The movie Meryl Streep regrets: “I felt I completely failed”
Among the most successful Hollywood icons currently active in the industry, Meryl Streep has developed a global reputation for delivering flawless performances in every project she signs up for. Ranging from her early work in masterpieces such as The Deer Hunter to relatively recent outings in movies like Don’t Look Up, Streep’s body of work is a constant source of inspiration for anyone who harbours dreams of making it in the business as an actor.
For someone of Streep’s stature, the thought process that goes into accepting a screenplay is always extensive. During a conversation about her career, the legendary actor revealed that it is a prerequisite for her to connect to the material on a fundamental level before deciding to join the production. This connection is the basis on which she builds her character work, expanding on parts of herself that already exist to fill the role.
Streep explained: “I’m not sure that falling in love with the character is the way to talk about what needs to happen. There has to be some recognition when you first read the material that occurs at a level that’s not from the neck up. A sort of concord within your soul, a deep recognition of something you understand about this character that feels like you on some level, even if it’s perfectly horrible. It’s just, you recognise yourself somewhere.”
However, when that doesn’t happen, it can result in a flawed interpretation of the script that detracts from the movie as a whole. While there are far too few missteps in Streep’s highly acclaimed career, fans can definitely think of instances where it was apparent that she wasn’t too attached to the source material. In the same interview, the actor provided an example of this lack of connection by citing Robert Benton’s Still of the Night.
While talking about the movie, she said: “I felt I completely failed in a film called Still of the Night, which was right after I’d shot Kramer vs. Kramer with Robert Benton. He was the director and he’s a wonderful director and… it was a film that was noir, which is not a genre that I have an affinity for because I was asked really just to be mysterious and beautiful. The more I realised that was the job, the more I felt like I couldn’t do it.”
The 1982 neo-noir tells the story of a therapist who develops an attraction to his patient who has dangerous tendencies. Designed as a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock’s cinematic gems, it failed to highlight Streep’s numerous talents.
Watch the full interview below.
