The Oscar-nominated movie Meryl Streep still sadly regrets: “It wasn’t enough”
Even the greatest actors have regrets about certain entries in their filmography. These regrets can stem from various reasons: perhaps the film underperformed, or it did well, but the actor disliked their own performance, or a mix of other factors. But what is there to argue when an actor regrets a role in a movie that not only performed exceptionally well but also earned them critical acclaim for that very performance?
This is the perplexing question surrounding Meryl Streep and her thoughts on The French Lieutenant’s Woman, in which she played the titular role as well as the actor in the parallel story in the film adaptation of the classic. The picture was acclaimed upon release and garnered five Oscar nominations, one of which included heralding Streep’s performance.
During an interview with Time, Streep spoke in length about her role in the film and why she signed up. Reading the book “elicited an emotional reaction” and subsequently made her “determined to re-create it for someone else through thinking and design, thought and craft”. This can be seen in her performance, where she speaks more through her eyes, as seen in the iconic opening scene. Her nuance forces the viewer to read between the lines, like the fine prose that spawned the movie.
However, she also argued that upon watching her performance in the feature, she did regret her visual aesthetic. “I couldn’t help wishing that I was more beautiful,” she said. “There comes a point when you have to look the part, especially in movies. In Victorian literature, passion, an illicit feeling, was always represented by darkness. I’m so fair that dark hair makes me look like some old fish, so I opted for auburn hair instead. I really wished I was the kind of actress who could have just stood there and said it all.”
While Meryl Streep insists her apprehension isn’t a reflection of insecurity, stating, “I know I’m good-looking enough to play any of the women I usually play as individuals in the world,” she also believes that, for the character of Sarah Woodruff, “a character with her intense beauty, it wasn’t enough.” This quote highlights Streep’s dedication to her craft and her commitment to embodying Sarah in a way that goes beyond surface-level traits, reflecting her pursuit of deeper authenticity in her performances.
It is important to note that Streep had many other works before this one; she won the Academy Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for Kramer vs. Kramer and was highly esteemed going into the project. Her thoughts on her performance in The French Lieutenant’s Woman underscore the painful reality of what is termed as “right” for a character, especially one that was introduced in book form and now onto the silver screen.
In a postmortem interview with Graham Norton years later, she revealed, “Part of it was, the structure of it was sort of artificial because I was the actress playing The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” she said. “At the same time, I was an American actress playing a British woman.” She added, “I didn’t feel I was living it. You always want to do something better after the fact.”
