Throughout her acting career, Cher has mainly starred in comedy, drama, and romance films. She has appeared in twenty films, including two as a cameo. She has also appeared in one starring theater role, one video game role, numerous television commercials and directed a piece of the motion picture If These Walls Could Talk in 1996 and some of her music videos of the Geffen-era in late 1980s and in early 1990s. Cher has starred in various international television commercials, as well as high-profile print advertising for Lori Davis (1992). Before she started her film career, she had a couple of hits in the 1960s, as a solo artist, and with her ex-husband Sonny Bono as the couple Sonny & Cher.
Her first appearance as an actress was in 1967 in the American television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as the model Ramona. That same year, she started her film career with Sonny Bono in the poorly received-film Good Times and later as a solo actress in the low budget feature Chastity. Since then she has starred in numerous independent and Hollywood motion pictures. She made her Broadway debut in Robert Altman's Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in 1982. The play was a critical and commercial success and Cher received strong reviews for her stage work (even Frank Rich called her "ingratiating") and paved the way for her to be cast in the film version the next year, that garnered her a Golden Globe nomination. She was next cast alongside Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell in the critically hailed drama Silkwood (1983) directed by Mike Nichols, inspired by the true-life story of Karen Silkwood, in which her character was a lesbian who worked at the Kerr-McGee plant in Cimarron, Oklahoma. It was a commercial success and grossed $35 million in the United States alone. Cher then appeared in the drama Mask (1985) directed by Peter Bogdanovich and with Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliott and Laura Dern. The film is based on the life and early death of Roy L. "Rocky" Dennis, a boy who suffered from craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. The film was considered her first critical and commercial success as a leading actress and firmly established her as an actress. For her role as a mother of a severely disfigured boy, Cher won the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 1987, she starred in three films: the thriller Suspect, with Dennis Quaid and Liam Neeson; the film has been credited for the high quality of acting despite the severe loopholes of the story. In particular, Cher, in the lead role, has received positive reviews. The fantasy film The Witches of Eastwick, with Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer; and the romantic comedy Moonstruck with Nicolas Cage and Olympia Dukakis. Moonstruck is also her most commercial success to date, grossing over $80 million in the United States alone. During 1989–1991, Cher refused many roles, like The War of the Roses, Thelma & Louise and The Addams Family for starring in Richard Benjamin's Mermaids with Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, and a then 9-year-old Christina Ricci. The film was a modest success drawing only $35 million in tickets in the U.S. Cher made cameo appearances in the Robert Altman films The Player (1992) and Prêt-à-Porter (1994). She starred in the poorly received film Faithful (1996) with Ryan O'Neal and Chazz Palminteri, in the role of the betrayed wife. Then, in 1999, Cher co-starred in the well-received Franco Zeffirelli film Tea With Mussolini with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright and Lily Tomlin. Cher had a minor appearance in the Farrelly Brothers comedy Stuck on You (2003) with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear, in which she plays herself and Honey, a character of a TV series. She also spoofed her own image, appearing in bed with a high school boyfriend (Frankie Muniz). In 2010, Cher appeared alongside pop singer Christina Aguilera in the Steven Antin directed musical film Burlesque, her last major starring movie role to date. She also appeared in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) alongside Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan.
Cher has also contributed music to films, like "Alfie", "After All" "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" and "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me". Cher has received many awards and nominations for her work in films. She was nominated six times for the Golden Globe Awards, winning it three times; in 1974 for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, in 1983 for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her role in Silkwood and in 1987 for Best Actress in a Comedy for her role in Moonstruck. She was also nominated twice for the Academy Award, in 1984 for her role in Silkwood, and in 1987, when she won the Best Actress award for her role in Moonstruck.
