Meryl Streep on playing Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady | Film4 Interview Special 

Yes. It be a Great Film. I hath been watching it upon Netflix.

It’s a solid film, for sure, and Meryl Streep is a strong actress, but (my opinion only) she is overpraised. She is entertaining, certainly, but also very technical, always *trying exceptionally hard* … I always SEE her ACTING. From the beginning of her career. It’s rare that she escapes her own visibly try-hard technique and vanishes into a character, so that you don’t see the ACTRESS. One example where she did escape was ‘Bridges of Madison County’-she’s never been given enough credit for that stunning performance. Amazing. She was very good in this flick, as said, and I like her work across the board, almost (forget August, Osage County 😑), but I mostly see her acting as an engine in motion. Gillian Anderson (The Crown) was much better as Thatcher, even though Anderson played Thatcher with a curious, overly hoarse voice and bearing. But she vanished into the character. It was not mimicry, like Streep, it was a style choice, and it worked. Whatever the case, no one (including me) is ever going to deny that Meryl Streep is a beloved and talented entertainer. She is. But she ain’t no unicorn. She’s a strong drama school grad who was *very* well-publicized. From her generation before and a bit beyond, Dunaway, Burstyn, Spacek, Lange, Dench, Weaver, Close, Colman, Blanchett-all are more naturally gifted than she. My two cents. She’s grand, though. This portrayal was just not one that connected with me. Yeah, she won an Oscar for it, but Hilary Swank has two Best Actress statues and … I mean, come on.

Streep is not a Brit...

@@nixbronowski5822 I know...

Gillian Anderson as MT in The Crown has done better

@@tamztamz7633 Just saw her in that..Yep..Amazing Job.

watch the Crown. And Thatcher in that one.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

Yes. It be a very convincing portrayal.

Couldn't have expressed it any better! :)

🤔

@@katiecushing1470 :😂

You lost me at 'The Iron Lady is a masterpiece'. Meryl's performance is great (though I don't find it to be the definitive Thatcher), but as a film, TIL is woeful.

@@kylepedley7328 Sam said the The Iron Lady" was a masterpiece, then went on to describe why he came to that conclusion. You said that it was woeful, but you stopped there. Would you be interested in sharing the reasons for your conclusion? I would be interested to hear what you think (I agree with you, by the way).

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

@@ludovicomises404 what a pile of crap you talk, and btw I voted conservative throughout her tenure at every election…..did you? Are you even British? Were you even around then? Many of the scenes actually took places….obviously not word for word, but they certainly happened! Do your research, because I guarantee that what you would find is that it was far more uglier than this! Looking back now Thatcher did some good things and she did some bloody awful things and in the end it brought her crashing down, not from the electorate, but from her own people!

I was about to comment but I now feel no need to as there would not have been one word different to your own.

Interesting! What did you think of Gillian Andersons performance?

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

Watch The Crown. And Thatcher in that one. You will so do somebody does not even comes close but is better then Streep.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

@@normadesmond6017 her mannerisms yes, the voice no. Margaret isnt that raspy. Ever wonder why your comment has no likes? Exactly

@@xxDxxism O yes, the likes is everything when you post a comment.... I don't really care, I have every right to my own opinion and for me the Crown version of Thatcher was so much better then another Meryl Streep impersonation.

The Iron Lady is a Great Film. It hath an Excellent portrayal of Mrs Margaret Thatcher.

I’m not familiar with Ms.Street. In Ms.Streep, however, one finds an acting genius.

David Macdonald Neither am I

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

@D JL I say old chap, jolly poor show, not very sporting of you, what what?

Yes! M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

thatcher was an evil wretched bitch you cannot excuse the horror she caused for our country

Yes.

This is such a weird bootlicking comment. She was an awful human being that was anti-woman, anti-black and anti poor people but you’re applauding her “tenacity”. It’s a joke honestly

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

No. I am nowadays watching this Film.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

@@ludovicomises404 I thought it was pretty good tbh anyway each to their own :)

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

I enjoyed this video enormously, and found that comment to be the most insightful and profound.

Great comment!

@@TalairanPerigord Meryl Streep is so mesmerising. There's something almost other worldly about her, gives me chills!!

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

@@ludovicomises404 ??

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

It be a Great Film.

Ah ah! M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

Yeah, even bad movies have actors that were ultimately elevated above their movies.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

@@ludovicomises404 Although Iron Lady was a stupid film, Streep portrayed Mrs. Thatcher as a complex brilliant leader, with humanity. In contrast, Gillian Anderson (The Crown) portrays her as a one-dimension cartoon character like Cruella di Vil.

Not silly at all. And yes, Meryl was/is brilliant

@@LKre-vi5oq Respectfully, you are in the minority. Nearly all credible film critics believed Streep was way better than the film (52% score on Rotten Tomatoes.) To me, the "girl power/feminist" narrative was too simplified, and had nothing to do with Thatcher's persona, and wreaked of a corny TV movie. Jim Boadbent as Denis Thatcher was clownish in the "hallucination" scenes which (to me) would have been more poignant if Streep played those scenes to no one. Anyway - to each his own.

