Susan Sarandon: 'Cher got my part in Witches of Eastwick'

Susan Sarandon claims Cher was given the role intended for her in the classic movie The Witches of Eastwick after the pop star apparently had a “liaison” with producer Jon Peters.

Actress Sarandon played teacher Jane Spofford in the 1987 movie, but while speaking to screenwriter Michael Cristofer she revealed that she was originally supposed to play Cher’s sexy sculptress character, Alexandra Medford.

“I initially was cast in Cher’s part, and didn’t find out till I got to L.A. — because I was living in Rome — that I was actually moved to a different part,” she tells the New York Post's gossip column Page Six.

“I had to learn suddenly to play the cello, and I had never played an instrument in my life. They said they would sue me if I left, so I didn’t have much choice!”

“Cher sort of muscled her way into that part,” Cristofer adds, with Susan adding: “That’s Jon … (He) and Cher had a past liaison or something, so that was another element.”

However, Susan says there was no bad blood between them and the actresses got along so well that Cher lent her a wig and dress for the dark comedy. The pair also bonded over lunches with co-star Jack Nicholson, who played the devil, in his trailer each day.

“There were a lot of reasons why we could not have gotten along, and everybody took a higher road,” she said.

Sarandon and Cristofer spoke ahead of a fundraiser for L.A.’s Project Angel Food, which will throw a Witches of Eastwick “home brewing party” on Saturday, hosted by Sandra Lee.