What is Meryl Streep’s most well-known performance? Kramer vs. Kramer as Joanna? In Sophie’s Choice as the desperate mother? It could be Miranda Priestley from The Devil Wears Prada, but we think it’s Miranda Priestley from The Devil Wears Prada! You might disagree if you want, but you should know that this one performance emptied her totally. In fact, Streep’s performance as Priestley was so poor that she chose to change her entire professional path. Who’d have guessed?
Meryl Streep Has Never Been the Same Since The Devil Wears Prada
Rare Role For Her
Miranda Priestly is one of Streep’s few antihero roles, and she excels in it. While she is an interesting – and even hilarious – figure to observe, you do not want to come into contact with her. Remember how she makes Andy’s life a living misery for the rest of the film? That was her goal, after all. She, too, has a real-life role model who inspires her.
Rare Role For Her
Taking The Character In A New Direction
Yes, the actual Priestley is Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who is widely regarded as one of the most powerful women in the fashion industry. Lauren Weisberger was inspired to write the book on which the film is based by her past experiences working as Wintour’s assistant, which she had prior to writing the book. For her part, actress Meryl Streep transformed the role in an entirely new way.
Taking The Character In A New Direction
A Different Take
In 2021, Streep revealed the news at an Entertainment Weekly cast reunion, which she attended. The actress revealed that she was not interested in making a biopic of Anna. Her job in her company piqued my interest, so I inquired. “I wanted to take on the responsibilities she had to bear, as well as the responsibility of having to look presentable every day.”
A Different Take
A Dreadful Role
The filmmakers were also apprehensive about inciting Wintour’s fury, to say nothing of their own. The Devil Wears Prada was quickly abandoned by those in the editorial circle as soon as the plot of the film was revealed. “I had a tremendous amount of difficulty finding anyone in the fashion world who would talk to me,” Aline Brosh McKenna, a screenwriter, told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s because people were afraid of Anna and Vogue and didn’t want to be blackballed,” says the author.
A Dreadful Role
Too Nice
she said, “There was one person who came up to me and said, ‘The people in this movie are too nice,’ and I will never reveal his or her name. He or she read it and said, ‘The people in this movie are too nice,’ and I will never reveal his or her name.” There is no one on that planet who is too polite. They are not required to be, and they do not have the time to be.’ Following that, I made a trip through the crowd to make everyone a little busier and meaner.”
Too Nice
Everyone Is Afraid Of Her
The word “meaner” sprang to me as the best description. “I’m scared of her,” writer Plum Sykes remarked about Wintour in the BBC documentary Boss Woman, which aired in 2000. Everyone is frightened of her. Due to the fact that she is so wonderful, she is a scary person.” As she said further, “Anna would never specify exactly how you need to appear in her office, but I know that if I went into her office I would need to wear high heels and be well-groomed in order to appear ‘fashionable.'”
Everyone Is Afraid Of Her
Everyone Wanted To Make Her Happy
“You just knew the people who worked at Vogue were dedicated and professional,” said model Gisele Bündchen, who played Serena in the film, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly ahead of the reunion. Anna had the final say, and everyone wanted to please her…but that’s true for everyone in any situation. “Who doesn’t want to be liked by their superiors?” That may have been the tagline for the movie.
Everyone Wanted To Make Her Happy
She Wasn’t Offended
The video did not offend Anna Wintour, however, when it was first released, according to the fashion designer. “Anything that makes fashion entertaining, glamorous, and interesting is wonderful for our industry,” the scary editor declared to ABC News in 2006. As a result, I was completely behind it.”
She Wasn’t Offended
She Attended The Screening.
Wintour attended a viewing of the film in May 2006, and she raved about it. The actress, who talked to Entertainment Weekly, stated that “Anna attended the first screening in New York.” She sat just in front of me and David [Frankel] with her daughter, and she was dressed in Prada, which demonstrated that she has a tremendous sense of humor!”
She Attended The Screening.
She Liked Streep’s Portrayal
Wintour was pleased with Streep’s portrayal of the character that was based on her. During an interview with ABC News, she noted, “I believe it is actually beneficial to the people with whom you are working to be able to make decisions.” So, if Meryl appeared to be a little intimidating, I understand.” But what did Meryl Streep have to say about it?
