Engaging in a relaxed and frequently lighthearted dialogue with film historian and writer Peter Cowie, Streep delved into her experiences collaborating with esteemed directors, her discerning approach to role selection, her linguistic acumen, and the evolving portrayal of women within the film industry. She also spoke about Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood.
When discussing her involvement in The Bridges of Madison County under Clint Eastwood’s direction, Streep humorously shared an anecdote involving director Mike Nichols, who used to inquire about her experiences with various directors. Streep likened the questioning to inquiries about former boyfriends, stating, “”I’d say, ‘That’s like asking about the other boyfriends. Does he do it better than I do?’ They are all different.” She emphasized the uniqueness of each director’s approach.
Meryl Streep Opened Up About Working With Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood’s acting repertoire is often characterized by its subtlety. Consider his iconic portrayal as the Man with No Name, a character who spoke sparingly, yet his presence emanated a palpable sense of menace. As witnessed in his more recent cinematic ventures, Eastwood has skillfully embraced a more vulnerable and delicate aspect of his performances.
In Cry Macho, released in 2021, Eastwood artfully incorporated his age and experience, infusing an additional layer of frailty into his depiction. All of this serves to highlight that Eastwood’s versatility transcends the image of the gruff individual reprimanding trespassers on his property.
The essence of Eastwood’s affinity for subtlety persists even when he takes on the dual role of director and actor, perhaps even pushing it to an extreme. Meryl Streep engaged in a conversation with Peter Cowie, shedding light on Eastwood’s directorial approach, sharing:
“He never says action. As director, I would sort of have to divine when he was starting to act. He would stroll from behind the camera into the kitchen and he would say, ‘OK.’ At first I didn’t know what ‘OK’ meant, but then I figured it out that it meant, ‘OK, starting acting.’”
Meryl Streep isn’t the only person who wasn’t aware of Clint Eastwood’s direction methods. Big names like Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio also had tough time working with Eastwood.
Tom Hanks And Leonardo DiCaprio Might Never Work With Clint Eastwood
Eastwood’s standing within the entertainment realm has been met with mixed perceptions. Tom Hanks, for instance, once disclosed that the director employs an approach towards his actors reminiscent of working with horses, according to Hanks.
“You certainly don’t want one of those Eastwood looks. He treats his actors like horses because when he did the 60s series Rawhide, the director would shout ‘Action!’ and all the horses bolted. So when he’s in charge, he says in a really quiet soft voice, ‘All right, go ahead,’ and instead of shouting, ‘Cut!’ he says, ‘That’s enough of that.’ It’s intimidating as hell!”
Leonardo DiCaprio collaborated with Eastwood on the 2011 film J. Edgar. During their time working together, DiCaprio requested a scene to be re-shot, yet Eastwood chose to conclude the filming without accommodating the request.
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