Film Year Title Role Notes 1965 Wild on the Beach Herself 1967 Good Times 1969 Chastity Chastity 1982 Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Sissy 1983 Silkwood Dolly Pelliker 1985 Mask Rusty Dennis 1987 The Witches of Eastwick Alexandra Medford Suspect Kathleen Riley Moonstruck Loretta Castorini 1990 Mermaids Rachel Flax 1992 The Player Herself Cameo appearance 1994 Ready to Wear (Prêt-à-Porter) 1996 Faithful Margaret Connor 1999 Tea with Mussolini Elsa Strauss 2003 Stuck on You Herself 2010 Burlesque Tess Scali 2011 Zookeeper Janet the Lioness (voice) 2018 Edith+Eddie Executive producer 2018 Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Ruby Sheridan 2020 Bobbleheads: The Movie Herself (voice) Cameo appearance 2024 Little Bites Executive producer
Television Year Title Role Notes 1967 Ramona Episode: "The Hot Number Affair" 1968 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Herself 1970 Herself (co-host) 1971 Love, American Style April Episode: "Love and the Sack" 1971 The First Nine Months Are the Hardest Herself 1971–1974 Herself (co-host),various characters 1972 Herself (voice) Episode: "The Secret of Shark Island" 1975–1976 Cher Herself (host),various characters 1976–1977 Herself (co-host),various characters 1978 Cher... Special Herself (host),various characters 1979 Cher... and Other Fantasies Herself Also executive producer 1981 Standing Room Only: Cher in Concert Also known as Live in Monte Carlo 1983 Cher... A Celebration at Caesars 1987 Superstars and their Moms 1990 Cher... at the Mirage Also known as Cher Extravaganza: Live at the Mirage 1996 If These Walls Could Talk Dr. Beth Thompson Also director (segment "1996") 1998 Sonny & Me: Cher Remembers Herself Also executive producer 1999 VH1 Divas Live 2 Cher: Live in Concert 2000 Will & Grace Episode: "Gypsies, Tramps and Weed" 2002 VH1 Divas Las Vegas Will & Grace Episode: "A.I.: Artificial Insemination" 2003 Cher: The Farewell Tour Also executive producer 2004 Sesame Street Episode: "Cookie Monster Writes a Story"2011 Becoming Chaz TCM Guest ProgrammerHerself (co-host) Episode: "September 7, 2011"2013 TCM Friday Night Spotlight Four-episode subset themed "A Woman's World: The Defining Era of Women in Films" Dear Mom, Love Cher Herself Also executive producer The Voice Herself (special advisor) Season 5 Dancing with the Stars Herself (guest judge) Season 17, episode 8: "Cher Week" 2017 Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh Chercophonie (voice) Episode: "Chercophonie"2021 Cher at the BBC Herself A collection of Cher's biggest hits performed at the BBC 2021 Cher & the Loneliest Elephant Herself Also executive producer Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Herself (voice) Episode: "Cher, Scooby, and the Sargasso Sea!" 2023 Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love Herself
Video games Year Title Role Notes 1996 9: The Last Resort Isadora Voice
Commercials Year Company Promoting # Theme Soundtrack Country 1984 Chicago Health & Racquetball Club Gym Club 1 Cher working out Instrumental song United States 19851989 Jack LaLanne Spa Gym Club 3 "If I Could Turn Back Time" United States/Europe 19871988 Parfums Stern Uninhibited 2 Beach and catwalk Instrumental song United States 1992 Equal Sweetener 1 Cher talking about Equal No song United States 1992 Aquasentials Skin Care Beauty line by Cher 1 Cher talking about Aquasentials No song United States 1995 Warner Music Group It's a Man's World 1 Cher singing "One by One""Walking In Memphis" United States/Europe 2013 Closer to the Truth 2 "Woman's World""I Hope You Find It" 2024UKTVU (streaming service)1Cher daydreaming, singing while in several UKTV programmes"I Got You Babe"United Kingdom 2025 Uber Uber Eats 2 Cher accidentally time-travelling "If I Could Turn Back Time" Australia‘Takes the p**s’: Cher’s wild new Aussie-only ad
Other work CherFitness: A New Attitude (1991) – Fitness video CherFitness: Body Confidence (1992) – Fitness video 9: The Last Resort (1996) – Adventure computer game
Film roles associated with Cher