On this day 40 years ago, Universal Pictures released the film that would cement Meryl Streep’s status as one of the greatest living actresses, in a harrowing film about the effects of the Holocaust on people’s sanity and lives. The status remains, and so does the brilliance of her Academy Award winning peformance in “Sophie’s Choice”.

Imagine, only for a moment, if we would talk about Meryl Streep today had she retired her film career in 1982. The majority of us wasn’t born yet – and Streep had done only seven films in a rather short period on film. But for those she had amassed three Academy Award nominations and one win, in three Best Picture nominations with two wins, a breakout role on tv with an Emmy win and a splashy part in Woody Allen’s “Manhattan”. Of the many talented new stars of the early 1980’s, Streep was “the one”. But it wasn’t until “Sophie’s Choice” that audiences and critics started labeling her “the greatest”. Had it been her last film, I’m sure we would still talk about this rather short career to this day, but probably within a much smaller group of film afficionados. Fortunately for us, Meryl Streep has entertained us with illustrious characters to this day. And 40 years after its release, “Sophie’s Choice” still reminds us that here is an actress that can do everything.

“Finale, Late Conversations with Stephen Sondheim” is a new book written by D.T. Max and released on the one-year anniversary of Sondheim’s death this November. In an excerpt posted by Playbill, Sondheim and Meryl Streep talk about their very first collaboration in the 1974 production of “The Frogs” at the Yale Repertory Theatre – or, better said, at the University’s swimming pool.

I was in a production of The Frogs, which was at Yale when I was a first-year student. And I was in the chorus. And he was very legendary. I don’t think he even noticed me. But it was really hilarious. There was a lot of vying to get into the chorus from the women in the drama school because most of the cast were young men in bathing suits. Everybody wanted to be in the chorus! (Meryl Streep, Finale, Late Conversations with Stephen Sondheim)

They also talk about the new song recorded for “Into the Woods”, which was eventually cut from the final version, and possible plans to work together in London, although nothing specific is revealed by Sondheim. The full article can be read over at Playbill.

Another fantastic batch of additional photos have been added to the photo gallery. Featured are editorial photographs from the 1970s to the most recent promotion for “Don’t Look Up”, production stills for Meryl’s theatre work in “The Cherry Orchard” and “Taken in Marriage” as well for “Kramer vs. Kramer”, “Still of the Night” and “Little Women” as well as more group shots from the taping of 1991’s “Voices that Care”. There’s also a new video that Meryl did in 2017 for the The Congolese Women’s Forum for Peace and Security, which can be found in the video archive. For a complete overview, have a look at the previews below. Enjoy your Sunday.

Today 40 years ago, „Still of the Night“ released US theaters. Sandwiched between two of Meryl Streep’s greatest performances in the early 1980s, „Still of the Night“ is an often-forgotten Hitchcock hommage that not even its star herself remembers fondly. Helmed by Robert Benton, who directed Streep to her first Academy Award, it gave her probably the most thankless part of her career – the mysterious blonde.

In 1981, Meryl Streep had reached a first peak in her fairly young career. She was proclaimed „Star of the ‚80s“ by Newsweek and „Magic Meryl“ by Time Magazine a year afer winning her first Academy Award for „Kramer vs. Kramer“, her second consecutive nomination after „The Deer Hunter“. Her first leading role in „The French Lieutenant’s Woman“ won her a third nomintion in three years, as well as her second Golden Globe and a BAFTA from the British Academy. „Sophie’s Choice“ was on the horizon for a theatrical release later that year and she was already working with Mike Nichols on „Silkwood“ in Texas. Meanwhile, Benton was looking for a follow-up project to „Kramer“. He wrote a script called „Stab“ back in 1975, but left it in the drawers to first direct „The Late Show“, and then wait some more to direct „Kramer“. „You find yourself in a trap if you do the thing that people expect you to,“ he told The New York Times for the release of „Still of the Night“. „It seemed to me that I should go about as far away from „Kramer“ as I could with my next film.“ He found the missing link in Meryl Streep to finally revive the story of a entangled by the mistress of his murdered patient – a mysterious, cool blonde, who may have killed her lover, and maybe others as well.

