Sheโs widely regarded as the greatest female actor of all time, and Meryl Streepโs career is chock full of masterful movie hits. Whether it is the critically acclaimed and generational Sophieโs Choice or the equally culturally relevant touchstone of The Devil Wears Prada, Streep has one of the most definitive filmographies in modern cinema. However, she is not without her missteps.
During a conversation with TV host Graham Norton, Streep once revealed the performance she regretted most. The role she despised the most was in Karel Reiszโs 1981 drama The French Lieutenantโs Woman. โIโm giving myself an out, but part of it was the structure of it,โ Streep told Norton on his BBC show. โIt was sort of artificial because I was the actress playing The French Lieutenantโs Woman. At the same time, I was an American actress playing a British woman.โโI was young and new at this,โ Streep added, discussing her limited experience at the time. โI didnโt feel like I was living it. You always want to do something better after the fact.โ
While this movie may go down as a particularly bad effort from the three-time Academy Award winner, the movie didnโt make her want to quit acting. That may seem like a melodramatic reaction to having a bad turn on screen, but thatโs the exact way Streep felt when she appeared in her debut movie Julia opposite Jane Fonda.
Streep was just a fledgling actor when she got the gig for Julia, a 1977 Fred Zinneman period piece starring Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Fonda. It was a big break for the soon-to-be star as she took up a role in a pivotal in a flashback scene. The cameo is a short and not-so-sweet one, however, with many of the scenes Streep originally filmed cut from the final production.
Unfortunately, the scene that wasnโt ripped from the reel left Streep feeling like she shouldnโt continue her career as an actor. She told Karin Longworth in her book Meryl Streep: Anatomy of an Actor: โI had a bad wig and they took the words from the scene I shot with Jane and put them in my mouth in a different scene. I thought, โIโve made a terrible mistake, no more movies. I hate this business.โโ
The movie would go on to earn three Academy Awards โBest Actor in a Supporting Roleโ for Jason Robards, โBest Actress in a Supporting Roleโ for Vanessa Redgrave, and โBest Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Mediumโ. While it still held painful memories for Streep, it wouldnโt hold her back from forging a career that few can argue with, becoming one of the most acclaimed actors in the world.
Watch the trailer for Julia below.
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