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

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).

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).