The role that swore Meryl Streep off method acting forever: “I won’t do this again”
Posted On
(Credits: 20th Century Fox)
Method acting has caused continuous arguments in Hollywood for decades, with some people believing that it can assist award-winning performances, while others are of the opinion that if you need to method act, you’re just not that good. However, levels of method acting can vary from role to role, and some forms are considerably more acceptable than others.
Take Daniel Day-Lewis, for example. While he is lauded as one of the greatest actors of all time, he has achieved many of his acclaimed performances by going to extreme lengths. When he starred in My Left Foot, the actor was required to play a man who had cerebral palsy and was only able to move one foot. Thus, he asked to be carried around the set, pushed in a wheelchair, and even spoonfed so that he could get into character.
Some actors don’t agree with this kind of behaviour, though, with Mads Mikkelsen telling GQ Magazine, “It’s just pretentious” and “bullshit“. However, some method acting is a lot more tame, like when Meryl Streep tried to stay in character as much as possible while filming The Devil Wears Prada.
The comedy-drama, released in 2006, was a hit sensation, even spawning a musical. It proved to be Anne Hathaway’s key to breaking into the world of adult roles following a successful tenure in films aimed at younger audiences like The Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted, and Hoodwinked.
Hathaway played Andy Sachs, a journalist who ends up securing a job as an assistant to the Anna Wintour-esque Miranda Priestly, a cutthroat editor-in-chief at a high-fashion magazine. With a lack of style or knowledge of fashion, Andy soon attempts to assimilate into a world that previously frowned upon her.
Miranda is a terrific villain, delivering countless quotes that are both ruthless and hilarious. Played by Streep, the role changed from many of her previous performances, yet it still landed her an Oscar nomination, proving her to be a versatile actor who is able to adapt to any genre. To fully embody the demanding, judgemental and hilariously catty magazine editor, Streep stayed in character when she wasn’t acting, which meant that she missed out on much of the fun that the other cast members had off-screen.
Talking to Variety, Hathaway revealed, “You know, I think [Meryl] always wanted to join in on the fun with us. She kept herself so in character,” with Emily Blunt, who played Emily Charlton, continuing, “Do you know she’s never done method acting since? She said it made her so miserable on this one, because we were all having a party on the other side of the set. And she was like, ‘I won’t do this again.’”
Streep has opened up about her hatred of method acting in the past, telling Entertainment Weekly, “It was horrible! I was [miserable] in my trailer. I could hear them all rocking and laughing. I was so depressed! I said, ‘Well, it’s the price you pay for being boss.’”
She added, “That’s the last time I ever attempted a method thing!”
[embedded content]
Related Topics
