The only actor who intimidates Meryl Streep: “It goes away in the process of working”
Meryl Streep is a master of acting, known for her constant stream of versatile performances and ability to play both light and dark, defining decades of cinematic history through her record-breaking roles.
Over the years, many people have quizzed the actor on her creative approach and generosity in lending herself completely to each character, embodying the true spirit of a range of complicated and vulnerable people that Streep realises in all their contradictions and multitudes. There aren’t that many actors who can be compared to Streep, but she revealed one person who intimidates her most, which might be the most revealing statement she’s made about her approach to performing.
There have been countless actors who have shared extensive descriptions and stories about their creative process, sometimes going into painstaking detail about their preparation for a role. People like Daniel Day-Lewis and Jared Leto have described their use of the controversial method approach that has sparked an endless conversation about the justification for such an extreme technique, leading people to mail dead rats to co-stars and maintain a perpetually foul mood for the sake of ‘staying in character’.
While some prefer to literally lose themselves in the role, actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield prefer to find themselves in their characters, looking for an idea or quality they most relate to and delve into their own psyche to flesh out someone they wouldn’t normally relate to.
However, there are some who seek to better themselves through the process of comparison, finding inspiration from artists they admire and feel intimidated by in order to inform their own work, which is something that Streep has found crucial in improving her craft. However, the person Streep uses as a measuring stick for success might surprise you, with the actor explaining, “I’m intimidated by me. I’m intimidated by the thing that they say is me. But it goes away in the process of working. Actors really do want to clear away everything that is extraneous, so we get to it quickly enough”.
While it sounds unconventional, the answer highlights Streep’s strengths as an actor and what sets her apart from so many other performers in Hollywood. Acting is sometimes pursued as a method of gaining attention and fame, with some being less motivated by the inner world and complexities of the character and more motivated by a need for external validation and fuelling the self.
However, Streep is unbothered by external input and strives to completely detach from herself, understanding that in order to embody another person, the biggest obstacle is herself. According to Streep, the biggest obstacle as an actor is learning to disregard your own inner world and identity in order to make way for someone else, understanding that the roots of your own personality is the most intimidating barrier in the way of a convincing performance.
Many artists are plagued by a sense of competition and comparison with other people in the industry, especially in a creative world that is becoming increasingly difficult to break into. But perhaps if we take a leaf from Streep’s book, we can learn to understand that it is not helpful to dwell on the work of other people when honing our own style, and once we eliminate the our own fears and inhibitions, we can truly immerse ourselves in our craft.