She Liked Streep’s Portrayal
Interesting Take
Streep had a lot to say in the article on the cast reunion that appeared in Entertainment Weekly. Miranda Priestley was a distasteful, if fascinating, individual who had some interesting opinions about her own personality. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” she thought to herself. “I liked that there was no flinching when it came to the most horrible aspects of her.”
Interesting Take
She Helped Out Anne Hathaway
In fact, it turns out that Meryl Streep played a crucial role in Anne Hathaway’s casting as Andy, the harried assistant. Hathaway was keen to land the role, but the studio was hesitant to cast her. They didn’t want to eat at Hathaway because it was known for more kid-friendly meals. Rachel McAdams was approached three times about the role, but she turned it down each time.
She Helped Out Anne Hathaway
She Was Great
During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, filmmaker David Frankel stated that “Brokeback Mountain was about to be released.” Annie played a beautiful, albeit minor, role in that. And after watching that sequence from the movie, Meryl met with her and called up Tom Rothman at Fox to tell him, “Yeah, this girl’s great, and I think we’ll get along well.”
She Was Great
Overjoyed
When she found out she had been cast in the part, she was overjoyed. “I remember the exact moment I found out I’d gotten the part; I just ran screaming through my apartment,” she told the publication. My friends were around at the time, and I simply jumped up in the living room and screamed, ‘I’m going to be in The Devil Wears Prada!’ I had a number of pals over at the time. And, of course, she owed a debt of gratitude to her co-star.
Overjoyed
White Hair
Streep also persuaded the studio to allow Miranda Priestley to have white hair, which was a first for the actress. ‘Meryl informed me that she [wanted] to have white hair,’ said Patricia Field, the costume designer, according to Entertainment Weekly. ‘I’m not sure I can persuade [the producers],’ I told Meryl. They have it in their heads that white hair is the same as gray hair.
White Hair
‘It’s Going To Be Great’
“Meryl and J. Roy Helland, who’s been by her side for the majority of her career, came up with the look, which we weren’t expecting,” Elizabeth Gabler, the former president of Fox 2000, told the magazine. Her words were simple: “Don’t be concerned, my girls; this is what I’m going to do, and it’s going to be fantastic.”
‘It’s Going To Be Great’
Method Acting
In the words of David Frankel, “The first time Meryl was Miranda Priestly was during a meeting with the head of the studio. ” In that meeting, Meryl channeled Miranda, and there was no discussion over the hair; they just stared into Meryl’s eyes and didn’t say anything.” Streep was quite methodical in her performance.
Method Acting
Character Has Always Remained
Throughout the film, Streep also used method acting techniques. Even when the cameras weren’t filming, she maintained her Miranda Priestley persona at all times. Because that’s what her character did to their characters, she maintained a professional distance from her co-stars Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway, even appearing chilly to them at times.
Character Has Always Remained
Not The Most Fun
As Blunt said to Entertainment Weekly, “Meryl is such a gregarious and fun-loving person that it wasn’t the most enjoyable experience for her to be removed from the situation.” It wasn’t that she was unapproachable; you could walk up to her and say, ‘Oh my God, the funniest thing just occurred,’ and she’d listen, but I’m not sure it was the most enjoyable experience for her to be on set in that manner.”
Not The Most Fun
Full Of Gratitude
The same ideas raced through Hathaway’s head, but she was full of admiration for Streep’s performance. “I did feel intimidated at times,” she admitted to the publication. “But I always felt cared for.” “I was aware that whatever she was doing to instill fear in me, I appreciated [because] I was aware that she was keeping an eye on me,” I recall thinking.
Full Of Gratitude
Bringing More Out Of Her
When Miranda says she’s “disappointing” to Andy, it’s a scene that Hathaway recalls, “The pressure really got to me, and I’d had such emotional fluidity up until that point, but it just wasn’t there anymore.” When I was younger, I had the privilege of watching [her] watch me perform, and she tweaked [her] performance ever so slightly, and it just made it a little bit different, and it got a little bit more out of me.”
Bringing More Out Of Her
Discussing Her Performance
During the cast reunion with Entertainment Weekly, Hathaway discussed her time working with Meryl Streep on The Devil Wears Prada, which was not the first time she had mentioned it. This is due to her appearance in 2014 on The Graham Norton Show, where she mentioned how well she and her method acting co-star got along back in the day.
