Today, Meryl Streep held court at the 11th Rome Film Festival, attending a photocall and press conference for the Italian premiere of “Florence Foster Jenkins”, as well as a conversation panel called “Meryl Streep meets the Audience”. No conversation these days is complete without questions about Donald Trump, and Streep, who has appeared in a PSA to support Hillary Clinton last week, had little to say about the candidate: “I don’t feel that I have to make any further pronouncements on the sexism of the Trump campaign. I think they’re doing a very good job on their own. Or he’s doing a good job on his own. I’m not sure his campaign knows quite what to make of it.” Hopefully, more information on the press conference and panel with be added soon. For now, enjoy the pictures.

Although Donald Trump’s rise to political prominence has been a difficult and painful experience for the millions of people he has relentlessly denigrated, there is one silver lining to his candidacy – the renewed national dialogue on sexual assault. Since the leaked recording of his sexually predatory conversation with Billy Bush in 2005 reached national media attention, the response has been both heartbreaking and empowering. As a duel effort to give women space to openly talk about the negative personal effects of sexual assault and defeat Trump, these celebrities appeared in a powerful video for Hillary Clinton in which they got real about why sexual assault is not OK. The video, produced by the group Humanity for Hillary, features women telling their sexual assault stories and explaining why rape culture is not ok. Over a dozen celebrities, including Meryl Streep, Whoopi Goldberg, Amy Schumer, Rose McGowan, and Amber Tamblyn, appeared in the video, with Tamblyn taking a leading role.

Back in 2011, I’ve created a site special called “Conversations and Panels”, writing about the Q&As that Meryl Streep has participated in through the years. There weren’t many, and unfortunately the section got neglected by me as fast as I started working on it. Little did I know five years ago how important and extensive conversation panels would become for today’s movie promotions. The way films are promoted these days is vastly different compared to, let’s say, 10 to 20 years ago. There aren’t that many in-depth interviews in magazines anymore, since magazines aren’t that big anymore. Sometimes, depending on a film’s budget, all there is is a press conference from which everyone takes their bits of news. But conversation panels and Q&As have increased over the years, and it’s become the best way to learn more about the projects that are talked about. The interviews are unfiltered and done in person, and many organizations are streaming the Q&As live or after they’ve taken place. I was surprised, while updating the conversations special, that Meryl has done over 30 conversation panels in the last 5 years! Long story short, head over to the newly-titled In Conversation for a comprehensive list of panels of Q&As, filled with quotes, pictures and videos. If you know about any Q&As that I might have forgotten about, please drop me a line.

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This update comes with a story, a personal one for Simply Streep. As you know this website runs in its 17th year, which is insane – it’s probably older than many of our visitors. Back in 1999, when I started this as a project, it was way harder to get hold of material. A fellow German, Anke, who has been a tremendous help over the years, sent me a VHS tape with some of Meryl’s talkshow appearances she did in the late 90s, among them her first visit on David Letterman’s late show, one of her first talkshow appearances. I had to learn the hard way that American NTSC tapes could not be played properly on European PAL recorders (in case any of you remembers a video cassette), so all faces turned out green like the Incredible Hulk and it was almost impossible to watch. I tried just about everything to get a video copy for Simply Streep, but nothing worked out. So I just settled and thought, with Youtube and other sources emerging, “one day it’ll be on Youtube”. That thought came and went for the past 17 years.

Well, mark you calendars. Today, with many thanks to Youtuber Daniel Poitras, the Letterman appearance has been posted in its entirity, and in good old fashioned VHS quality. The interview runs for a whopping 13 minutes, which is so much more than today’s talkshow snippets. Also, she gives the best excuse for declining to appear on Letterman’s show for 20 years. I’m so happ to finally add this to the archive, it makes Simply Streep feel a whole lot more complete. Enjoy the clip and make sure to view the screencaptures in the photo gallery.

