This is the first promotional image of Meryl Streep in character as Britain’s former prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. I had kind of forgotten that Meryl was doing this film, because I remember when the project was announced, there was a ton of controversy because: A) Meryl is American, B) Meryl’s personal politics are quite different than the staunchly conservative prime minister’s, C) Because Thatcher is quite sick these days, and the film reportedly will show some of that (I think it’s dementia) and D) Thatcher’s family is PISSED that this film is happening. But, whatever, it looks like the film is a go, and I have to say, Thatcher’s family should at least be slightly relieved that an actress of Meryl’s caliber is playing Thatcher. Meryl looks great, in my opinion. Meryl released a statement with the first promotional image:
“The prospect of exploring the swathe cut through history by this remarkable woman is a daunting and exciting challenge. I am trying to approach the role with as much zeal, fervour and attention to detail as the real Lady Thatcher possesses – I can only hope my stamina will begin to approach her own,” says Streep.
[From Deadline]
See? Meryl is handling this with respect, I think, and people might be pleasantly surprised. Oh, and Jim Broadbent is playing Dennis Thatcher. The film is called The Iron Lady. Which… I don’t know? I don’t really like that title. I get that it was her nickname and everything, but it’s just a “meh” title.
Promotional image courtesy of Deadline. Additional pics by WENN.
Wow yeah they did a good job styling her-and her facial expression-hit the nail on the head
Meryl playing Maggie? Fabulous! She looks great, IMO. Love the wig 🙂
If the script is good she’ll rock it.
She looks like her. Meryl is awesome, she will do a great job.
Maybe Lindsay will play Sarah Ferguson…lol.
The iron lady of hollywood playing the iron lady herself…she would be AWESOME
Absolutely yes, if anyone can pull it off, Meryl Streep can.
Does she pull it off? This woman can pull anything off.
Meryl Streep can do ANYTHING!
I thought that was m. thatcher…
I’m sure Meryl will be a very good m. thatcher, but I don’t know if it is a compliment. On the other hand I hope that the movie will be true to reality, and not some sort of crappy a**-licking waste of film.
Love Meryl!!
Politics aside, Margaret Thatcher is a legend. It’s a shame her family aren’t behind this project, but if Meryl Streep is in it, this movie will be great.
“i want my money back” *slams the purse on the table*
i really would love to see that scene played by la streep….
I think we know whose winning Best Actress next year 🙂
Hello? This is Meryl Streep we’re talking about and of course she can pull it off.
My only issue with this role is that she’ll (probably) finally win her second Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and I’m sick of seeing people winning the award for that reason (a biographical role). And I wish she would have won for most of the other ones she has played so far.
I know many say it’s extremely difficult to portray a real life character but I think it’s even more difficult to build a fictional one from scratch.
P.S.: Am loving the detail of the tooth gap.
Uncanny resemblance!
I’m delighted Streep is going to do something serious and meaty, not like the awfully mannered rom-com shite of late.
Thatcher was a vile bitch, she did terrible damage to the North of England and the North of Ireland, especially to working class communities. My husband and I have a bottle of champagne ready to celebrate her demise.
Oh but look, no blood on her hands!
edit; obviously I mean in the picture.
Anyone watch Colin Firth on actors Studio last night? he said some nice things about MS.
Yes, yes she does.
She’s a great actress, she’ll nail it!
Meryl is awesome… she can do anything!
Meryl is way more attractive, but she can’t help that.
I’ve loved Meryl since the Deerhunter but I’ll have to give this movie a miss. Can’t stand that dreadful woman, she ruined our country.
However I won’t be toasting her demise, like trollydolly, can’t imagine doing that when anyone died.
oh COURSE SHE DOES!
uh, it’s MERYL FUGH-KING STREEP…hel-LOOOO!
at whose gates lil’ starlets leave offerings and sing her praises in hopes of being a smidgen as good as her.
you’d betta ask somebody! 😆
“However I won’t be toasting her demise, like trollydolly, can’t imagine doing that when anyone died.”
Oh well, Trollydolly and I can just drink together, ‘cos b*tch was EVIL. There’s a great joke about Maggie – that when she finally passes, her’s will be the only state funeral where the 21-gun salute will be fired into the coffin just to make sure…
hellz yes
I loved the iron lady and as for Meryl, she’ll win an Oscar for the portrayl because even though she might be the antithesis of Thatch, she’s also one of the best actresses of the past 50 years. That’s why they call it acting. Meryl will become Thatch on the screen to the point that the audience will forget Meryl is playing a part. Luv the Meryl.
There’s a great joke about Maggie – that when she finally passes, her’s will be the only state funeral where the 21-gun salute will be fired into the coffin just to make sure…
@ Tapioca:
That’s so mean and wrong…but I can’t stop laughing. When I try to stop, I end up laughing harder.
OMG Dirty Maggie became attractive
Tapioca, i shouldn’t laugh, but that was funny!
Emmy-I really am quite curious as to how Blair and Brown compare to Thatcher from your vantage point? It appears to me that under Blair and Brown didn’t fair very well in terms of improving the Economic conditions in England. Did Thatcher want to join the EU? I was going to pick up some books to read more about her agenda verses the Blair agenda. Regards.
@ tapioca and
@ trollydolly:
I’m in total agreement….can’t stand Thatcher.
When my Irish family describes freezing cold weather, we say “it’s as cold as Thatcher’s soul.”
She looks like the jewish Margaret Thatcher. Not that it’s a bad thing. It just is.
I think she’ll do a bang up job – shame people cant leave politics aside when it comes to art.
