While it’s very quiet these days regarding Meryl and “The Iron Lady”, I went through my collection to update the site’s archives with additional pictures of Meryl’s early work. So have a look at production stills from her early theater work, including “Miss Julie”, “The Idiots Karamazov”, “Secret Service”, “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Alice in Concert” – as well as stills of Meryl’s 1980 appearance on the American series “Omnibus”. Enjoy!

While scans from the Vanity Fair article “Maggie Mia” have been posted already (see here), their website has now published the article as well, with a better quality version of the stunning promotional picture you’ll find below.

Is the world dying for a Margaret Thatcher biopic? Probably no more than it’s dying for Harold Wilson or John Major biopics, the dramatic possibilities of the Falklands War notwithstanding. But wait. A Margaret Thatcher biopic starring Meryl Streep? That’s P.M.-tainment! How she wrested the part from one Dame or another remains a mystery whose solution is known only to the actress and her director; we’re just thrilled she got her mitts on it. (And now America is finally even for Vivien Leigh playing Scarlett O’Hara.) Did we mention that we love Meryl Streep? Love-love-LOVE her? That there’s literally no other performer we’d rather see on-screen? Even Jessica Alba? Streep, over the last decade, has evolved from being the Greatest Actress of Her Generation to also being the slyest and wittiest and lightest afoot, ventilating the von Sydow heaviness of her younger roles with a bit of Astaire fresh air. Limited footage available from The Iron Lady suggests Streep’s Thatcher will fit somewhere between the poles of her Julia Child and her Miranda Priestly—a Tory leader who can debone Labour M.P.’s as if they were whole chickens, or stiffen wobbly American presidents with a witheringly arched eyebrow, and yet never lose sight of her inner Python housewife. The director is Phyllida Lloyd, who three years ago put Streep at the center of the 21st century’s finest movie musical: Mamma Mia! (Seriously. You can have Chicago and Dream Girls, though we’ll keep Hairspray too.) Along for the ride, Jim Broadbent will risk being ahistorically interesting as Denis Thatcher. Did we mention that we love Meryl Streep?

Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Suzan-Lori Parks and Oskar Eustis participated in a panel discussion held at the Ford Center on Wednesday, October 26. The panel was held in conjunction with an advance screening of the film “Joe Papp in Five Acts” by Tracie Holder and Karen Thorsen.

The screening was covered by the New York Times with a very interesting article on Meryl’s first audition for Papp’s Public Theater: Fresh out of the Yale School of Drama in 1975, Meryl Streep was 90 minutes late for her first audition with Joseph Papp, the artistic director of the Public Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival in Central Park. Her train from New Haven had been delayed, and there were, of course, no cellphones or e-mail then. She arrived to find Papp sitting in one of his signature white suits, his impatience conveyed with a grimace and twitchy crossed-leg kicks. Yet a few minutes later, the potential of a great actress had transformed his mood, and soon he was offering a small role to Ms. Streep in what would be her Broadway debut: “Trelawny of the ‘Wells’” at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, in an era when acting work in New York was hard to find. The complete article can be read here.

Seated next to Howe is actor Andrew Havill, playing Tom King, who held a variety of portfolios from Employment to Northern Ireland, during Mrs Thatcher’s Downing Street reign. On the premier’s right is a blurred vision of Michael Elwyn as Michael Howard, then the Local Government Minister. And all on his lonesome in the inset picture is Richard E. Grant as Michael Heseltine. Plotting, no doubt. Director Phyllida Lloyd is still in post production, refining and editing her cut of the picture. Over the summer, Meryl did some voice work on the film and fine-tuned a speech or two. Many of the speeches and statements heard in the film won’t be exact records of what was spoken in the Houses of Parliament, on the steps of No 10 or other famous locations – although they will reflect the flavour of what Mrs Thatcher and other major players said.

This was done for a variety of reasons, including copyright, but also so producers didn’t have to seek anyone’s approval for use of their words. Abi Morgan, who penned the screenplay, is a skilled writer and from the bits of footage I have seen it would appear the words put into the mouths of the real-life characters are close to what was actually uttered. In any event, the movie isn’t a documentary on the Thatcher years. It’s an exploration of one remarkable woman’s ambition, and how she hand-bagged her way to success in what is still regarded as a man’s world. ‘It’s also about the price she paid,’ producer Damian Jones told me a while back.

Pictures of Meryl’s appearance at the Directors Guild of America Honors Gala have been added to the gallery.

According to the Hartford Courant, “Great Hope Springs” wrapped filming this Friday – so these might be the last additions of pictures from the set (September 28, 2011 and October 04, 2011) so far. No word though if principal photography is done or if the film continues to shoot elsewhere.

With many thanks to Alvaro, scans from the November 2011 issue of Vanity Fair have been added to the gallery. While I was expecting a bigger article, they have a half page on the upcoming “The Iron Lady” with two new stills from the film.

Over 200 new production stills – including photoshoots and on-set pictures – of most of Meryl’s films have been added to the gallery. Some have been replaced in better quality, the majority is new to the site. Click the previews below to see all new pictures. Enjoy!

Lots of additional on-set pictures from the shooting of “Great Hope Springs” have been added to the gallery. Check the previews below to access all new pictures.

Three more pictures from yesterday’s shoot of “Great Hope Springs” have been added.