Cher admits she had 'a really good director' fired after giving ultimatum
In conjunction with her newly released memoir, Cher is turning back time to reflect on her storied career, spilling secrets and addressing rumors that she is "difficult" to work with.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, the "Goddess of Pop," spoke candidly about two projects she had worked on as an actress during which she did not jibe with the film's directors.
"There are only two directors I didn’t like: Peter Bogdanovich," whom she worked with on the picture, "Mask," and "the guy from ‘The Muppets,’" referring to Frank Oz, who was once slated to direct her 1990 film, "Mermaids."
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Referring to Oz, Cher remembered giving an ultimatum on the set of the 1990 film, which was ultimately directed by Richard Benjamin.
"I said, either you’re going or I’m going, which is a shame because he’s a really good director, but he had a thing about me," Cher said. "He would go, ‘At least my wife loves me!’"
A representative for Oz did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Cher also laid into the late Bogdanovich, with whom she worked in 1985. He had said prior to his 2022 death that Cher was the "most difficult actor" he had ever worked with.
"He was an a--hole," Cher said of Bogdanovich. "He was not nice to the girls in the film and he was so f---ing arrogant. I really, really disliked him."
"She didn’t trust anybody, particularly men," Bogdanovich told Vulture in 2019, of his leading lady. "She doesn’t like men. That’s why she’s named Cher: She dropped her father’s name. Sarkisian," he added. Born Cherilyn Sarkisian, the singer formally requested a legal name change in 1979 to just Cher.
But Bogdanovich was able to admit that Cher's disdain for him was likely because of his disdain for her.
"She was always looking like someone was cheating her. I came to the set one day; I said, ‘You depress me, you’re always so down and acting like somebody’s stealing from you or something,'" Bogdanovich recalled.
Cher remembered her time on set differently, telling The Sunday Times, "He comes in and says, ‘Cher, where do you think we should film this scene?’ And I say, well, the kitchen is working pretty well, why don’t we do that again? The next morning he arrives on set, eating an egg sandwich, and starts screaming that he’s not going to let me direct this film; I’m a nobody; he can cut me out at any moment," she recounted.
"Oh yeah, he was a pig."
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"Ask everybody: I’m really easy to work with," Cher continued.
"I’m not arbitrary in the things I say, because it’s right to do what the director wants until you need to speak up. Meryl [Streep] says that if the director wants you to do something you don’t like, you say: yes, yes, yes, I’ll do it that way. Then you do it your way and they don’t even notice. I’ve worked with Bob Altman, Mike Nichols, Norman Jewison…. Really great directors whom I respect. I know when to listen."
"Cher: The Memoir," is out now.