Movie News

How Cher won an Oscar for ‘Moonstruck’ in 1988 [VIDEO]

Cher pulled off an Oscar win for Best Actress over Glenn Close in 1988 for Moonstruck. This video explains how it happened.

Thirty years before became an Oscar frontrunner for A Star is Born, Cher took home the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in 1987 romantic comedy Moonstruck

But how did a musician turned actress take home Oscar gold for her film debut? Well, this video by Be Kind Rewind answers that question. 

Cher was up against a murderer's row of veteran actresses including Oscar favorite Meryl Streep for Ironweed, Sally Kirkland for Anna, Holly Hunter for Broadcast News, and most famously, Glenn Close for Fatal Attraction.

Close was on her fourth nomination and highly favored to win—she'd go on to be nominated twice more without any wins (though that might change this year). However, a mix of “publicity, name recognition, and an actor's relationship to the Academy” ended up swaying the race in her favor. 

This race is particularly important considering , another pop star turned actress, is in contention for her performance in A Star is Born. Can she pull it off like Cher did in 1988? Watch the video above and then head over to our predictions for Best Actress!

Karl Delossantos

Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

Leave a Comment
Published by
Karl Delossantos
Tags: Oscars

Recent Posts

Romantic sci-fi thriller ‘The Gorge’ hits its mark | movie reivew

Two snipers tasked with guarding the mysterious of an inexplicable gorge find themselves following in… Read More

1 week ago

A Love Note to Fire of Love

Fire of Love is not just a documentary. It's a love story. Love Notes is… Read More

1 week ago

‘Love Hurts’ is mostly hurt | movie review

Love Hurts follows assassin-turned-realtor is pulled back into his old world of crime when his… Read More

2 weeks ago

‘Wicked’ defies expectations, a fearless movie-musical | movie review

Wicked, the long-awaited adaptation of the smash Broadway musical, finally flies its way into theaters… Read More

3 months ago

<em>No Other Land</em> is the most important documentary of our time | movie review

No Other Land follows a Palestinian activist as he documents the destruction of his community… Read More

5 months ago

‘Queer’ is messy, mad and marvelous | review and analysis

Based on William S. Burroughs novel of the same name, Queer follows an American expat's… Read More

5 months ago