WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • Michael Douglas said Glenn Close should have won best actress for her performance in “Fatal Attraction.”
  • Cher won the 1988 Academy Award for best actress for her role in “Moonstruck.”
  • Close is set to receive an honorary Academy Award at the Governors Awards on Nov. 15.
  • A representative responded to Douglas’s criticism by saying, “Cher adores Michael Douglas.”

Michael Douglas has reopened one of Hollywood’s most enduring Oscar debates by declaring that Glenn Close should have defeated Cher for best actress in 1988. His comments returned the spotlight to two celebrated performances and an Academy Awards result that has stood for nearly four decades, as reported by Fox News.

The 82-year-old actor made his case during a recent appearance on “The Graham Norton Show,” where he appeared with Close, 79. The pair revisited “Fatal Attraction,” the 1987 psychological thriller that earned significant recognition at the Academy Awards.

The conversation shifted toward Close’s upcoming honorary Academy Award, which she is set to receive at the Governors Awards on Nov. 15. Douglas quickly used the moment to revisit her loss for “Fatal Attraction.”

“She should have won with ‘Fatal Attraction,’” Douglas said.

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Close was nominated for best actress for her portrayal of Alex Forrest. According to Douglas, it was the fourth Oscar nomination of her career at that time.

Cher ultimately won the best actress trophy for her performance as Loretta Castorini in the romantic comedy “Moonstruck.” The movie featured Nicolas Cage opposite Cher.

When Douglas pointed out that Cher had taken home the award, host Graham Norton responded, “Oh wow.” Douglas immediately answered, “I know. That’s what we all said,” making his opinion about the result unmistakably clear.

Douglas continued to praise Close’s work in “Fatal Attraction,” calling it one of the greatest performances in movie history. His comments brought renewed attention to an Oscar outcome involving two of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars.

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Close played Alex Forrest in the thriller, while Douglas portrayed a married attorney whose extramarital affair spirals into dangerous consequences. The film received six Academy Award nominations, including a nomination for best picture.

Cher’s victory came at the 60th Academy Awards. She and Douglas were photographed posing backstage with their Oscar awards in Los Angeles on April 11, 1988.

Despite Douglas questioning her victory, Cher did not respond with anger or a competing argument. Instead, a representative for the singer gave Fox News Digital a short and notably warm statement.

“Cher adores Michael Douglas,” the representative said.

Close

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The response offered an unexpected conclusion to the renewed controversy. Rather than escalating the disagreement, Cher’s representative emphasized her affection for Douglas even as his comments revived discussion of her Best Actress win.

Close is now preparing to receive an honorary Academy Award at the Governors Awards on Nov. 15. Douglas’s remarks placed her coming honor alongside the performance he believes should have earned her a competitive trophy decades earlier.

The discussion also reunited attention around Douglas and Close’s work together in “Fatal Attraction.” Their appearance on “The Graham Norton Show” gave Douglas an opportunity to praise his costar while openly challenging one of the most memorable results from the 1988 ceremony.

Douglas’s comments arrived as he has also discussed surviving stage 4 cancer, maintaining a lasting marriage and remaining close with his son Cameron. The Oscar winner has written a new memoir titled “One Helluva Ride.”

Representatives for Douglas did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Cher’s representative, however, made clear that the singer’s feelings toward Douglas remained affectionate despite his blunt assessment of her Academy Award victory.

Nearly 40 years after Cher won and Close went home without the Best Actress trophy, Douglas has made his preferred outcome clear. For him, Close’s performance in “Fatal Attraction” remains the work that should have prevailed.

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