If you had to pick someone to play Meryl Streep in a biopic, who would it be? According to Meryl, there is no contest – it should be Amy Schumer. During her promotional interview for Florence Foster Jenkins, Huffington Post reporter, Matthew Jacobs, tried to shake things up from the usual ten-question interview by playing a game with Meryl. The game was for Meryl to name a former co-star for a series of obscure tasks. Among the questions was who could chase off a bear (Liam Neeson), who could hula-hoop (George Clooney) and who would best imitate farm animals (her Jenkins co-star, Simon Helberg). The last question in the edited video was who should play her in a biopic and Meryl answered Amy. It was just about he only answer she didn’t struggle with.
Many have called Meryl Streep the greatest actress of her generation. Now “the Great One” shines light on who she’d choose to play her in a biopic.
“Amy Schumer, of course,” says the three-time Academy Award winner and 19-time nominee.
The revelation came during a press junket with The Huffington Post promoting Streep’s latest film, “Florence Foster Jenkins.”
When Schumer got word of Streep’s compliment, she was understandably stunned. Her response: “Holy s—.”
So Amy? No. Sorry, I can’t see it. The only connection I can make is that their voices are sort of similar. Meryl answered quickly, too, as if she had that answer chambered, like she’s thought about it. And Jacobs agreed it was a good choice. Personal bias: I never want to see Amy as Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada), if even as a recreation. (She did swap places with Anna Wintour once though.) I understand Amy’s reaction, though. I wonder how many interviews she will be able to work this in to? And her poor friends – she’ll start every sentence with, “when I was hand selected by Meryl to play her… ”
Meryl gave a much lengthier (and deeper) interview to The Hollywood Reporter that shed some light on her choice of Amy, however. Of her heroes like Liza Minnelli, Irene Worth and Geraldine Page, Meryl said, “They weren’t women who were preoccupied mostly with how they looked or were they appealing; they were just women being women.” This is what Amy says she promotes, right? Although, I think even Amy would balk at actually playing Meryl. As the THR interview points out, Meryl has been labeled “the greatest film actress of all time,” even the largest ego would see that is a fairly tall order to fill.
On the other side of the equation, does anyone else think Meryl might be overestimating her sense of humor by selecting one of the top female comics to play her?
Photo Credit: WENN and Fame/Flynet Photos and Getty Images
Christina Applegate already did it better in the Funny or Die sketch
The only thing these two have in common in appalling taste in clothing.
My life-long love affair with Meryl has officially ended. After all her side-eye worthy opinions and willful blindness when it comes to certain issues, that have surfaced over the past few years, this was the straw the broke the camel’s back. I find Amy Schumer to be unbearable, and if Meryl loves her….well, that tells me a lot I need to know about Meryl.
@Mytake we’re on the same page. I’m so disappointed in Meryl right now. I’m desperately waiting for Amy to become part of yesterday’s news and for everyone to stop kissing her *ss and I feel like she just legitimized her. Our relationship is over, Meryl!
Same. After all that humanist crap and missteps on OscarsSoWhite I’m very over Meryl. Amy is insufferable so this is a big NOPE
Really? Liking Amy Schumer is the straw??? Her other flaws/offences are so much worse than liking Amy. Baffled by what people can tolerate and where they draw the line. Amy is liked by many many celebrities, even if you don’t like her (I don’t either btw) Meryl’s answer isn’t all that crazy.
The expression “the straw that broke the camel’s back” — to which I was alluding — usually implies a small incident, on top of other larger incidents, that finally causes the “camel” to fall.
Agreed!
Amy is awful and I can’t believe that Meryl would think that she would do her justice. Ugh!
@mytake, have some room on your sofa for one more? I’ll bring wine and/ or cocktails 😊
+1000 to what you said.
I say Greta Gerwig would be a great Meryl.
YES! She would capture the mannerisms wonderfully
Yes!!! That was immediately who I thought of!
Never heard of her but I looked her up and I see a slight resemblance to Streep.
She would be great, love her. But honestly I’m in the ABBA (AnyBody But Amy) camp on this.
AND not her daughters! OMG… nepotism at its finest.
