Cher Mourns Death of Legendary Mentor

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Cher paid tribute to one of the most influential people in her career. On January 22, 2024, the actress and singer said goodbye to famed director Norman Jewison following his death at age 97. Jewison died on January 20, 2024 at his home in Los Angeles, Variety reported.

Cher, who served as a guest judge on “Dancing With the Stars” in 2013, posted a tribute on X as she recalled working with Jewison on “Moonstruck,” which would become the biggest film experience in her long career and earn her an Academy Award.

“Farewell  Sweet Prince👑,” Cher wrote of Jewison. “Thank U For One Of The  Greatest, Happiest, Most Fun Experiences Of My Life. Without U, I Would Not Have My Beautiful Golden Man. Norman U Made Moonstruck The GREAT FILM Ppl🩵. Script, Actors, Etc, NEEDED U DEAR❤️NORMAN JEWISON LIVES ON THROUGH HIS WORK.”

In addition to “Moonstruck,” Jewison directed the 1967 Sidney Poitier drama “In the Heat of the Night,” as well as “The Thomas Crown Affair,”  and the movie musicals Fiddler on the Roof” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”  His final theatrical film was the 2003 Michael Caine movie “The Statement,” per IMDb.

Cher Forgot to Thank Norman Jewison in Her Oscars Speech But She Made Up For It Years Later

GettyCENTURY CITY, CA – JANUARY 30: Director Norman Jewison, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award, poses in the press room with singer Cher during the 62nd Annual Directors Guild Of America Awards on January 30, 2010 in Century City, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

In 1988, Cher won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Italian-American widow Loretta  Castrorini in “Moonstruck.” In her acceptance speech, she thanked her glam squad, but did not give Jewison a direct mention.

“I’d like to thank everyone I worked on with the movie,” Cher said. “They were really fabulous. It was really a great experience for me. My makeup man, who had a lot to work with; my hairdresser; my assistant; my children, who’ve been so wonderful. The lady who taught me how to speak in this Brooklyn accent.” Cher also thanked her fellow nominees, including Meryl Streep whom she previously worked with in the movie “Silkwood.”

More than a decade later, Cher was able to publicly thank Jewison for his role in her career during a speech at “A Tribute to Norman Jewison.” The gala was held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in April 2009, per a recap by George Anthony’s Showbuzz.

Cher Said Norman Jewison Did Something Strange as a Director

Cher had been hesitant to take the role in “Moonstruck” because she felt the role was so different from other characters she’d played.

“As much as I liked it, it wasn’t like ‘Mask,’ which I felt I just had to do,” she told The Los Angeles Times in 1987. “I was a little frightened because there seemed to be all kinds of possibilities and all kinds of risks here. I wondered if, at this point in my career when there might be some people out there interested in seeing my movies, they would accept me in this role.”

Years later, she recalled working with Jewison in the life-changing film. In a 1998 interview with Film Comment, she said she liked working with the Canadian director, but she added that he did something “bizarre” during filming.

“He’s a very strange man,” Cher said of Jewison. “Very theatrical, he’s got lots of stories, he wants to be the center of attention, but he lets you alone. He’s real used to yelling but he’s not used to having someone yell back, and when you do, it becomes fun for him.”

“Also, I’ve never known a director who, if you’re doing something funny in a scene, starts laughing,” she added. “He laughed all the time when we were working, and I just… I just found that to be so bizarre, that he would just laugh. And you’d be shooting and he’d laugh.”

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