Cher ‘Didn’t Rehearse’ Ahead of Her ‘Will & Grace’ Cameo
Cher has left a mark on the entertainment industry that’s hard to match. Known for her incredible voice and powerful performances on stage, she has also dabbled in acting and made some memorable appearances on the big and small screens. One such appearance was her cameo on the hit TV show Will & Grace, which had fans buzzing for weeks. However, what’s even more surprising is that Cher apparently didn’t rehearse ahead of her cameo, which left the cast and crew stunned.
Cher appeared on two episodes of ‘Will & Grace’
Cher guest-starred in the Will & Grace Season 3 episode “Gypsies, Tramps and Weed” in 2000. She returned for the first half of the Season 4 finale in 2002, entitled “A.I.: Artificial Insemination: Part 1.”
In “Gypsies, Tramps, and Weed,” Jack, a huge fan of Cher, buys a doll of hers and treats it like a real person. Jack takes the doll to restaurants and even requests a separate table for it. In the final moments of the episode, Jack is at a restaurant when Cher suddenly comes from behind him, commenting on how strange he is for conversing with her doll. Jack fails to make the connection and writes her off as “a drag queen with a flawless Cher look.”
Before leaving, Cher sings a snippet of “If I Could Turn Back Time“, but Jack, still unaware, corrects her with a “better Cher” rendition. Cher then slaps him and tells him to “snap out of it” before she leaves. Jack blacks out upon realizing that she is actually the real Cher.
In “A.I.: Artificial Insemination: Part 1,” Jack is on the verge of giving up his dreams of becoming a famous performer when he receives some unexpected career advice from his idol, Cher.
Cher didn’t rehearse ahead of her ‘Will & Grace’ cameo
In a 2020 interview with People, Sean Hayes, who played Jack on Will & Grace, reminisced on one of his favorite scenes from the beloved NBC sitcom. Speaking on what it was like to have Cher on the show, the actor said: “It was so wild to have the character be in love with this icon and superstar like Cher, and then to have Cher on the show, like, out of nowhere.”
“She’s the best,” he added of working with her for the scene in 2000. “She’s super cool, super down to earth, really fun and funny, and got a big heart. She is who she is because you feel that from her. You feel that, ‘Okay, I could hang out with this girl for a long time.’ She’s very, very cool.”
Eric McCormack, who co-starred with Hayes on Will & Grace, said that he also saw Cher on the day they shot the Season 3 episode. “[Cher] came in that day, she didn’t rehearse up until the day of the show. She walked in just to rehearse the scene with Sean, and she wasn’t wearing a stitch of makeup, and she was gorgeous,” McCormack told People.
Cher has had an impressive acting career
While Cher is best known for her music career, she has also had an impressive career as an actor. According to IMDb, she got her start in the film industry in the 1960s and ’70s, starring in movies like Good Times and Chastity. In the 1980s, she began taking on more serious roles, earning critical acclaim for her performances in movies like Silkwood and Moonstruck.
In addition to her film work, Cher has also had success on the stage, starring in the Broadway production of Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in the early ’80s. She also starred in the film adaptation of the play, which was directed by Robert Altman.
More recently, Cher has appeared in movies like Burlesque and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Her ability to reinvent herself and take on new challenges throughout her career is a testament to her talent and versatility as an artist.
