She’s one of the most recognisable faces on screen and stage, thanks to a career dating back decades.
But Meryl Streep has completely transformed for her new role alongside Nicole Kidman in the second series of hit TV show Big Little Lies. The 68-year-old actress looks youthful with brown hair and minimal make-up in the first photo of her on set.
She will play Mary Louise Wright, the mother of Alexander Skarsgard’s character Perry, and mother-in-law to 50-year-old Nicole’s Celeste. The photo, shared by Nicole and her co-star and friend Reese Witherspoon on social media, shows Meryl sat down on the floor peering at a screen, with Nicole and her two on-screen sons cuddled up next to her.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhMrLYlFjfr/?hl=en&taken-by=nicolekidman
Wearing pyjamas and a dressing gown with glasses on, Meryl looks completely at home and pulls off the casual look well. Meanwhile, Nicole is still fully dressed in the snap in some casual jeans and a shirt, as she shows off her on-screen brown hair.
Fans loved the teaser image, with many complimenting both actresses on their appearance – and some sharing their shock at Meryl’s transformation. One commented: “MERYL?!?!?!??!? Shut the front doooorrrrrrr!!!!!!!” While another added: “MY FAVORITE ACTRESSES TOGETHER WOWWWW.”
Reese spoke last month about how happy she was that Meryl would be joining the all-star cast on the series, which Witherspoon and Nicole produce and is based on a book by Aussie author Liane Moriarty. “Well, she [Meryl] sent an email to Nicole and I,” Reese recalled on the Seth Myers show in March. “And it said, ‘Okay, I read the part and I love it and I’m going to do it’.
“And I like dropped the phone, like mic drop, but I phone dropped. And then I called Nicole and I was like, ‘Is this real life? Is this really happening?” Reese went on. “And then I got off the phone with Nicole and I, like, hugged myself gently for a minute and said, ‘This is really happening. You’re really working with Meryl Streep’.”
Alongside Meryl, Nicole, Reese and Alexander Skarsgard, the show also stars Shailene Woodley, Adam Scott, Zoe Kravitz and Laura Dern.
HBO previously revealed that season two will pick up with Meryl’s character arriving in Monterey, California, after becoming “concerned for the well-being of her grandchildren” following the death of her son, who was played by Alexander last season. It seems she gets on well with Nicole’s character early on, judging by this photo, but if the first season is anything to go by, nothing is likely to be what it seems.