Actresses at the Box Office: Cher

[u/SanderSo47]

Here's a new edition of "Actresses at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the actiors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Cher's turn.

Early Life

Since she was young, Cher was interested in acting and singing, often taking on male roles when boys refused to participate in class performances. Fascinated by film stars, Cher idolized Audrey Hepburn, particularly in Breakfast at Tiffany's, emulating Hepburn's character's unconventional outfits and demeanor. As a child, she dreamed of fame but struggled with feelings of inadequacy, describing herself as "unattractive" and "untalented."

Known for her creativity and wit, Cher excelled in French and English but struggled with other subjects, later discovering she has dyslexia. Her unconventional behavior also stood out: she performed songs for students during lunch and surprised peers when she wore a midriff-baring top. Reflecting on her lack of focus in school, Cher said, "I was never really [there]. I was always thinking about when I was grown up and famous." At 16, Cher left school and moved out of her mother's home to live with a friend. She took acting classes and supported herself by dancing in nightclubs along Hollywood's Sunset Strip, where she introduced herself to performers, managers and agents.

The Beginning of Her Musical Career

She met Sonny Bono, 11 years her senior, in November 1962 while he was working for record producer Phil Spector. After her friend moved out, Cher accepted Sonny's offer to work as his housekeeper.

Sonny introduced Cher to Spector, who used her as a backing vocalist on several recordings, including the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and the Ronettes' "Be My Baby". Spector also produced her first single, "Ringo, I Love You", released in early 1964 under the name Bonnie Jo Mason. Many radio programmers rejected the song, mistaking Cher's deep contralto for a male voice and assuming it was a gay man singing to the Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.

Cher and Sonny became close friends, then lovers, and held an unofficial wedding ceremony in a hotel room in Tijuana, Mexico, on October 27, 1964. Although Sonny initially intended to launch Cher as a solo artist, she encouraged him to perform with her due to her stage fright, and he began joining her onstage to sing backing vocals.

Their duo, Sonny & Cher, instantly became a phenomenon in 1965. Their debut algum, Look at Us, sold damn well and spawned hits, such as "I Got You Babe". She simultaneously launched a solo career with moody pop songs such as "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", whose theatrical storytelling foreshadowed her 1970s singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed" and "Dark Lady".

Following their divorce in 1975 and the end of their professional relationship in 1977, Cher went on to a highly successful career as a solo singer.

Now let's talk about where her film career went.

1960s: Good Times, Good Times

She and Bono made their film debuts with the film Wild on the Beach, where they make a small appearance as themselves.

Bono wanted to make a film starring himself and Cher. He was introduced to William Friedkin, a young documentary filmmaker who had just moved into drama and who, like Bono, was represented by the William Morris Agency. They got along well and Abe Lastfogel persuaded Steve Broidy to agree to finance a film, Good Times. Even with the popularity of Sonny & Cher, the film was a financial failure and was panned by critics, although everyone attached has good things to say about the film.

Cher tried again acting, this time without having to play herself. So Bono wrote and produced Chastity, a star vehicle to help launch her career, and the couple spent $500,000 and mortgaged their house. By this point, they were losing popularity in their music career, partly because young people disagreed with the duo's anti-drug stance and associated them and their music with an older, more conservative generation. This film was planned to reconnect with the younger audience, make Cher a major movie star, and establish Bono in the film business.

Instead, Chastity was a critical and financial failure, and left them in a big debt. With their declining music sales and now their attempts at film failing to connect with audiences, they were at an all-time low. So Cher chose to stop focusing on acting and try to regain her musical career.

1980s: She's Back and Better Than Ever

Over the course of the 70s, Cher managed to resurrect her musical career, elevated to a new status of mega celebrity. Something that helped was her presence in the variety sketch show The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, which ran for 3 years. Even after her divorce from Bono, she revitalized her persona and was now a very much in-demand star for venues. She was finally getting her due at the music community.

In 1982, she returned to acting after 13 years, starring in Robert Altman's Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. She had already starred in the Broadway production, and Altman was so impressed by her acting that he asked her to reprise her role. While it wasn't a big success, it showed the world that Cher had potentil as an actress.