Discussing Her Performance
Last Time She Saw ‘Meryl’
“When I first met [Streep], she greeted me with a huge hug,” Hathaway recounted. In the meantime, [A]I’m thinking to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re going to have the best time on this movie.’ She says, ‘Ah honey, that’s the last time I’ll be nice to you,’ and she walks away. Afterward, she walked into her trailer and came out dressed as the ice queen, and that was essentially the last time I saw ‘Meryl’ for several months until we began promoting the picture.”
Last Time She Saw ‘Meryl’
Terrified Of Streep
For a long time, Hathaway was afraid of Streep’s presence on the screen. During a 2018 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she stated, “There’s a scene where Andy and Miranda are getting out of a car… Now, Meryl was a bit of an island unto herself while we were filming this, so I didn’t get to spend a lot of time talking to her. In exchange for sitting in a car with her, though, I was going to get a complete scene. And I was just freaked out.”
Terrified Of Streep
Impressing Her
The actress continued, “And you have to understand, things like communicating might be difficult for me… And so, I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity.’ The actress Meryl Streep is someone I’m going to have to talk to.’ But I couldn’t just sit there and chat to her. I couldn’t simply exist as a person. “I needed to make a good impression on her.”
Impressing Her
Trying To Talk To Streep
Despite throwing multiple conversation starters at Streep, the younger actress claims that none of them were successful. “And if you’re anxious and you force yourself to talk to someone, being met with silence feels like being thrown into a demonic pit,” she went on to say. “It’s really bad.” Finally, she attempted to bring up Jon Stewart’s name.
Trying To Talk To Streep
She Finally Reacted
In an alleged exchange with Streep, Hathaway is reported to have remarked, “Did you happen to catch the Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night?” I think he’s very amazing, and I believe this. “I believe he is saving the United States.” In the aftermath of the incident, Hathaway claimed she sat “in the silence, thinking my life was over.” However, in an unexpected change of events, Streep responded by declaring, “No, I don’t think Jon Stewart will be able to save America.” “Stephen Colbert, I believe, is.” Colbert, unsurprisingly, was enthralled with this.
She Finally Reacted
She Was Dissatisfied With How She Acted
While Streep was pleased with her performance on the Prada set, she was displeased with her behavior offset. There is absolutely no way, shape, or form. According to Entertainment Weekly, “It was a terrible experience! In my trailer, I was in a state of [miserable]. I could hear them all laughing and rocking back and forth. I was in such a bad mood! ‘Well, it’s the price you pay for being in charge,’ I explained. The last time I did a Method thing was back in high school!”
She Was Dissatisfied With How She Acted
A Different Approach
The actress has expressed a diminished interest in method acting since then. She now appears to be restricting herself to approaches that solely have an effect on her and not on her fellow actors. Among other things, she spent six months learning how to correctly play the guitar for the 2015 film Ricki and the Flash, all in the sake of authenticity.
A Different Approach
Going All Out
Furthermore, Meryl Streep, in classic Meryl Streep flair, went all out for the occasion. She was so focused on portraying a rock star in a realistic manner that she had considerable bodily discomfort in the process. During one of her performances, Streep approached director Jonathan Demme and confessed that she had worked herself so hard that her fingertips were bleeding.
Going All Out
In Danger
However, Streep has also been on the receiving end of people’s method acting, and knowing the specifics makes it even less unexpected that she decided to forego the practice altogether. Consider what happened to her in 1994 while she was filming The River Wild: she came perilously near to being killed in a terrifying situation. Yikes!
In Danger
Exhausted
Because the director insisted on a stunt that Streep was unable to perform due to exhaustion. The actress jumped on a boat and started paddling down the river, but the boat flipped over and she was nearly drowned. When she was freed from prison in 1994, she notified the Orlando Sentinel newspaper, and she told the director, “I really feel quite certain that if I say that I’m too tired to do something, that we have to assume that I’m telling the truth.”
Exhausted
Pushing Her Over The Edge
Another event occurred when she was filming one of her prior projects, which she chose not to disclose. Dustin Hoffman, who played Streep’s co-star in the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer, employed the approach to mercilessly drive her over the precipice. More information regarding what transpired has become accessible throughout the years as more witnesses have come forward.
Pushing Her Over The Edge
Taking It Too Far
Hoffman and Streep’s characters were going to be having a heated exchange in one of the film’s early sequences. In contrast, Hoffman is alleged to have gone too far and slapped Streep in the face, leaving a visible red mark. Her actions might have been reported because it was serious enough, according to Vanity Fair writer Michael Schulman, but she chose not to do so.
