Often overlooked and indeed maligned in popular culture, Cher has not only had a five-decade long music career, but also an impressive film career. Having appeared in a handful of screen projects, Cher seriously pursued an acting career in the 1980s. She appeared on Broadway in the play Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and reprised the role of Sissy in its film adaptation in 1982.
Cher continued to earn the respect of critics and fans alike by appearing in a number of Hollywood films, taking on the role of Dolly Pelliker in the 1983 drama Silkwood where she earned a supporting actress Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe for the role. In 1985 she received widespread acclaim in Mask as the defiant, emotionally struggling mother of a son with a facial disfigurement. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s Cher continued to pursue roles that both reinforced and shifted public perceptions.
This talk led by Dr Kirsty Fairclough, Associate Dean at the University of Salford will examine Cher’s career in this context and will be followed by a screening of Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.