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Old white males show no interest in stories of women: Streep

Oscar-winning Actress Meryl Streep, Weighing In On The Existing Gender Gap Behind The Camera In Hollywood, Says Old White Male Filmmakers Show No Interest In The Stories Of “their Mothers, Wives.'

PTI | Updated on: 14 Feb 2016, 10:03:47 PM

Los Angeles:

Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, weighing in on the existing gender gap behind the camera in Hollywood, says old white male filmmakers show no interest in the stories of “their mothers, wives.”

The 66-year-old actress was asked at the Berlin Film Festival whether women were getting more directing gigs in Hollywood. “Yes, it’s moving in a very positive direction,” she replied.

The veteran star said Hollywood is giving female directors more opportunities to tell their own stories but the green light is coming from younger decision-makers, not grey-faced studio executives, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“We need 40- to 50 year-old white males to be interested in the stories of their wives and their mothers. They (older men) don’t feel invested in that journey. Younger men do, and that’s good,” she said.

The actress added “you have to make noise” to get more women into decision-making leadership, in an echo of the current debate around more diversity in Hollywood boardrooms.

Streep also talked about her long and legendary Hollywood career during her Berlin master class, as she revealed her favourite director was Mike Nichols.

Each time they worked together on projects like “Silkwood”, “Angels in America” and “Postcards From the Edge”, Nichols would quiz her on how she felt about other directors she has worked with.

“It’s like being asked about the other boyfriends you’ve had. ‘Does he do it better than me,’ is what I heard from him,” Streep recounted.

She said her long and varied career as an actress was down to not worrying about her physical and sexual appeal as she got older.

“You cannot have a long career and play as many characters as I have and maintain your magazine cover vanity,” Streep said to applause. “You can’t. It’s anarchic. And who cares?” 

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First Published : 14 Feb 2016, 09:59:00 PM

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