Meryl Streep accepted the challenge of conquering television with a role in the HBO fiction Big Little Lies.
Meryl Streep turned 74 on Sunday as one of the most popular faces in the world, a living legend who has become the most nominated actress for the Oscars in history, and who has now accepted the challenge of conquering television in the midst of the golden age of fiction on the small screen.
A few weeks before her birthday, Streep premiered her new role in the second season of the hit HBO fiction Big Little Lies.
The platform signed the coveted actress to continue a series that, with its first season, covered the entire novel on which it was based, and whose scriptwriters created a new protagonist from scratch, thinking exclusively of Streep to play her. Thus, one of Hollywood's biggest stars accepted the role without even reading the script because, as she herself admitted, she was fascinated by the first season.
The tireless performer made the leap from the top of the big screen to the small screen or even to mobile devices.
Several decades ago, at Streep's beginnings, this change would have seemed like a step backwards in her professional career, but today - as is known - such a turn means the opposite: moving forward by recognizing the revolution that the internet and platforms streaming services have offered to the world of fiction, with productions that receive acclaim from critics and lovers of the seventh art.
With her firm step to enter the universe of television series, Streep adds a new chapter to her legend, that of the actress who does not go out of style, for whom there is no expiration date and who is not harmed even by the over the years, nor because of that obsession with youth that has dominated the image industry.
"No other actress born before 1960 can get a role unless Meryl has rejected it first," acknowledged Michael Schulman, her biographer, when speaking of the evolution of this iron woman in a fleeting and capricious business.
And Streep does not hesitate to take steps forward, even outside the world of entertainment, as when she spoke out politically against the American president, Donald Trump, during the presentation of an honorary award for her entire career at the Globes gala. 2017 Gold.
In her speech, the actress referred to a 2015 Trump campaign event in which the then-candidate appeared to mock a disabled reporter from The New York Times.
"It broke my heart when I saw it and I still can't get it out of my head, because it wasn't a movie. It was real life," Streep noted.
Her entire speech caused a furor because of her defense of immigrants, her rejection of violence, and her support for the independent press.
"The only job of an actor is to bring to light the lives of different people. If they expel foreigners we will only see football and martial arts," said the interpreter, who added that public displays of disrespect "they cause more disrespect and violence incites violence."
Messages of support from the actors' union immediately followed one another, from Ellen DeGeneres to Sharon Stone, who described Streep as an "inspiration", a "woman with the power to change the world" and applauded her for being a prominent voice in the denunciation of abuse that until now remained out of the Hollywood spotlight.
In addition to the acclaim of her colleagues, the actress has a record dreamed of by many performers: three Oscars from 21 nominations and 8 Golden Globes from 31 nominations. Along with those coveted statuettes also rest a Tony Award (theater) and another Emmy (television).
Outside of Hollywood, recognitions for Meryl Streep have resulted in the Medal of Arts and the Medal of Freedom, awarded by former President Barack Obama (2009-2017) and the Medal of the Order of Arts and Sciences. France letters.
It remains to be seen how the award-winning career of a living legend who promises to remain on the front line for years will continue and who probably in 1975, when he moved to New York and started in the theater with little hope, never imagined that the global public would become I would surrender before his feet and before each of the steps he has taken.
