Did Katharine Hepburn hate Meryl Streep?
Katharine Hepburn, one of the most celebrated actors of her generation, made a lasting mark on the world of cinema with her distinctive voice, sharp wit, and unforgettable roles. As an actor from Hollywood‘s Golden Age, Hepburn’s approach to the craft was distinct and deeply rooted in a time where on-screen charisma and naturalism took precedence over formal technique.
In stark contrast, Meryl Streep, another powerhouse of the cinematic world, emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the latter half of the 20th century, and she continues to give incredible performances even now. Streep’s versatility, seamlessly able to play a strict Catholic nun or a slick titan of the fashion industry, is a hallmark of her craft. For the last 30 years of Hepburn’s life, she would have been well aware of Streep’s growing prestige. And yet, kept privately until after her death, it would seem that she had no regard for her as actor whatsoever.
In a fascinating revelation from the book Kate Remembered, released in 2003 by Pulitzer-prize-winning biographer Scott Berg, it seems Hepburn had reservations about some of the contemporary actors of her later years – especially Streep. Based on two decades of conversations between Berg and Hepburn, this posthumous release captures the screen legend’s frank opinions on a whole range of subjects, including her views on the changing dynamics of Hollywood.
Her least favourite was Streep. The primary source of her grievance seemed to centre around the notion that Streep was “too cerebral and over-reliant on technique”. In Hepburn’s eyes, this approach perhaps lacked the raw quality she valued in acting. Having dominated the screen for several decades, she made history in 1982 by setting the record for the most ‘Best Actress’ Oscar nominations – with a whopping 12. This would have been a great source of pride for her after wrangling the title from Bette Davis, another Golden Age icon with ten nominations. Davis was, and still is, frequently cited as the greatest female actor in the entire history of cinema.
You can imagine Hepburn’s outrage when Davis sent Streep a letter on her deathbed in 1989, declaring the Kramer vs Kramer actor her “worthy successor.” For Hepburn, this was too much. “Meryl Streep was [Hepburn’s] least favourite actress onscreen,” Berg writes in Kate Remembered. It seems that Hepburn was fixated on Streep, utterly dumbfounded by the praise of an actor she deemed sub-par. Berg recalls Hepburn deriding Streep’s technique: “‘Click, click, click,’ she said, referring to the wheels turning inside [Streep’s] head.”
Although cruel, her comments provide a fascinating insight into a waning star witnessing the culture and climate of her industry change before her very eyes. She may not have hated Streep personally, but she certainly didn’t care for the performances she was giving. In retrospect, it’s probably good that Hepburn wasn’t alive to witness Streep beat her record with an astonishing 21 nominations in 2018.
Despite the apparent issues from Hepburn, Streep remained respectful and paid tribute after receiving her ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from the American Film Institute in 2004. Speaking to IMDB, she displayed sincere humility and embarrassment at having won the award that so many great female actors before her hadn’t. “I felt like I’d butted in line in front of Lucille Ball, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn,” Streep said. “Hello? How did this happen?”