Taking It Too Far
Bringing Her Boyfriend Up
If that wasn’t terrible enough, Hoffman is said to have brought up Streep’s ex-boyfriend John Cazale, who had recently passed away, to make matters worse. He did this, it appears, in order to make her feel uncomfortable and angry in the way her character should be. The film’s famous courtroom sequence is said to have been inspired by him whispering Cazale’s name in Streep’s ear before the start of the film.
Bringing Her Boyfriend Up
Pleasant Off-Camera
It goes without saying that this is a long cry from the method acting that Streep displayed on the set of The Devil Wears Prada. No matter how far she was away from her co-stars, they all understood why she was acting the way she was, and none of them expressed displeasure with her choices. In fact, several articles are written about her because of her friendliness and pleasantness when she is not on camera.
Pleasant Off Camera
A Lovely Person
During an appearance on the talk show Sunday Today in 2018, Emily Blunt stated, “There was this crazy moment when I [finished] and I remember seeing [Streep] across the parking lot.” She burst out of her trailer, her wig no longer in place. She was just known as Meryl. She was dressed casually in a puffy jacket. She said, ‘You were fantastic,’ and I was just like [crying] and I just started to sob a little bit. “It was a sad situation.”
A Lovely Person
They’re Still Friends
Aside from that, Hathaway and Streep are still friends, which should thrill Devil Wears Prada fans given the on-screen chemistry between the two. In 2011, the Kennedy Center honored Streep with a large memorial show, and Hathaway led the cast of the film in a homage called “She’s Me Pal.” which was written by Hathaway.
They’re Still Friends
What’s Next?
It’s possible that as a result of this, you’re wondering whether or not there will ever be a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada. Streep, Hathaway, and Blunt have all remarked that they believe the picture works best as a stand-alone, but that they would like to collaborate with the same ensemble again in the future if the opportunity presented itself. The fact that Streep froze out her co-stars on this picture just demonstrates her tremendous acting talent, which allows her to transform into a completely different person depending on the job! On the sets of the Mamma Mia! films, she was a completely different person.
What’s Next?
Mamma Mia!
In 2008, Streep starred in the musical romantic comedy Mamma Mia!, which was a critical and commercial triumph. Along with Amanda Seyfried, the duo received acclaim for their outstanding performances, and the ABBA songs featured in the film were a huge hit with audiences. It’s astonishing how Streep can go from portraying a cruel boss in one film to playing a doting mother who is trying to keep a business running while still raising a daughter in another. Her breadth of experience is just remarkable.
Mamma Mia, Here We Go Again!
Natural Singer
Not only is Meryl Streep an excellent actor, but she is also an excellent singer! Streep performed all of her singing in the film in an honest manner, and she did an excellent job with the ABBA songs. This wasn’t the first time that Meryl had the opportunity to showcase her singing abilities on the big screen..
Natural Singer
Other Singing Roles
Not only was Meryl’s singing in Mamma Mia! a highlight of her career, but she also excelled in other films such as The Prom, Postcards from the Edge, and Into the Woods. Of course, the Den of Geek thinks Streep’s best on-screen performance is in “Mamma Mia” but the second-best performance is in “I’m Checking Out” from Postcards Edge. Meryl’s first significant musical performance occurred during the film’s premiere.
Other Singing Roles
She’s Checking Out
The song “I’m Checking Out” from the hit drama-comedy Postcards from the Edge was Streep’s first major musical performance. In Postcards from the Edge, Carrie Fisher explores her personal relationship with her movie star mother, Debbie Reynolds, in a candid and occasionally caustic exercise in getting things off her chest. The film is loosely and nakedly based on Carrie Fisher’s personal relationship with her movie star mother Debbie Reynolds. Fisher also wanted to clear the air about her mother’s plan to urge her to pursue a career in music, which had been a source of contention. The fictional Suzanne Vale (Streep) was able to yield to her mother Doris Mann because Fisher permitted her to do so in her own life as she fought for her mother in her own (Shirley MacLaine).
She’s Checking Out
Into The Woods
A witch on a quest for eternal youth, Meryl Streep starred as the title character in the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s renowned musical, which featured multiple solo performances by the actress. “Stay With Me,” is a song performed by Meryl Streep in the film, and her performance as The Witch earned her critical praise and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Susan Wloszczyna of RogerEbert.com praised Streep’s performances of the songs “Stay with Me” and “Last Midnight” stating that she “practically everyone else in the dust and by design.” during her performances.
