Meryl Streep was in Washington Tuesday night looking more than ready for her close-up at this weekend’s Kennedy Center Honors. She made a quick appearance at a screening of The Iron Lady, in which she portrays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and received warm applause for her latest turn embodying a notable woman.
Noting that the mostly female audience included Senators Barbara Mikulski, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Amy Klobuchar, Susan Collins and Debbie Stabenow, Streep said, “I’m quite interested in your reactions as women legislators who have a unique understanding of women who choose to stand up.”
Streep was in the theater for only the few minutes of her remarks, and the house lights were already low; if not for the pop of flashbulbs, it would have been nearly impossible to see her. While she has the distinction of being one of the most acclaimed film actresses of the times, Streep, at 62, also looks age-appropriate and therefore quite good. No plumped-up “reality TV” lips or erased character lines for her. She glowed, which may have been prompted in part by having just won the Best Actress award from the New York Film Critics Circle for her portrayal of Thatcher.
Ironically, she spends quite a lot of time in the film in heavy makeup, because the script time-travels extensively among Thatcher’s old age, middle age, and youth. The old-age makeup veers perilously close to drag, but it does not get in the way of her performance, which, as with her 2009 portrayal of Julia Child, makes it easy to forget that Streep is even there.
The actress was quite adamant about the genre of The Iron Lady. “This is not a biopic,” she said. “It’s a look back. We worked very hard to get the facts right, but it is a subjective look back. It’s as close to the truth as fiction would allow.”
The screening was held at the Landmark E Street Cinema on behalf of the National Women’s History Museum. Streep is the museum’s national spokesperson.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Meryl Streep Appears at Local Screening of “The Iron Lady”
One of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors recipients appeared briefly yesterday at an E Street Cinema screening of her latest movie.
Photograph by Neshan Naltchayan
Meryl Streep was in Washington Tuesday night looking more than ready for her close-up at this weekend’s Kennedy Center Honors. She made a quick appearance at a screening of The Iron Lady, in which she portrays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and received warm applause for her latest turn embodying a notable woman.
Noting that the mostly female audience included Senators Barbara Mikulski, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Amy Klobuchar, Susan Collins and Debbie Stabenow, Streep said, “I’m quite interested in your reactions as women legislators who have a unique understanding of women who choose to stand up.”
Streep was in the theater for only the few minutes of her remarks, and the house lights were already low; if not for the pop of flashbulbs, it would have been nearly impossible to see her. While she has the distinction of being one of the most acclaimed film actresses of the times, Streep, at 62, also looks age-appropriate and therefore quite good. No plumped-up “reality TV” lips or erased character lines for her. She glowed, which may have been prompted in part by having just won the Best Actress award from the New York Film Critics Circle for her portrayal of Thatcher.
Ironically, she spends quite a lot of time in the film in heavy makeup, because the script time-travels extensively among Thatcher’s old age, middle age, and youth. The old-age makeup veers perilously close to drag, but it does not get in the way of her performance, which, as with her 2009 portrayal of Julia Child, makes it easy to forget that Streep is even there.
The actress was quite adamant about the genre of The Iron Lady. “This is not a biopic,” she said. “It’s a look back. We worked very hard to get the facts right, but it is a subjective look back. It’s as close to the truth as fiction would allow.”
The screening was held at the Landmark E Street Cinema on behalf of the National Women’s History Museum. Streep is the museum’s national spokesperson.
Don’t Miss Another Big Story—Get Our Weekend Newsletter
Our most popular stories of the week, sent every Saturday.
Most Popular in News & Politics
March 4 Isn’t the Only Date on the QAnon Calendar
Trump Hotel Employees Reveal What It Was Really Like Catering to the Right Wing Elite
Washington’s Most Influential People
The Drive-In Movie Theater in Alexandria Is Starting Its Season This Friday
Kamala Harris Visits Fibre Space in Alexandria
Washingtonian Magazine
March 2021: The Influencers
View IssueSubscribe
Get Us on Social
Get Us on Social
Related
Video From Fall Real Estate Market Update With Local Leaders
Washingtonian Real Estate Virtual Happy Hour
Videos from Washingtonian’s Wellness Day
Washingtonian Wellness Day
More from News & Politics
Eleanor Holmes Norton Talks DC Statehood, the Vibe in Congress, and Her Future
The Bulwark Was Founded to Oppose Trump. Now What?
Meghan Markle and the MBS Earrings: What We Know
DC Will Change Its Registration System for Covid Vaccines
Kamala Harris Visits Fibre Space in Alexandria
The Legendary Van Ness Burger King Might Actually Be Closing This Time
Capitol Police Say a Militia Group Plots to Breach the Capitol on March 4
Washington Football Team Ends Cheerleading Squad