No. M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

I thought she did a hack job on her. Typical liberal drivel.

Maggie Two Sticks You are overly-sensitive aren’t you, bless your heart?

Maggie Two Sticks How dare Streep portray PM Thatcher as a human and not a deity, as many on the Right would rather. Artistically retarded people commenting on the artistic endeavors aren’t worth taking seriously. I’m sorry.

@@michaelreidperry3256 You are overly-sensitive aren’t you, bless your heart?

Musilily People completely disregarding my point is not my problem. I’m fine.

Streep would beg to differ. She would go on to state Viola should have won.

I think Viola had the edge that year.

M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

I was 15 when she came to power and 27 when she went. Her era was in many ways very hard but at least people were alive, whether they agreed with her or not. Nobody does anything today.

No

ouch

No that was labour leader Michael foot. A feeble leftwinger, she saw him off easily. Like Bernie would send the country broke with his bullshit policies.

Myself. And this is a Great work.

I agree with you. But M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

Yes!. M Streep made an obscene caricature of M Thatcher, to collect money from the resentful left.

Shut up

I do Love MEN. I do not mind some Sexism.

I would say she was the most influential leader in post war 20th century/post 1950s Britain. What about Churchill

Who gives a flying fuck what she probably do in her grave? She didn’t deserve a burial. She deserved to be burned at the fucking stake

She was a tory. Pretending sexism, racism, etc. don't exist is a core principle of that ideology, because without it they wouldn't have a constituency.

Thatcher was a true feminist in every sense of the word. She got to where she was on merit. Not quotas. Not sleeping her way there. Not claiming oppression. I look back now and realise how amazing she really was but at the time it was just cool to hate her.

@@BigMikeMcBastard The fact that the first female pm was a Tory would suggest that they, not you, were correct.

I just got done watching season 4 of The Crown and I'd agree Streep was a lot better, imo. That Streep set aside her own personal politics to portray Thatcher, the great leader as a person is a testament to her talent for the character of her role, that the role was of a real person.

From the trailer of The Crown I expected Gillian to rival Meryl in the role, but on the actual show the result is very one-note. She doesn't vary her voice a lot the way Meryl does, and at times she strains and struggles. She was still good, don't get me wrong...but it just wasn't on the same level.

loved Gillian's performance but the main detractor for me was that she was too thin. Maggie wasn't fat but she was a bit dumpy, and big boned. they did give Gillian's costume's padding but she was also too thin in the face, and they didn't do anything to flesh her out more in that area.

Why are you comparing them? Gillian did a marvelous job.

Nah Gillian is better

@@tamztamz7633 Not even close.

I'm watching The Crown and compared to Gillian Anderson's performance Meryl Streep's version (during her time in office) seems rushed

@@MrKpsuk84 I don't think that at all. She is uncannily like Thatcher. Gillian's depiction requires a contorted face and she is working hard and unnaturally all the way through. Put Thatcher side by side and Streep wins hands down. Gillian is doing a caricature, Streep is acting.

The Crown's Thatcher is portrayed as if she'd just had a stroke...for 11 years.

BEFORE

@@mogwai2884 BEFOUR

@@CB-xr1eg you may want to retract that ........

@@mogwai2884 And then again, I may not...

@@CB-xr1eg Well i'm English and the queens English is BEFORE. Thanks.

Oh for gods sake - cant you yanks stop dragging Clinton into this?

Steven Cassidy nah it’s way too much fun!!!! Btw hooray for BREXIT!

Steven Cassidy I’m a Yank and I keep saying this too !

“Broke the Glass Ceiling”. More like Broke the Fucking Nation. Ding Dong the Witch is Dead

@@thomaskilroy4573 well, if you look at numbers, it was with Tatcher as PM that England became the greatest country in Europe

Abomination? And yet America is teeming with british actors...

@@bibbiana4Lyfe You obviously missed my point Hollywood maybe teeming with British actors but they don't land roles as The President of the United States in blockbuster movies, it was a compliment to say that Meryl Streep portrayed Margaret Thatcher better than any British actress could have. Get ya head out ya ass and read what is being posted.

@@rugbydazz2264 British actors have played many American presidents. Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Nixon, LBJ...and that's just off the top of my head. Ben Franklin wasn't a president, but a Brit has played him too. There's probably more. Usually, we don't complain. But every time an American is mentioned as playing a British politician, Brits are absolutely apoplectic, as if it's anathema. Luckily Meryl Streep and John Lithgow shut the noise up immediately...because it's silly. Nationality shouldn't be a bar to entry when it comes to playing a role of an iconic person of state, as long as you speak the language. All you need is a good actor to do it.