First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to elevate global educational opportunities for girls and women is getting a major shot of star power from Meryl Streep, who has attended yesterday’s White House screening of the CNN documentary. Streep takes on the role of correspondent in “We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World,” a documentary film that makes its U.S. premiere Wednesday night on CNN. (It will be available Thursday on demand through cable and satellite systems and online via CNNgo.) The film chronicles Streep’s recent travels to Marrakesh, Morocco where she talked with young women about overcoming the cultural, economic, safety and health barriers that can keep them from pursuing an education. (According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, 62 million girls around the world are not in school.) “We Will Rise,” produced by CNN Films and the Documentary Group, also features the network’s correspondent Isha Sesay (a native of Sierra Leone), actress Freida Pinto and Obama, who listened to similar stories on a visit to Liberia. Pictures from the screening have been added to the photo gallery. The Los Angeles Times has an interview with Meryl Streep on her experience in Morrocco and the documentary.

As previously mentioned, CNN has followed First Lady Michelle Obama’s visit to Morrocco this June, alongside actresses Freida Pinto and Meryl Streep, for a documentary that will be aired this Wednesday. At the core, is the fact that 62 million girls worldwide aren’t in school. Talking to Michelle Obama and actresses Meryl Streep and Freida Pinto, African girls discussed their schooling. “I was really struck by their tenacity, their insistence on an education,” Sesay sad. Some walked eight miles to middle school. Some left home to work near school. “I support myself,” a girl named Rafina says in the film. She stays with an aunt and uncle and does household work for them when she gets home from school. “From 9 p.m. to 11, I can do my schoolwork.” Others showed similar drive. One said she went on a hunger strike, until her parents let her go to school; now she speaks five languages. If this were simply a governmental issue, it could be solved at the top. It’s not … as people were reminded when they met Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. “It’s a great achievement on her part, to be a woman at the top of government,” Sesay said. More information on the documentary can be found on USA Today. “We Will Rise,” 9 p.m. ET Wednesday (Oct. 12), CNN, barring breaking news; rerunning at midnight. Also, noon ET Saturday on HLN (formerly Headline News).

With many thanks to my friend Alvaro, additional magazine scans from the American promotion for “Florence Foster Jenkins” have been added to the photo gallery. Besides two scans from Brasil, coverage includes the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly, and, of course, that wonderful Wall Street Journal Magazine pictorial. Many thanks for the additions. Enjoy reading.

As previously reported, Meryl Streep will be a guest at this year’s Rome International Film Fetival. On October 20, Streep will be attending a question-and-answer session for fans as part of the promotional tour for British director Stephen Frears’ “Florence Foster Jenkins”. Tickets will go on sale October 06. For a full programme of films and conversation panels, visit the festival’s programme. Many thanks to Glenn and Simona for the heads-up.

Some news on the aforementioned sequel, courtesy VineReport and CinemaBlend. Over 50 years after its initial release, Mary Poppins still remains one of Disney’s classic hits, blending live action and animation to create a heartwarming (if not completely faithful) adaptation of P.L. Travers’ original work. While most never imagined the House of Mouse would make a Mary Poppins 2, this has finally come to pass decades later, as Mary Poppins Returns will arrive in the next few years. One of the actors participating in this follow-up is Hamilton superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda, and he recently provided a few tidbits about what moviegoers can expect from the sequel. Speaking with Variety, Miranda slightly elaborated on Mary Mary Poppins Returns’ plot, including how his character, a lamplighter named Jack, specifically connects to Dick Van Dyke’s lovable Bert from the original movie. “Michael and Jane Banks have grown up, and they find themselves in their own spot, and Mary Poppins comes back to take care of Michael’s kids,” said Miranda. “I play a lamplighter named Jack who sort of grew up apprenticing to Bert. So I know if Mary Poppins shows up, it’s gonna get awesome. I perform that function in the movie, of saying: ‘Y’all don’t know about Mary Poppins. When Mary’s around, cool sh– happens.'” Miranda stated that he would be in London during the first half of next year to film the sequel. During the interview, he also said that he would love to meet Van Dyke. Well, he might get his wish soon because it is rumored that Van Dyke and original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews, might appear in the sequel. The two actors have yet to confirm or deny this as of the moment, so readers are advised to take this rumor with a grain of salt. Meanwhile, Meryl Streep is going to play a character named Topsy Tartlet, and sources say Ben Whishaw may be portraying Michael. Directed by Rob Marshall, Mary Poppins Returns hits theaters on December 25, 2018.