Still, you have to love all the labour lefty morons staggeringly slagging off what is now an old and very sick lady.
FYI she got more policies right in her tenure than those twats Blair and Brown could ever dream of
She is WAYYYYY prettier than Margaret but they did a good job with hair/makeup. I cant wait to see it – Meryl can do no wrong.
I love Meryl Streep, but still think they should have got a British actor to play the role. When American actors play British I always find myself concentrating way too much on their accents.
give her the oscar already
tapioca:
February 8th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
There’s a great joke about Maggie – that when she finally passes, her’s will be the only state funeral where the 21-gun salute will be fired into the coffin just to make sure…
__________
That was priceless. Hope that the fire will also hit one of the Heads of the State who’ll pay honor to her. Berlusconi for example.
@TrixC (#35) If there’s anyone who can get the accent right, it’s Meryl Streep.
Looking at that top picture, though, I hope she keeps the look and shoots “Eppie and Popo: The Story of Ann Landers and Dear Abby.” She could play both roles, which would be some nice irony.
I can’t wait to see this!!! Meryl is one of my favorite actresses. A true actress. I love a good drama!
she looks like her to me.
Love Meryl Streep. Love her so much Am almost ready to forgive her that hideous “Mama Mia” disaster.
ALso- Am wondering why I became permanently moderated for making a political comment that might offend other posters, but others come on and post that they will toast the death of Margaret Thatcher? Not cool.
Whoa, she looks almost exactly like her there.
@Marjalane
I don’t understand the “moderation” policy either but I’m always moderated…sometimes for hours. I assume Kaiser sees my name and thinks, “God, what is this bitch going to say now?”
Just want you to know that you are not alone.
Marjalane & Rita – The mod system works on IP & email addresses AND the use of certain words. I don’t think either of you are being permanently mod’ed, it’s probably just the language used.
But yes, some comments fall through the cracks. Sorry!
@Maryjand and Rita-I got the same notice on any “Mad Mel” thread, so don’t feel it’s just you.
Meryl can and does do anything. She rules. She’s the only one I can think of that could pull off “MammaMia”,look like she was having a ball AND keep her rep intact.
Kaiser Maggie’s nickname is the iron lady hence the title, because basically she was tough arse b*tch
Love Meryl and the Thatcher “portrait” is dead on, holy cow.
Tapioca: haaaahahahaha terrible joke 😉
Whenever I think of what (little) I know about Thatcher, I remember how she basically told Reagan to grow a pair.
I feel like they did progressive causes, as well as the overall mentality, of their countries a lot of damage with ramifications maybe even trickling down to today… Not a fan of the “Reaganomics”/ “Thatcherite” philosophy, really.
Also, her family should be pleased that there will be someone as nuanced, graceful, and intelligent as Streep playing her.
I hope it’s better than W. Oliver Stone went too easy on Bush.
Girafe99: I wrote, “I get that it was her nickname and everything, but it’s just a “meh” title.”
It’s just a dumb title. It would be like a Reagan bio-pic being called “The Communicator”.
She will be great!!!!
@ Rita and Marjalane:
I am moderated all the time too. Sometimes it upsets me because I’m in the middle of a discussion and my answer shows up too late for it (discussion) to make sense. That’s why I make sure to address people and their quotes in a very clear way — with “@” and italics.
EDIT: this very comment is “awaiting moderation”.
So, who is going to play general Galtieri?
Rita and Marjalane: Welcome to the permanent moderation club. I’m always moderated. I have no idea why, but on a scale of 1 to 10, a 10 being death, taxes, and the hole in the ozone layer, being moderated rates about .05 on my list of concerns. This is CB’s blog and she runs it as she sees fit, and as long as we choose to post here, we accept her rules.
Agree that Meryl is a terrific actress and she looks amazing. I think she is more attractive than Mrs. Thatcher. Does anyone else see a slight resemblence to Joan Crawford – Mommy Dearest? If there is ever a remake – call Meryl.
Great article by Kaiser, so glad you brought it to our attention as I had forgotten about it as well and I agree the Title is Meh. Don’t think many will know who the Iron Lady is.
The film is called The Iron Lady. Which… I don’t know? I don’t really like that title. I get that it was her nickname and everything, but it’s just a “meh” title.
***
@Kaiser, she had another nickname which was ‘the milk snatcher’, as she stopped public schools giving milk to children during break times. That would be a good film title for a thriller-type movie maybe?!
Despite the fact I know I’m in the minority I’m actually a big fan of the Iron Lady herself. I hope they do the movie with some respect. I love Meryl Streep and I think she’s a fantastic actress, can she pull off the role, I don’t know, the above picture is just a little on the side of camp for my taste but it’s def a movie I’d be interested in seeing. At the very least the trailer will be interesting …
Not a fan of her politics but there is no denying that Thatcher was a powerhouse and a remarkable woman. Meryl is the perfect woman to step into her shoes.
Thatcher was famous for bullying her Ministers.
My favourite memory was a “Spitting Image” skit (done entirely with puppets), where Thatcher was in a restaurant with her Cabinet Ministers. The waitress asks for her order.
“I’ll have the steak!” she bellows.
“How would you like it?”
“Raw!”
“And what about the vegetables?”
“They’ll have the same!”
i can’t wait to see this film
Glammy! She should keep this look, much better than boho mom.
This is bound to be great. Meryl is amazing of course. I have read several books on the Baroness Thatcher and all though I don’t agree with most of her politics she was an amazingly dedicated woman, she reached the top in a fantastic display of cut-throat determination. I am positive Meryl will do her justice!