Into The Woods
Ricki And The Flash
Richard Gere as Ricki, an aging rocker who longs to reunite with the grown children she abandoned, in this non-musical that was dripping with song. Meryl Streep also appeared as Ricki. It was the sight of Meryl Streep jamming on an electric guitar while wearing her crazy hair, blue eye shadow, and high-heeled Doc Martens that was the best part, in our opinion.
Ricki And The Flash
The Deer Hunter
When Streep received her first-ever Academy Award nomination for The Deer Hunter, she was just 29 years old. It also happened to be the first time we ever saw her sing on camera: during an uncomfortable dinner scene, she yells out “America, God Bless You.” Following their service in the Vietnam War, three Russian-American steelworkers find their lives irreversibly changed. This 1978 war drama gained critical praise and revolved around the characters they played.
The Deer Hunter
Music Of The Heart
While she doesn’t sing in this film, Streep does perform on the violin, which she perfected over the course of a month by practicing for six hours every day. In time, she developed to the point where she could compete with symphonic veterans such as Joshua Bell and Isaac Stern in competitions.
Music Of The Heart
Ironweed
Streep, who played Helen Archer, a washed-up radio singer in this Great Depression-era film, sang “She’s Me Pal” on stage in a half-imagined scene inside a bar in this film about the Great Depression. At the Kennedy Center Honors in 2011, Streep’s Devil Wears Prada co-star Anne Hathaway sang a rendition of the song in her honor, titled “She’s Me Pal.” which was written in her honor.
Ironweed
Postcards from the Edge
We’ve already talked a little bit about this picture, which features one of Meryl’s most memorable on-screen performances. The original song “I’m Checking Out” as well as Ray Charles’ “You Don’t Know Me” were performed by Streep and the band Blue Rodeo in the film Postcards from the Edge, in which she starred as the daughter of a famous Hollywood figure who overdoses and ends up in rehabilitation. She was scheduled to perform “I’m Checking Out” at the Academy Awards, but she was unable to do so due to her pregnancy. Reba McEntire, on the other hand, took her position on the Academy Awards stage.
Postcards From The Edge
Death Becomes Her
During the filming of Death Becomes Her, Streep played the role of a fiancée-stealing Broadway actress who started the dark comedy with a leading lady-worthy performance. Death Becomes Her was a financial success at the box office, grossing $149 million worldwide on a $55 million budget. The film was a pioneer in the use of computer-generated effects, and it was awarded the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects as a result of its achievements. Death Becomes Her has amassed a significant cult following in the decades after its release, with an especially strong presence among members of the LGBT community.
Death Becomes Her
A Prairie Home Companion
Streep appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, where she sang a duet with another movie star, Lily Tomlin, on the song “My Minnesota Home,” which was played after the final broadcast of a radio variety program in Minneapolis.
A Prairie Home Companion
Florence Foster Jenkins
It looks like you won’t have to wait until Mary Poppins Returns is released in December 2018 to hear Meryl Streep sing once more. Florence Foster Jenkins is a film in which Meryl Streep showcases her singing abilities, and we were fortunate enough to get another chance to watch this in action in Florence Foster Jenkins, which we absolutely loved. The film, in which Meryl Streep portrays an aspiring (but untalented) opera singer, was released in 2016 and stars Meryl Streep. Florence was infamous for being a lousy singer, so don’t expect her to perform in the same manner that Streep does in her films. We’re guessing it’s still Meryl singing… for the time being.
Florence Foster Jenkins
Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!
Despite the fact that Streep’s character died and she was given a smaller role in this picture, she was nominated for an Academy Award. “Meryl, she doesn’t do sequels, and she wanted to be a part of [Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again], so I decided to kill her off,” Oliver Parker said after deciding to kill Donna and informing her of the decision: “Meryl, she doesn’t do sequels, and she wanted to be a part of [Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again].” “She’s incredibly proud of [the first film]—she had a wonderful time, and all of that—so she wanted to be in it, but she also wanted it to have an impact on the audience.”
Mamma Mia Here We Go Again!
Future Films?
Although Streep has not been confirmed to appear in any new films, she has been cast in the upcoming Apple TV+ anthology series Extrapolations. We don’t expect her to have much of an opportunity to sing in the film, which is mostly concerned with climate change, but we can hope that she will be placed in singing roles in other projects in the future!
Future Films?