Streep accepted the role for a number of reasons – to work with Benton and cinematographer Néstor Almendros again, but also for having the chance to work in New York, where her young family was based. „I wanted to work with [Benton] again. It was shot in New York. I rolled out of bed to go to work. I was with my baby more than I had ever been. I didn’t have to work every day,” she told Gene Siskel in 1982. She also, once again, helpled Benton with the right dialogue for Brooke, as she did with Joanna Kramer, as Benton recalls, „’When she got back from doing ‘The French Lieutenant’s Woman,’ we began working together, one or two days a week, on the character. She made up a great deal of the background story, the part about her father.”

It’s been quite some time since our last magazine update. So, with many thanks to my friend Alvaro, here are five new magazine additions from as early as 1979’s spotlight for the New York Public Theater performance of “Taken in Marriage” to some great profiles from Brasil magazines. Have a look at the previews for a complete list. Enjoy reading.

On October 13, 2022, Meryl Streep accepted the Alumnae/i Association of Vassar College (AAVC) Distinguished Achievement Award. According to a lenghty article published on the Vassar website, her movie-star charisma was immediately evident, but when Streep addressed the 1,500 members of the Vassar community—including fellow members of the class of ’71 – the three-time Academy Award winner didn’t talk much about the movies. She chose instead to tell her audience about how Vassar had shaped her life, setting her on a path of social awareness and activism. “One value of a Vassar education is that it kind of dooms you to a life of awareness …”Streep said. “Once you know how to search out and credit the facts around certain problems, you are called on by your conscience to act on them. The Vassar conscience rings a bell in your head; it’s a call to action in your heart.” Pictures from the event have been added to the photo gallery – with credit to Vassar College / Karl Rabe, the complete article can be read over here.

Yesterday, George and Amal Clooney hosted the first-ever Albie Awards through their Clooney Foundation for Justice at the New York Public Library on Thursday. The Albie Awards are named after South African activist and former judge Albert “Albie” Sachs and honor “courageous defenders of justice who are at great risk for what they do.” Albie was given a lifetime achievement award during the ceremony, while other prizes went to Dr. Josephine Kulea of Kenya’s Samburu Girls Foundation who was handed the Justice for Women honour while Filipino journalist Maria Ressa was given the Justice For Journalists award. Among the star-studded guests in attendance were Meryl Streep with daughter Grace and son-in-law Mark Ronson. Pictures from the event have been added to the photo gallery. Edit: You can now also watch Meryl’s speech, honoring journalist Maria Ressa, below.

Yesterday, Meryl Streep joined film critic Leonard Maltin and guests including Robert Rodriguez and Luke Wilson in honoring Robert De Niro at the Harry Ransom Center’s “A Celebration of Film” in Austin, Texas. The Ransom Center marks its 65th anniversary by creating an endowment honoring De Niro, whose archive is housed at the Center and contains annotated screenplays, correspondence, production records and film stills. Pictures from yesterday’s celebration have been added to the photo gallery.

Public appearances have been rare this year. So it’s a nice surprise to see Meryl Streep and Sam Waterston celebrating the 125th anniversary of The Lakeville Journal at the Town Grove in Lakeville last Saturday, both serving as Honorary Co-Chairs. The Lakeville Journal Foundation has posted an array of pictures from the celebration to their webiste, which can be also found in the photo gallery. Check back for more public appearances pictures, as Meryl and Robert De Niro will attend the Ransom Center’s 65th Anniversary Gala later this evening.

According to Deadline, Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman have renewed their support for The Writers Lab, which will return to its in-person format for script development in 2022, supporting women screenwriters over the age of 40. The Lab has re-doubled its efforts to amplify the voices of women writers, calling for greater inclusion of their stories in film and television, in response to growing threats to women’s rights, with genre scripts (particularly comedies) and historical stories about pioneering women being seen most commonly amongst its pool of submissions. This year’s Lab will focus on building the tools and strategies for talented writers to develop their projects and navigate the ever-shifting landscape of professional opportunities, with the 12 screenwriters selected to gather in Saugerties, NY in early November. The Writers Lab also today announced that its work is being recognized by AdvancingDiversity.org, a collective of more than 40 advertising and media companies and organizations, which last week unveiled its 2022 inductees into the Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors. “The Writers Lab is thrilled to be inducted into AdvancingDiversity.org’s Hall of Honors with these illustrious Honorees,” said co-founder Elizabeth Kaiden. “Advancing diversity is crucial to our mission of spotlighting an unexplored commodity: Cinematic stories that 50% of the population are clamoring to see.” Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.