Saturday brought some heartbreaking news: Olympia Dukakis, Oscar-winning actress, had passed away. She was 89. Tributes poured out across the entertainment industry, praising her for, among other things, her award-gobbling performance for the 1987 romantic-comedy Moonstruck. Among them was Cher, her Moonstruck co-star, who won her own Academy Award for playing her romantically confused daughter.
The musician and actress took to Twitter to pay tribute to her onetime on-screen mom. But she didn’t only do one tweet. She wrote multiple tributes, over two separate days — a sign that Dukakis’ passing really hit her hard.
Olympia Dukakis Was an Amazing,Academy Award Winning Actress.Olympia Played My Mom In Moonstruck,& Even Though Her Part was
That Of a Suffering Wife, WeALL The Time.She Would Tell Me How MUCH She Loved Louis,Her”Handsome Talented,Husband”.I Talked To Her 3Wks Ago. Rip Dear One pic.twitter.com/RcCZaeKFmz
— Cher (@cher) May 1, 2021
Wrote This Hrs Ago,But Didn’t hit Twt
.Heard Olympia Was Sick So Called Her Daughter & Said Could I Talk 2 Her.She Said
“She might Not HEAR or SPEAK”.I Called In2 The Receiver”Olympia It’s Cher,IYou”.Remember Moonstruck,She Said
“oh cher,Iyou”She Was Weak But Happy. RIP O
— Cher (@cher) May 1, 2021
You never think about Friends,Loved Ones Leaving,But Thank God We Can See Them.
Rose”DO YOU LOVE HIM LORETTA
Loretta”NO”
Rose “GOOD”.”CAUSE WHEN YOU LOVE THEM THEY DRIVE YOU CRAZY,BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY CAN”— Cher (@cher) May 1, 2021
Olympia Was A Great Artist & Brought Immense
Joy To Anyone who was lucky enough To see her
Work her MAGIC.
Ppl Around TheWill
Miss her.
— Cher (@cher) May 2, 2021
“Olympia Dukakis Was an Amazing,Academy Award Winning Actress,” Cher wrote. “Even Though Her Part was That Of a Suffering Wife, We [laugh emoji] ALL The Time.”
She said that she had spoken to Dukakis only three weeks prior, after hearing that she was in poor health. Dukakis’ daughter told Cher that she might have trouble speaking to her or hearing her. But she got through to her. “She was weak but happy,” Cher added.
On Sunday, the day after news of Dukakis’ passing broke, Cher was back with more. “Olympia Was A Great Artist & Brought Immense Joy To Anyone who was lucky enough To see her Work her MAGIC,” she wrote. “Ppl Around The [world emoji] Will Miss her.”
There were many other tributes to Dukakis, who also won an Obie Award, a Golden Globe, and earned multiple Emmy nominations across her storied career.
1/Lessons learned from Olympia Dukakis: First day I worked with her when I was 24 – “Where are we going for margaritas tonight?” I said I wanted to get an early night. She said ” We gotta have some laughs. Otherwise we’ll blow our fucking brains out.” We went for the margaritas.
— @realSarahPolley (@realsarahpolley) May 1, 2021
RIP to my old Montclair neighbor, beautiful artist and co-founder of the Whole Theater company, Olympia Dukakis. pic.twitter.com/YQOLCz4hj4
— Alex Winter (@Winter) May 1, 2021
Olympia Dukakis has departed our company. We were Moonstruck by her, as she told us great Tales of the City. A true Steel Magnolia within a more common forest. Ah, what a life force, her later years her best. Rest now among the heavens, Olympia.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) May 1, 2021
Olympia Dukakis!! gave us so many memorable, GREAT performances. She was the best of the best.
pic.twitter.com/LXlbMVmdnj
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) May 1, 2021
Olympia Dukakis was a great actress who loved the work and loved the theatre. She was the acting teacher who spoke to me (and many, many others) with clarity and humor and NO censor. 1/2
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) May 1, 2021
A couple of years ago, I interviewed Olympia Dukakis for my Mike Nichols book. She had recently had a stroke and was struggling to find words and memories. But she was determined to go through with it. >
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) May 1, 2021
It was 33 years ago that we gave her and @cher the Golden Globe for “Moonstruck” but I’ll never forget how gracious she was. Olympia Dukakis was pure class and tons of talent. RIP. pic.twitter.com/jiUpQLTZpQ
— Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) May 1, 2021
RIP Olympia Dukakis…the consummate actor. You made all around you step up their game. A joy to work with. Rest well. “May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”.
https://t.co/9uC2Ld4rTU
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) May 1, 2021