Cher opens up about playing Meryl Streep's mom in Mamma Mia sequel: "I didn't have much choice!"
Trust Cher to drop some bombs every single time she gives an interview. On her recent appearance at The Graham Norton Show, Cher, whose upcoming movie 'Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!' is set to hit cinema screens next month, decided to spill some amusing details about her involvement in the film; especially since she didn't even audition for the part.
The 72-year-old - who was joined by Natalie Dormer, Christine Baranski, Rupert Everett on the episode - was asked if she had been talked into joining the ABBA-inspired musical, and her reply was: "Yes. But, my agent called me and said, 'You're in the new Mamma Mia film', and then hung up. I didn't have much choice!"
Another severely striking fact about her casting is how she plays the mother of 69-year-old Meryl Streep in the Mama Mia sequel. And when Graham Norton pointed that out, she laughed, saying: "I am older than her – by four years. When they asked I said, 'That's absolutely fine, that's cool.'"
Speaking of musicals, Cher also addressed what it was like to see her own life turned into a Broadway musical. “I have seen a piece of it and will see it all in Chicago," she shared on the show. “It was a bit nerve-wracking to see so many personal things portrayed that you thought was a good idea to talk about once but, to see it on stage, you just want to stick needles in your eyes.” As for her professional life, she said she “doesn’t know when she will stop” touring and working.
But that wasn't quite the case with Lily James, who appears in the upcoming movie as the young version of Meryl Streep. Dishing her dirt on why she took up the role, the young actress told The Telegraph that it was the opportunity to work with Streep which had her stoked.
"I thought what better opportunity will I ever have to study Meryl? What Meryl does is unlearnable," Lily told the media outlet. "So I still haven't got my thought in order about it. But we've finished filming now. I have dug my grave."
But starring in the film has definitely paved the way for the 28-year-old's interest in doing other similar projects. "Doing Mamma Mia! made me realise that I'd love to play a singer," she revealed. "Janis [Joplin] would be great. And I think there's a Dusty Springfield script knocking around, too."
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is set to release on July 20 and will showcase the original cast, including Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski and Colin Firth. Among the newbies starring in the film will be James, Jeremy Irvine, and Hugh Skinner.