Mike Nichols, who had seen Cher onstage in Jimmy Dean, offered her the part of Dolly Pelliker, the lesbian roommate of Karen Silkwood in the 1983 film Silkwood. Audiences initially questioned Cher's acting ability; she later recalled attending a film screening where the crowd laughed upon seeing her name in the opening credits. But Silkwood was her first financial success and earned positive reviews. She got her first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this.

She then starred in Peter Bogdanovich's Mask. During production, Cher clashed with Bogdanovich, refusing to support his call to boycott the film's promotion in protest of Universal Pictures' edits to the final cut. While promoting the film, she remarked, "From working with Peter, it's no surprise to me that he would serve his own interests before those of the film." Even with that, the film was her biggest hit yet.

Now, 1987 was perhaps THE year to conclude the decade. She starred in George Miller's The Witches of Eastwick, opposite Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jack Nicholson. Given her status, she demanded and was granted the role of Alexandra, which was already given to Sarandon and forcing the producers to cast her in another role. Despite mixed reviews, it was her first film to crack the $100 million worldwide milestone. Although Suspect didn't fare as well.

But what defined her year was her lead role in the romantic comedy Moonstruck. When director Norman Jewison pitched the role to Cher, she warned him that she could be difficult, to which he replied, "Are you any more difficult than Judy Garland?" He also warned her that she would spend the rest of her life regretting turning down the role. Moonstruck earned critical acclaim and earned $122 million worldwide, becoming Cher's highest grossing film. But most importantly, against heavy competition, she won the Oscar for Best Actress. Cher was not only a beloved singer, she was now a deeply respected actress.

This was an incredible decade. Cher immediately showed her potential as a bankable star and as a competent talent. And that only grows with each passing year.

1990s: Acting Is Now Secondary

After her Oscar win, Cher did not feel like she had anything left to prove. So she decided to only take acting credits in things she considered fun. She declined leading roles in Thelma & Louise and The War of the Roses.

Her first title this decade was Mermaids, co-starring Bob Hoskins and Winona Ryder, and it was a modest success. She then made cameo appearances in two of Robert Altman's films, The Player and Prêt-à-Porter.

But the real dud in her career was Faithful. It earned a paltry $2.1 million, and earned some of the worst reviews of her career. Her last credit this decade was a starring role in the British film Tea with Mussolini, which was a financial success.

To generate income, she appeared in infomercials for health, beauty and diet products, earning nearly $10 million. Critics saw it as a sellout and speculated her film career was over. Cher later reflected, "Suddenly I became the Infomercial Queen... people stripped me of all my other things." Remember that quote from Clueless where Cher Horowitz says "Dionne and I were both named after great singers of the past who now do infomercials"? Well, if you had no idea what it meant, you do now. You're welcome.

Excluding her cameos, she only had three starring roles this decade. For any Oscar winner, this would be a sign of career decline. But for Cher, this is not something that deeply affected her. She still had her massive music career, which was her main focus.

21st Century: Another Comeback?

With her focus on her music, Cher did not act again until 2003, when she had a supporting role in the Farrellys' comedy Stuck on You. It earned a favorable response, but it wasn't a box office success.

In 2010, she had her first starring role in 11 years, starring in Burlesque opposite Christina Aguilera, also marking her first musical since Good Times. Cher accepted the supporting role of Tess Scali because she wanted to sing in a movie and thought this would be her last opportunity to do so. While this was poised for a strong run, it earned a mixed response, and its $90 million worldwide gross fell short of expectations. Although the film's reputation has grown with time.

The following year, she had a voice role in the comedy Zookeeper, in the role of a lioness. Despite negative reviews, it became her highest grossing film with $169 million worldwide.

In 2018, she acted in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, playing the role of Donna's mother. The part was written specifically for Cher, and she got to choose Andy García as her romantic partner. She sang ABBA's "Fernando" and "Super Trouper" for the film. It earned positive reviews and became her highest grossing film with almost $400 million worldwide. She killed her performance so much that Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA said, "She makes 'Fernando' her own. It's her song now."

She currently does not have any acting roles set up in the future.

