When Meryl Streep took to the stage at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles in February, it was not to accept yet another accolade. It was to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the film The Devil Wears Prada – alongside her co-stars Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt – and to pay homage to one of her most famous characters, the fictional fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly.
“It’s an age-old question, where does the character end, and the actor begin?” Meryl said.
Emily retorted: “Meryl and Miranda Priestly are like twins.”
“I don’t think I’m anything like Miranda Priestly!” exclaimed Meryl, who was appropriately dressed in Prada, alongside Anne in cerulean blue – a nod to one of the film’s most iconic scenes.
Meryl has nearly 100 film and TV credits, from The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs. Kramer and Out of Africa, to most recently Only Murders in the Building. While The Devil Wears Prada may not be her most famous role, with its fashion, comedy and fierce female characters, it is one that has firmly cemented Meryl into the cultural Zeitgeist and continues to tap into our cinematic psyche.
The reunion dominated the news of the SAG awards and her charm on stage was a reminder of just how marvellous Meryl is. Turning 75 this June, having more fun on screen than ever before, and now publicly separated from her husband of 45 years, Don Gummer, Meryl is back in the frame, reminding us she is still the Queen of Hollywood, both on and off screen.
Meryl doesn’t need to talk about acting to get people to listen. Her reach and cultural impact goes way beyond the screen: Whether she’s going viral for sipping cocktails on Zoom in lockdown, or espousing the merits of motherhood, female empowerment or empathy – her favourite word – Meryl’s life lessons are always in vogue.
