Robert Altman explains how Meryl Streep “brings 25 per cent more”
When it comes to American cinema, it might be easy to immediately think of Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese and James Cameron as some of the best movie directors. Still, there are also countless other legendary figures, including Robert Altman, who had personally delivered some truly excellent pieces of film throughout his career.
There was often a subversive or satirical outlook in Altman’s films, and he regularly asked his actors to improvise his material. Among some of Altman’s greatest works are the likes of the black comedy war film M*A*S*H, the neo-noir satire The Long Goodbye, the musical-comedy Nashville and the comedy-drama Short Cuts, which was based on the short stories of Raymond Carver.
Naturally, then, Altman has been afforded to work with some of the greatest actors of all time throughout his career, including Warren Beatty, Elliot Gould, David Arkin, Sissy Spacek, Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, Malcolm McDowell and Charles Dance, but few were as impressive as the one of the stars of his final movie A Prairie Home Companion.
As was often the case with an Altman movie, the director put together a huge ensemble cast for his swansong including Woody Harrelson and Tommy Lee Jones. However, it was Meryl Streep who Altman once said was the most impressive, which is understandable considering the kind of reputation the iconic actor has achieved.
Speaking with the DGA, Altman once said that Streep “brings 25 per cent more” to any performance she gives. A Prairie Home Companion is a musical comedy that tells of the behind-the-scenes events of a long-running public radio show and Meryl Streep plays one of the show’s denizens, while Lily Tomlin plays her sister.
In the interview, Altman spoke of the first scene he shot in the movie and how Streep, Tomlin and Lindsay Lohan were willing to go the extra mile to bring it to life. “We did a scene, two cameras,” the director explained. “They entered a dressing room and improvised for almost 20 minutes. And then we’d do it again. And again.”
Streep was also required to sing in A Prairie Home Companion, and in an interview with IGN, she admitted to not having too much time to prepare. “I didn’t prepare too much. We just like had three days, I guess, to get ready,” the iconic actor noted. “I like to sing and it’s just really fun to sing. And I don’t get to much. And at my house, I’m not allowed to because, you know, your children can’t stand it when you sing at home.”
While Altman’s last film was jam-packed full of acting talent of the highest order, it was Streep who seemed to impress him the most. That kind of impression was more than understandable because Streep is indeed known as one of the best actors of her generation, holding the record for the most Academy Award nominations at a whopping 21 and counting.
Discussing the kind of cast that was on offer in A Prairie Home Companion, Altman noted, “Lindsey Lohan, my god. The police had to come out. And, of course, she wouldn’t stay in St. Paul. She had to be over in the big hotel in Minneapolis so that the paparazzi can get to her. All these actors are working for scale. They have to.” But that’s what happens when a director casts huge actors in a huge movie.
