The icon who almost made Sigourney Weaver quit acting: “Of course, I went on anyway”
It’s hard to imagine Sigourney Weaver being envious of anybody. She pioneered the role of a female action hero in Alien, is a key part of the Ghostbusters franchise, is part of two of the highest-grossing movies ever made thanks to her roles in the Avatar series, and is an acclaimed, Tony-nominated stage actor to boot.
However, even the most talented performers have confidence issues every once in a while. It’s natural for people to compare themselves to their peers, especially in a profession that is all about individual talent and personality. When Weaver was a young woman, she would compare herself unfavourably to many of her contemporaries, including the great Meryl Streep.
Streep and Weaver, who were born less than four months apart, were both students at Yale University in the 1970s. They were both part of the cast for the first-ever production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy The Frogs, alongside Larry Blyden in the lead role, and would often go up for the same roles in auditions. “Meryl got all the leads,” Weaver noted in an interview with The Virginian Pilot. Going up against a force like Streep, combined with her own image problems, almost led to the unthinkable happening – Weaver quitting acting.
“I think the fact that I was so tall and the fact that a talent like Meryl Streep was in the world largely discouraged me from trying acting,” the Gorillas in the Mist star revealed. “Of course, I went on anyway, but Meryl was seen as a star from the first.” Weaver has gone on the record about how little she enjoyed her time at Yale’s drama school. She felt as if the type of plays they would put on didn’t suit her and faced considerable backlash from her teachers. Friendship with playwright Christopher Durang was one of the main reasons she stuck around, as he would often cast her in the things he had written.
The pair’s careers continued to run parallel to each other even after they graduated college. They both made their movie debuts in the same year, 1977, with Streep appearing in the Fred Zinneman drama Julia and Weaver having a small cameo in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. Streep had her breakthrough the following year with The Deer Hunter, but Weaver blew up in 1979 after the first ‘Alien’ movie. It could be argued that she actually became a star before her former rival.
Both women have ended up on either side of the “cinema vs. movies” debate. Streep is a critical darling, the most nominated actor in the history of both the Golden Globes and the Oscars, with three wins in the latter’s Best Actress category to her name. As for Weaver, she’s among the highest-grossing performers of all time, with that statement only set to get more true as the ‘Avatar’ series ploughs on. She’s not shunned away from more accomplished roles – she took on the part of Prospero in the West End revival of The Tempest in late 2024 – but her career has always been somewhat in the shadow of her former classmate.
Even so, it’s ridiculous to compare these women, as they both stand for completely different things. The fact that Weaver was able to carve out a career alongside Streep is a testament to the length and breadth of the acting profession and to the idea that, with enough determination, a person can overcome any obstacle.