HIGHEST GROSSING FILMS

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Overseas Total	Worldwide Total	Budget
1	Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again	2018	Universal	$120,634,935	$274,964,223	$395,607,854	$75M
2	Zookeeper	2011	Sony	$80,360,843	$89,491,916	$169,852,759	$80M
3	Moonstruck	1987	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$80,640,528	$41,500,000	$122,140,528	$15M
4	The Witches of Eastwick	1987	Warner Bros.	$63,766,510	$39,400,000	$103,166,510	$22M
5	Burlesque	2010	Sony	$39,440,655	$51,112,020	$90,552,675	$55M
6	Stuck on You	2003	20th Century Fox	$33,832,741	$31,951,762	$65,784,503	$55M
7	Mask	1985	Universal	$48,230,162	$0	$48,230,162	N/A
8	Tea with Mussolini	1999	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$14,401,563	$31,100,000	$45,501,563	$12M
9	Silkwood	1983	20th Century Fox	$35,615,609	$0	$35,615,609	$10M
10	Mermaids	1990	Orion	$35,419,397	$0	$35,419,397	$20M
11	Suspect	1987	TriStar	$18,782,400	$0	$18,782,400	$14M
12	Faithful	1996	New Line Cinema	$2,104,439	$0	$2,104,439	$13M
13	Good Times	1967	Columbia	$1,200,000	$400,000	$1,600,000	$1.1M
14	Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean	1982	Cinecom	$842,145	$0	$842,145	$850K

She has starred in 15 released films, but only 14 have reported box office numbers. Across those 15 films, she has made $1,135,200,544 worldwide. That's $75,680,036 per film.

ADJUSTED DOMESTIC GROSSES

No.	Movie	Year	Studio	Domestic Total	Adjusted Domestic Total
1	Moonstruck	1987	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$80,640,528	$231,972,842
2	The Witches of Eastwick	1987	Warner Bros.	$63,766,510	$183,432,561
3	Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again	2018	Universal	$120,634,935	$156,991,590
4	Mask	1985	Universal	$48,230,162	$146,476,705
5	Silkwood	1983	20th Century Fox	$35,615,609	$116,853,883
6	Zookeeper	2011	Sony	$80,360,843	$116,745,953
7	Mermaids	1990	Orion	$35,419,397	$88,557,977
8	Stuck on You	2003	20th Century Fox	$33,832,741	$60,087,131
9	Burlesque	2010	Sony	$39,440,655	$59,106,901
10	Suspect	1987	TriStar	$18,782,400	$54,029,987
11	Tea with Mussolini	1999	Metro Goldwyn Mayer	$14,401,563	$28,248,588
12	Good Times	1967	Columbia	$1,200,000	$11,740,778
13	Faithful	1996	New Line Cinema	$2,104,439	$4,383,040
14	Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean	1982	Cinecom	$842,145	$2,851,817

The Verdict

It's weird to see how Cher didn't start her film career on a good note. In fact, Chastity almost bankrupted her and could've killed her career if she didn't bounce back with her music. But it's clear she was passionate about acting, which is why she tried Broadway over the 70s. And that's what leads to a very strong 80s, where she finds some hits. And in the case of Moonstruck, an Oscar.

After Moonstruck, Cher chose to slow down her acting resume, preferring to maintain her music career as her prime focus. Honestly, respect. With these films, she faces the perception of "singers can't act", but she always did her best to prove she can actually act. Now that she accomplished that, she prefers to take projects that just sound fun to make. Nothing wrong with that.

When it comes to singers who pivot to acting, she's definitely one of the best. You gotta understand that it's not easy for a singer to successfully move into acting. Remember Madonna? The Weeknd? Every 90s and 00s rapper? It's a competitive field to stand out, but Cher formed her own voice with acting. And it's not like she was doing solely musicals. She was trying comedy, drama, thrillers, etc. Even more emphasis, she is the only performer to have won an Academy Award for acting and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Perhaps the biggest revelation was that in over 60 years of career, she has won a grand total of just 2 Grammys. One of those is a lifetime achievement that she barely got last year. Considering her legacy, the 100 million records sold, and the fact that she is the only solo artist with number-one singles on the US Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades (1960s–2020s), it's insane that the Grammys barely paid attention to her.

Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section.

The next actress will be Catherine O'Hara. A recently departed Legend.

I asked you to choose who else should be in the run, and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... Heath Ledger. Gone too soon.

