Geraldine James has always been jealous of Meryl Streep: “Let someone else have a go!”
Competition is an innate part of being an actor because, at the end of the day, only one person can secure a role, even if thousands of stars try their hand at being the lucky winner.
It’s all a game of popularity, really, because the bigger the movie, the more likely the role is going to go to a well-established star. It’s not always fair, but that’s the nature of the industry – and how it’s always been. Of course, lesser-known actors will sometimes be cast in a blockbuster, the producers willingly taking a slight gamble, but if it comes to casting an unknown or Meryl Streep, it’s probably the 21-time Oscar nominee that will triumph.
Still, it can surely get frustrating when you know you’re up against someone like Streep for a part. You’ve got no chance. That’s not to say that Streep hasn’t, of course, earned her place in Hollywood – all of those Oscar nominations (three of which she has won) come from years of hard work and dedication, beginning with Streep’s tenure on stage before her eventual transition to the big screen, which began with 1977’s Julia.
Since then, Streep has proved herself as a versatile star with roles in everything from Kramer vs Kramer to Mamma Mia!. There is no limit to the kinds of parts the actor is willing to take on, although some actors can’t help but wish she’d just take a step back for a moment. It’s like knowing you’re going to be competing against Usain Bolt. What’s even the point of trying?
Geraldine James has certainly found herself feeling a little jealous of Streep’s endless opportunities, although she hardly holds it against her, and talking to the Telegraph, the British actor admitted that she has been up for the same roles as Streep several times, and she always felt a little frustrated when the part required an English accent. That was one advantage she had over Streep, at least.
“I was terrified to play that iconic Canadian character, Marilla Cuthbert. To be British and portraying her in Canada, I could feel daggers coming through the air at me from every Canadian actress of a certain age,” James revealed. “And I don’t blame them. I would have been the same. I certainly was when Meryl Streep used to get all the parts that I was up for – The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Out of Africa“.
Adding, “I used to think, ‘Sit down, Meryl, and let someone else have a go!’ Although I’d cast Meryl Streep over me any day. I mean, she’s phenomenal.”
You can hardly argue with Streep’s dominance in Hollywood, but you do have to wonder how she’s not exhausted with the number of roles she has taken on over the years, performing so consistently and brilliantly. During the 1980s, in particular, Streep was on fire, landing lead roles after lead roles in highly acclaimed movies from Sophie’s Choice to Silkwood.
James didn’t fare as well as Streep, instead finding much more success for herself on the small screen, although she has appeared in some pretty popular movies in her own right, like the Oscar-nominated movies The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and 45 Years, and maybe one day they’ll get to star alongside each other.
