Interview with "Mamma Mia!" star Cher: "Men are like desserts"

Cher appears in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" as an unloved grandmother. In an interview with "Bluewin", the 72-year-old showbiz legend talks about what the music of ABBA means to her, why there were difficulties during the filming of the long-awaited musical sequel and why love always ends in tears for her.

"Bluewin": Cher, are you an ABBA fan?

Cher: I am now! I don't think the band was as popular in the USA as in other places in the world. I liked the big hits - but not all of them. It was the movie "Muriel's Wedding" that really got me into the music. I was also in talks for the first "Mamma Mia!" movie, but it didn't fit into my schedule because I was touring at the time. I didn't realize how complicated these songs actually were. I thought they were simple pop songs. But no, it goes from hook to hook, and in the end it's all connected [Cher has become such an ABBA fan that she wants to release an album of cover songs, as she has just announced, editor's note].

You were once in a Eurovision ABBA video in 2004 ...

I had completely forgotten about that. I stumbled across "The Last Video" on the Internet. A great video with puppets. Suddenly I appear - I can be seen rocking out and applauding through a pane of glass in the studio. No idea why. I couldn't remember filming it at first either.

And now you're playing the big girl in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" you play Amanda Seyfried's grandmother, Meryl Streep's mother. How did you fit in with the cast?

I was very nervous. I didn't really know anyone except Meryl. When we were filming the "Fernando" scene, she was sneaking around behind the scenes and watching. When I discovered her, we fell into each other's arms screaming. The whole thing didn't go very well at first because I didn't like my dialog. Nobody seemed to understand this woman and I had to rewrite the text. I couldn't even get the dialog in Spanish over my lips, which made me more and more nervous. But the director was super nice and told me to take as much time as I needed.

You played with Meryl Streep 35 years ago in the film "Silkwood", which earned you an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe. Have you stayed in touch with Meryl Streep over the years?

Yes, Meryl and I talk on the phone and email from time to time. I also complained to her because I didn't like my look in the "Mamma Mia!" sketches. I thought I looked too gloomy. She wrote back that I shouldn't get so upset and let go of the superficial. In the end, it wouldn't make much difference. I said okay - but of course did the opposite and kept fighting. [laughs]

How did you feel about being a grandmother?

Well, I would like to be a grandmother myself. Word of honor! Grandparents are cool. I got on really well with both my grandmothers. One was a bit more difficult than the other. You had to behave yourself and not act childish. I was good at that. The other one thought everything I did was fantastic and adorable. At 84, she was still the caretaker in a block of flats in Texas and got involved in everyone's affairs. But everyone liked her.

So your sons haven't made you a grandma yet. Is it difficult for them to have a mother like Cher?

It's certainly not always fun, but I've been famous all their lives. They don't know anything else. I can remember a school trip with Chaz: it was total chaos, Chaz had to save himself on the school bus. The mood was ruined. On the other hand, my children know me as I am at home. That means: not dressed up and without make-up. Ultimately, my showbiz persona doesn't have that much to do with my ego - or with them.

And what about love?

It wasn't that long ago that I had a boyfriend. But men are ultimately like desserts: they can be fantastic, but you don't always need them. [I don't know if you can relate, but when you're in the public eye, relationships usually end in tears. It's never really worked out well for me. Robert is the perfect example: the media pursued us, but he had to go to prison. And he hadn't done anything! [Rob Camilletti, her boyfriend at the end of the 80s, went to court because of a dispute with paparazzi, editor's note].

Do you have any regrets when you look back on your life?

Oh my goodness! There's not enough time! Of course I regret one or two things.

For example?

For example, the infomercials I did for the sake of a friend in the early 90s - long before stars like Julia Roberts appeared in beauty commercials. It was a nightmare, nobody wanted anything to do with me anymore. I was unemployed for two years. But ultimately, flops are also necessary. They are very underestimated. You think about it, look for explanations and solutions. You don't analyze the successes so extensively afterwards. Ultimately, it's the defeats that help you move forward.

You've already given a farewell tour. But you still haven't retired. Can you even imagine that? Retire?

I suppose I could at some point. Working was actually always easy for me, I need relatively little time to recover. It wasn't until I was 60 that I started to feel like I was 40 [laughs]. My voice is now 100 times better and stronger than it used to be. That may sound surprising and pompous, but it's true. On top of that: I'm not good at saying no. When I was shooting "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again", I was also working on an album at the same time. And I was also ill. I either have a lot on my plate or nothing at all.

What do you do when there's nothing on your schedule?

I watch movies - old ones in black and white and new ones - I paint, meet up with friends for a barbecue or just see where the day takes me. And now I'm about to go on vacation with a friend - my last vacation was two years ago. A friend had a boat and the three of us sailed around the Mediterranean. I ate an ice cream in every harbor. Anyway, I'm in every photo with an ice cream. I never allow myself to do that at home!

"Mamma mia! Here We Go Again" opens in our cinemas on Thursday, July 19.