied “Let me think and see what I can come up with. Maybe I’ll do it.” Goldberg opens in the role, which was played by Maggie Smith in the original film, on Tuesday 10 August 2010. Goldberg’s original role of Deloris is played by Patina Miller, who won this year’s Whatsonstage.com Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance. Goldberg will only arrive in the UK this weekend, cutting it close before her opening night, but the Evening Standard reports that the actress has reportedly had two and a half weeks of American rehearsals. Living and working in London fulfils a lifetime ambition for the film star who is best known for her role in films such as The Color Purple and Ghost.