(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Fri 13 March 2026 19:15, UK
As one of the most legendary and versatile actors of our entire generation, Meryl Streep has done just about everything you could think of.
From the more serious dramas to musical comedies, Streep has checked just about everything off every actor’s bucket list, all while earning her place as one of the most significant and authentic voices in the process, because after all, Streep’s unmatched talent is one thing, but so too is her ability to speak up when she feels particularly strongly about something.
For instance, a true testament to Streep’s appreciation for honest and authentic storytelling is her aversion to unnecessary special effects, which she previously revealed when reflecting on her experience in Robert Zemeckis’ Death Becomes Her – during the movie, the special effects were so intense that she made a vow never to be involved with such a project ever again.
“I think it’s tedious,” she said, adding that her main gripe was that it severs the “connection” between the concept and the comedy, leaving her standing there “like a piece of machinery”, and while she liked parts of the end product, the experience itself was enough for her to change her mind about ever stepping into those shoes again.
That said, these experiences are neither here nor there when Streep places more of her attention on the things that matter, like the actors and pieces of art that she does like, many of which shaped her own approach not only as an actor but as someone who understood the different nuances of storytelling and how to bring them to life on screen.
For instance, she previously discussed how actors like Robert De Niro, Katharine Hepburn and Judy Holliday were her main idols, particularly De Niro, who taught her how to exist in the moment and take the audience on a journey with the more subtle acting choices. “He’s so meticulous, and he’s very committed to the moment that happens,” she once said.
While Streep has no doubt worked with most of her favourite actors, even the ones she never in a million years thought she’d ever cross paths with, like one of her absolute heroes, Jeff Bridges. Streep managed to co-star with Bridges for 2014’s dystopian fantasy The Giver, in which she was able to live out two of her fantasies – step into the role of a leader, and work alongside one of the greats.
“I’d always wanted to work with this gentleman here,” Streep said at a conference in New York following the film’s release. “My entire career, I never got the chance [to work with Bridges]. Somehow, he managed to elude me,” she added, claiming that his involvement was “a big part of the draw”.
She also alluded to her love for director Phillip Noyce, though made it clear that Bridges was one of the main reasons why saying yes to the project was a no-brainer. And in the end, the pair of actors ended up being the movie’s saving grace, which ultimately says a lot about what can happen when two of the best names in Hollywood stake their claim on something subpar.