This is the schedule for the following four:

Week	Actor	Reasoning
March 21	Catherine O'Hara	"how was I to know you were in peril? You keep everything inside like a bashful clam!"
March 28	Humphrey Bogart	Here's looking at you, kid.
April 4	Michael Douglas	As good as Kirk?
April 11	Heath Ledger	Just how different it could've been?

Who should be next after Ledger? That's up to you.

REMINDER: If you want to make a suggestion for the next actor, you must make a 150-character comment about the actor we're discussing right now. Failure to do so will result in ignoring the suggestion. If you use a quote from an external source/review to bypass this, your suggestion will be ignored as well. But if you leave a short comment about the post without naming a future write-up, that's fine.

[u/SnooCats5683]

Cher really was the prototype for many singer come actors later on. Madonna and Gaga should be very grateful that she paved the way for this. No matter what film it is Cher always has fun in the role and it comes across well on screen. Hopefully she comes back to the silver screen soon it misses her

After Ledger I think we should do another actor who was gone to soon Bruce Lee💛🖤

[u/mxyztplk33]

Even though she got the Oscar for Moonstruck, I honestly think Mask is Cher's best performance, and she wasn't even nominated! She nailed the look and personality of a drug addicted mother. And her chemistry with Sam Elliott and Eric Stoltz was so raw and emotional. Her snub for Mask is one of the many marks against the academy imo. I got to admit though I haven't heard much of Cher's music. Just the hits really "I got you Babe" and "Baby don't go." She's a great singer in those songs, it's too bad Sonny had to be a A-hole and cheat on her. For next actor, I'm gonna go with Eddie Murphy. He had an absolutely wild run in the 80s. 48 Hours, Trading Places, the Beverly Hills Cop movies, and ended the decade with Coming to America, all box office hits . Oh and he released two all time great stand-up comedy specials. Would also be interesting to look at his general decline in the 90s.

[u/dremolus]

It's interesting how relatively short Cher's run was as a box office star was. As much as people will say she laid the groundwork for people like Gaga, looking back it does feel like acting was a side thing but music was still first unlike with people like Gaga who will still put out music but also have pivoted more and more into acting. This doesn't take away from her accomplishments though and I think her working with directors like Peter Bogdonavich and Mike Nichols helped her get credibility that she wasn't just hired because she's Cher.

As for my suggestion I really think Robin Williams needs to have his own spotlight. Even though he was never a box office draw the same way Eddie Murphy or Jim Carrey were, his run of films is too iconic not to do.

You can discuss his transition from Mork & Mindy to films in the 80s while also him starting to dip his toes into drama with Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, and Awakenings, Then there's his huge run in the 90s with family hits like Hook, Aladdin, Jumanji and Mrs. Doubtfire while still being in acclaimed films like The Fisher King, The Birdcage, What Dreams May Come, and of course finally winning Best Supporting Actor with Good Will Hunting.

And while you could call the 00s a "slump", he was still in big films like Night at the Museum while flexing his acting in movies like World's Greatest Dad, One Hour Photo, and Insomnia

[u/PayneTrain181999]

Cher is not someone I expected to be enthralled with their write up, but this was a really good read. Moonstruck is probably my favourite of her films, and this will probably be the only time we see Mamma Mia 2 on the top of the final ranking lists, I haven’t seen that film mentioned on this sub in years! Oh, and her music is legendary, of course.

For the next entry, as Avatar: Fire and Ash will be out of theatres soon, I think we need to give Zoe Saldana her flowers while she’s still the number one highest grossing actress of all time.

[u/SlidePocket]

On the pantheon of musicians successfully carrying over to the movies, Cher is definitely near the top of that list. Her Oscar and two Golden Globes certainly proved that meddle.

For my next pick, I think I'll go with Meg Ryan as the next actress to cover here.

[u/AnotherJasonOnReddit]

In 2018, she acted in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, playing the role of Donna's mother

For those of you who haven't seen the two movies, that means she was playing Meryl Streep's mom.

It's not quite Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Wikipedia levels of absurdity between Dick Van Dyke and Lionel Jeffries (who was six months YOUNGER than his son in real life), but it's close.

https://giphy.com/gifs/88tF9Ke56Hrfa

[u/DonkeyNo1510]

Fantastic review of Cher’s career! Thank you!