Pop icon Cher admitted she was “terrified” when she stepped on to the set for the first time after joining the cast of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
The 72-year-old Believe hitmaker has joined the cast as Ruby Sheridan, the mother of Meryl Streep’s character Donna, for the sequel to the 2008 hit film and her appearance in several of the trailers has already sent fans wild ahead of the films release.
Now Cher has spoken out about her first day on set, admitting that she felt “really nervous” about taking on the role because the existing cast members were already close.
However she went on to credit her co-stars for making her feel welcome, in particular Amanda Seyfried, who plays her on-screen granddaughter Sophie, who Cher described as “adorable”.
Speaking during a press conference, Cher said: “I was terrified! Because everyone had been together and also my character wasn’t very liked, by anybody. I was really nervous but all was great, and you [Amanda Seyfried] were adorable.
“Everybody was so nice to me. And then Meryl was behind a piece of scenery watching me do my number so that made me feel good after the fact, because I didn’t know it.
“It was hard to go on a set where you were a stranger to everyone. I mean, I knew some of the people. Also to have this kind of mean grandmother kind of thing, and try to work your way into your story and be friends with everybody.
“I must say, I felt really kind of loved and kind of a great grandmother.”
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again will be released in cinemas on July 19 and fans have speculated that Meryl Streep’s absence from recent promotional activity is a clue that her character has passed away in the years since the first movie.
A teaser clip featuring Cher and Andy Garcia belting out ABBA hit Fernando was released last week and fans of the singer branded her version “better than the original”.
One fan tweeted: “I can’t believe I am saying this out loud so to speak… I think I like @cher version of #Fernando better than the Abba version. I’m going to get hit by a lightning bolt aren’t I? #MammaMia2.”
Speaking about the number, Cher said: “When I heard Fernando, I heard a different thing. I knew the story but I heard the acting of it, you know. I didn’t realise the songs were so complicated and i didn’t realise how well orchestrated and produced they were.
“When I thought how to interpret it, it seemed so perfect for Andy and I and it seemed so perfect for the relationship we had had and seeing each other again.”