I had to Google Greta, not familiar with her work and now I have to check out Frances Ha.
I loved Frances Ha! First time I saw Gerwig but she’s got that genuine vibe Meryl has. The movements and gestures…
I loved Frances Ha! I think it’s on Netflix.
Both are tall and not “beautiful” by HW standars. I don’t think Amy Schumer is talented enough to play her but who knows?
Did Harvey Weinstein called Meryl Streep not “beautiful” for his standards. Not only is Meryl Streep very beautiful but very talented and charismatic in the roles she play on film for nearly 40 years and she is not a beauty. Compare to a little fraudulent actress who won an oscar this year for crying on cue and wooden in her performance. HW and his chauvinist goons should just have several seats.
I meant Hollywood but Harvey Weinstein is Hollywood…so….hahaha. I think both are pretty and even prettier than most of “People Most Beautiful”.
oh god please no bio pics about actors.
She has a daughter who could do a wonderful job. Amy doesn’t have the rare talent to play her.
Yep, either Mamie or Grace Gummer should play their mother. If someone outside of the Streep family portrays her I could see Jennifer Lawrence doing so in about 10 years.
So true.
I read it as Amy Adams at first glance and thought what a good idea:)
Lol. It would be even mote hilarious if she did mean her, but just had to go with her original answer to not seem rude.
:)))
Right? I could see Amy Adams pulling it off.
I think the Julie/Julia connection plays into it for me, because I can totally see that too.
You know, Meryl is a great actress, she’s always very capable and gives good perfomances but most of the movies I saw with her, aren’t all that captivating/memorable. I saw Silkwood because of Cher, Osage because of Meryl and ended up watching for Julia’s character, Devil for Emily and Anne…
Meryl alone never does it for me to watch a film she stars in. I never peruse Streep’s IMDB because I know I would never pick a film based on her name whereas I can do that with other actors. For all her greatness, I find her still bland .It’s the weirdest thing and I don’t know why I felt the need to share that.
I’m in the same camp Artemis. I’ve said on here before that I’ve never thought Meryl was GOAT. I do love her in Sophie’s Choice, Death Becomes Her, Devil Wears Prada, Julie Julia and Doubt. And I happen to think she has great comedic timing but I get bored of her being nominated because she sneezes esp., since I think she’s been phoning it in for a while now. She relies too much on technique and tricks and has forgotten how to be more natural.
But respect where respect is due and Amy Schumer is a terrible choice to play her or anybody for that matter.
I’m on the same page. Her latest performances often lack subtlety (see Osage County ). I appreciate more her early work, especially The french lieutenant’s woman or The deer hunter.
As for who should play her, I’d like Hollywood to go the original way for once and pick an unknown. Be bold, allow us to discover someone. That ‘s basically what I wish for every biopic, but apparently being already famous is mandatory.
I’ve always felt the same way. I remember watching Bridges of Madison Country and One True Thing growing up, and even then thinking, “what’s the big deal?” I already knew she was supposed to be the GOAT, like De Niro and Pacino (whom I think have their limitations as well – but I really like Al now), but nothing about her transfixed me. That’s still true today. I think she’s serviceable, but I’m not sure why she has the broad appeal that she does… Maybe *because* she’s so generic?
Meryl in Sophie’s Choice is one of the most amazin performances I have ever seen. But some of her other lauded roles never really moved me. Bridges of Madison County comes to mind. Glenn Close, for an example, I think is better, and I cant believe she never won an Oscar.
Grace Gummer to me…. is very much Meryl Streep like.
I don’t see Amy for this one and don’t WANT to.
love me some Geraldine Page, RIP
As long as it’s not Jennifer Lawrence.
That would be worse!
It’s obvious she was kidding people! Think of the other questions she was asked – hula hoops, animal sounds….I think we’re reading into this too much….
Dear god, Meryl, don’t sell yourself so short. I don’t like either of them, but Schumer should be given as little opportunity to work as possible.
Soooo, I’m pretty sure she was just kidding…
This is pretty funny. I bet Meryl thought “ask a stupid question and you’ll get a stupid answer!” BTW, Amy looks totally cute in that last photo…