“The Flying Nun” was more than a quirky 1960s sitcom—it launched Sally Field’s legendary career and assembled a cast whose real-life stories rivaled any Hollywood drama. From hidden pregnancies to Emmy nods, here’s how each nun and captain left an indelible mark on entertainment history.
In 1967, ABC introduced a television premise so bizarre it could only be borne of the counterculture era: a nun who could fly. The Flying Nun followed Sister Bertrille, a novice in a Puerto Rican convent whose flight was explained by her sub-90-pound frame, her cornette’s shape, and the wind. The show became a surprise hit, running for three seasons and embedding itself in pop culture. But its true legacy lies in the cast—a group of performers whose careers spanned decades and genres, often eclipsing their habited roles. Understanding what happened to these actors reveals not just personal journeys, but the shifting landscape of American television and film from the 1970s to today.
The series served as a breakout vehicle for Sally Field, then a young actress fresh from the beach-bum universe of Gidget. Playing the bubbly, optimistic Sister Bertrille required Field to hide her pregnancy during the second season, a challenge she later characterized with wry humor. “The very end of the second year of [The Flying Nun], before the third even began, I was pregnant with my first child,” Field told AOL. This period coincided with the zenith of 1960s social upheaval, a contrast Field highlighted during a 2022 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: “my whole generation was running around naked and eating granola and dropping acid and changing the world and I was a nun … I was a flying nun” (Colbert interview).
Field’s post-Flying Nun trajectory is the stuff of Hollywood legend. She transitioned to film with roles in Stay Hungry and Smokey and the Bandit before delivering a career-defining, Academy Award-winning performance as the defiant factory worker in Norma Rae. She won a second Oscar for Places in the Heart, and became a household name in iconic films like Steel Magnolias, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Forrest Gump. Her television return was equally triumphant, earning Emmys for ER and Brothers & Sisters, and a later Oscar nomination for Lincoln. Even in her late 70s, Field remains active, starring in 2023’s 80 For Brady and the 2026 romance Remarkably Bright Creatures. Her personal life includes two marriages and three sons, a testament to balancing stardom with family.
The Supporting Cast: From Emmy Nods to Genre Icons
While Field soared, her co-stars carved equally fascinating paths, often in the shadows of her star power. Marge Redmond, as the witty Sister Jacqueline who narrated the series, earned the show its sole Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1968. After the habit, Redmond became a beloved character actor, appearing in Alfred Hitchcock’s final film Family Plot and Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery. Her television career was prolific, with recurring roles on Matlock and guest spots on everything from The Cosby Show to Law & Order. Redmond married actor Jack Weston in 1950 and died in February 2020 at age 95 (AOL).
Madeleine Sherwood brought gravitas as the stern Reverend Mother Placido. Post-convent, she tackled soap operas like Guiding Light and horror films such as The Changeling. She died in April 2016 at 93 in her childhood home of Quebec, Canada, survived by a daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (AOL).
Shelley Morrison brought comic charm as the English-mangling Sister Sixto, a character she modeled on her “dear aunties.” Morrison’s career was forever transformed by her role as the Salvadoran maid Rosario Salazar on Will & Grace, appearing in over 60 episodes. “Working with Sally Field was such a pleasure; even at her young age, you could see her vast talent at work,” Morrison reflected in a 2011 interview. She married Walter Dominguez in 1973 and adopted six children before dying of heart failure in 2019 at age 83. Her Will & Grace role cemented her as a Latina sitcom pioneer (AOL).
Alejandro Rey played the suave casino owner Carlos Ramirez, whose donation of land to the convent after seeing Sister Bertrille fly was a season-two plot pivot. Rey’s filmography includes thrillers like The Swarm (with Michael Caine) and Cuba (with Sean Connery), plus the Robin Williams comedy Moscow on the Hudson. On television, he later starred as Karl Duval on Days of Our Lives. Rey died of cancer in 1987 at 57, leaving behind a son, Brandon.
Character Actors and Unsung Contributors
The show’s world was enriched by reliable character actors. Linda Dangcil, as novice Sister Ana, later starred in the bilingual children’s series Villa Alegre and became a respected stage director for the Los Angeles Plays Festival and a SAG committee member. She married jazz musician Dick Hamilton and was a mother and grandmother before dying of throat cancer in 2009 at age 67.
Vito Scotti, the only regular who never knew about Sister Bertrille’s secret, was a prolific scene-stealer as Captain Gaspar Fomento. His 50-year career spanned over 200 roles, including voicing an Italian cat in Disney’s The Aristocats and playing Nazorine in The Godfather. Scotti was married to Peruvian flamenco dancer Irene A. Scozzari for 30 years until her death, later remarrying. He died of lung cancer in 1996 at 78.
Why This Sitcom Still Matters
The Flying Nun occupies a unique space in television history. Its premise—a flying nun—was pure 1960s whimsy, yet it subtly addressed themes of faith, community, and nonconformity. For Sally Field, it was a paradoxical springboard: a show about celibacy launched a woman who would become an emblem of maternal strength and feminist resilience. The series also stands as a rare 1960s network sitcom featuring a Latino regular (Morrison) and a Puerto Rican setting, albeit through a stylized lens.
The cast’s divergent paths underscore a key entertainment truth: breakout roles don’t define a career. Field ascended to the highest award tiers; Morrison found sitcom immortality decades later; Redmond and Sherwood became revered character actors; Rey’s career was cut short but included notable film collaborations. Their collective story is one of adaptation—navigating typecasting, industry shifts, and personal tragedy. In an era of reboots and revivals, the original Flying Nun cast reminds us that the most enduring legacies are built on versatility and longevity, not just a single miracle flight.
For fans of television history and the artists who shaped it, the Flying Nun story is a masterclass in how a quirky premise can launch a constellation of careers, each shining in its own right.
onlytrustedinfo.com delivers the fastest, most authoritative analysis on entertainment’s biggest stories. Dive deeper into the legacies of iconic shows and stars with our expert coverage—because when you want the truth behind the headlines, you trust onlytrustedinfo.com.
