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Maryl Streep breaks down the real-world inspiration behind her Don’t Look Up role and discusses the dark comedy film’s most chilling scene.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Don’t Look Up, now playing in theaters and streaming on Netflix on Dec. 24
In Don’t Look Up, Streep plays President Orlean, a publicity-minded politician with a general lack of concern over repercussions. With the mid-term election approaching, she’s reluctant to reveal the existence of an incoming comet until she can position herself as a hero for saving the world. Her selfish ambitions allow Peter Isherwell (Mark Rylance) to convince her to gamble the world’s fate by destroying the comet in a far more dangerous (and ultimately doomed) method.
During a press conference for Don’t Look Up attended by CBR and other outlets, Meryl Streep spoke about the process of creating her character President Orlean. She also shared what sequences from the dark comedy struck her, even months after filming had concluded.
According to Streep, there were a lot of different real-life inspirations she utilized for her satirical take on the leader of the free world. “There were so many places to take things from,” she shared. “There are so many preposterous people who’ve put themselves in public spaces recently, and shamelessly. It was fun to put together this character that was in just pure id, just whatever her appetite wanted, and about amassing power, money, more power, and more money — and nice hair and nails. Amazing suits.”
Streep also noted that Orlean being a career politician gives the character a tragic element. “That’s, unfortunately, the cost of what being a public servant is now,” Streep said. “You really have to make a big sacrifice [to become a politician and do good]. Your family makes a sacrifice, and you have to be willing to do that. And it’s amazing that we get good people ever to do it. We need them. We need them right now more than ever.”
Don’t Look Up‘s third act takes an even more tragic direction. Orlean and Isherwell’s plan was ultimately a failure and the Earth is doomed. Reflecting on the final moments of the film, Streep spoke about how some minor moments really stuck with her after filming wrapped. “There are a lot of chilling moments,” she said. “I don’t know why, but what really hit me was the scene in the bar with [Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry’s talk-show hosts Brie Evantee and Jack Bremmer] when everything’s going to shit outside. And she says, ‘I just wanna get drunk and talk shit about people.’ I know lots of people who… That’s not an unusual reaction, but it chilled my bones.”
Streep continued, “And then the one where they’re in the car and Timothée Chalamet proposes an idea to Jen and she goes, ‘Yeah.’ And it’s so clear, there’s no way it’s ever gonna happen. But it’s that glimmer of the human dream where we hope something good is gonna happen, even though we know something bad is. And that’s the kernel of truth of [Don’t Look Up]. We push this information away. Smart people, people who don’t have a scientific background, everyone pushes it away because it’s just too painful. For people who believe and understand the imminence of this threat to all of our lives — to rich people, poor people, everybody. Everything flows from this, every issue of injustice, inequity, everything. If we don’t survive, none of it matters.”
To see the scenes that left Streep shaken, Don’t Look Up is in theaters now and hits Netflix on Dec. 24.
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