Meryl Streep once named her least favourite movie role: “I was so depressed”
When it comes to the greatest female actors of the 20th century, there’s no doubt that the American icon Meryl Streep is up there with the very best. Sharing a screen with the likes of Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Timothée Chalamet across the course of over five decades, Streep has appeared in some of cinema’s greatest movies.
Making her debut in the 1977 movie Julia alongside Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Fonda, Streep made an instant impact in the industry, elevating some of the decade’s finest films. Following her debut, Steep received an Oscar nomination for her performance in the Vietnam War movie The Deer Hunter before starring in Woody Allen’s Manhattan and the Robert Benton ‘Best Picture’ winner Kramer vs. Kramer.
Going from strength to strength in the industry, in contemporary cinema, Streep is known for her unparalleled Academy Awards success, having been nominated for an Oscar 21 times to date. Of these 21 times, Streep has walked away with a golden statuette on three occasions, winning for 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer, 1982’s Sophie’s Choice and 2011’s The Iron Lady, in which she played the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
One of her other many nominations came in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada, a beloved favourite of fans of Streep.
David Frankel’s film earned critical and commercial success by telling the story of a graduate who takes an assistant job to Miranda Priestly, a demanding and intimidating editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine. Yet, the character of Priestly, played by Streep, was far removed from her usual sprightly roles, with the actor suffering on set.
Getting into the role physically and mentally, Streep reflected on her time on the film in an interview with Entertainment Weekly from back in 2021. “It was horrible!” she stated, “I was [miserable] in my trailer. I could hear them all rocking and laughing. I was so depressed! I said, ‘Well, it’s the price you pay for being boss!’ That’s the last time I ever attempted a Method thing!”.
Her co-star in the movie, Emily Blunt, also recalled how much Streep hated the part, stating in an interview with The Herald, “I remember talking to Meryl Streep when we did Devil Wears Prada, and she said it was her least favourite role, because you’re devoid of any softness or emotion really, and I understand that”.
Take a look at a clip of Streep from The Devil Wears Prada below.
