advertisement
Tv Film

Cher Mourns ‘Moonstruck’ Director Norman Jewison: ‘Farewell, Sweet Prince’

The beloved director died on Saturday (Jan. 20) at age 97.

Cher, Norman Jewison and Nicolas Cage at the 'Moonstruck' premiere in 1987.

Cher, Norman Jewison and Nicolas Cage at the 'Moonstruck' premiere in 1987.

Barry King/WireImage

Cher is mourning the death of Norman Jewison, the beloved director behind films like Fiddler on the Roof and Moonstruck, the latter of which the “Believe” singer starred in alongside Nicolas Cage. Jewison died on Saturday (Jan. 20) at age 97.

“Farewell Sweet Prince,” Cher wrote on X (previously known as Twitter) on Monday (Jan. 22). “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.”


She concluded, “NORMAN JEWISON LIVES ON THROUGH HIS WORK.”

Moonstruck, released in 1987, is based on the John Patrick Shanley play and follows Loretta Castorini (Cher), a widowed Italian-American woman who, through a twist of events, falls in love with her fiancé’s hot-tempered, estranged younger brother, Ronny Cammareri (Cage). The film was nominated for six Oscars, including a nod for Jewison for best director. Moonstruck ultimately ended up winning three Oscars: best screenplay written directly for the screen, best actress (Cher) and best supporting actress (Olympia Dukakis).

advertisement

A seven-time Oscar nominee himself, Jewison received the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences in 1999. Jewison earned best director and best picture Oscar nominations for Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Moonstruck; received another nom for In the Heat of the Night (1967), a winner for best picture; and added two others for producing The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966) and A Soldier’s Story (1984).

This article was originally published by Billboard U.S.

advertisement
Cameron Whitcomb at LASSO Festival in Montreal on August 16, 2026.
Lucas Domínguez / Billboard Canada

Cameron Whitcomb at LASSO Festival in Montreal on August 16, 2026.

Country

Montreal's LASSO Festival Grows Rapidly Alongside Canada's Country Music Scene

The country music sister festival to Osheaga ran its fifth edition on August 15 and 16, drawing over 43,000 fans to Parc Jean-Drapeau for Mumford & Sons, Thomas Rhett, Cameron Whitcomb, Carly Pearce and more. Evenko's Nick Farkas explains how the festival turned an untapped market into a successful large-scale event that continues to grow throughout Canada.

PARTNER CONTENT

It's not everyday that Montreal's public transit is filled with cowboy hats, Canadian tuxedos and Western belt buckles. Now, that's a yearly mid-August tradition for country music lovers as LASSO celebrates its fifth edition.

keep readingShow less
advertisement