Cher’s Hairdresser Says Winning An Oscar Was ‘The Pinnacle Of Her Career’
May 2 2019, Updated 6:14 p.m. ET
“Cher considered herself to be an outsider, so when she won the Academy Award, it was a big validation of just everything in her life, everything that she was insecure about,” says the singer’s friend and musical director, Michel Rubini, in the news REELZ docuseries about her life.
Cher: Do You Believe looks back at the Goddess of Pop’s fabulous career and takes a deep dive into her darkest insecurities — the ones which both crippled her and helped form her into the musical icon she is today.
“I think that may have been the pinnacle of her career, winning an Academy Award,” says Cher’s hairdresser, Gary Chowen, adding that the star likely thought: “’Now they do love me.’”
Growing up in a low-income household raised by her single mother, Cher, now 72, was shy and insecure. As a teen, she doubted both her beauty and her talent, but one thing that never left her mind was her need for attention, success, money, and fame.
“She actually did get that critical acclaim that she had so desired earlier in life from her peers,” says Chowen.
But despite winning an Oscar, those close to Cher said she still had difficulty believing in her own abilities.
“Even in her acting she doesn’t believe she’s as good an actress as she is, and when she was doing Moonstruck or any of these great roles, I’m sure she felt that she wasn’t as good as she actually is,” says Cher’s friend and record producer, Rob Dickins.
Cher has now appeared in at least 16 Hollywood films, including Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Burlesque, Mask and Mermaids. Apart from winning an Oscar, she’s also won an Emmy, a Grammy and three Golden Globes.
Cher: Do You Believe airs Sunday May 5 at 9 ET / PT on REELZ.