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Meryl Streep is one of the most versatile actresses in Hollywood, but she too underwent a struggling phase like many other actresses before landing her first film role. She made her feature film debut alongside Jane Fonda in the 1977 filmJulia. However,The Devil Wears Pradaactress faced a particularly horrible experience when she auditioned for the lead role in the 1976 filmKing Kong.
Popular Hollywood producer, Dino De Laurentiis, insulted Streep after his son, Frederico De Laurentiis, invited her to audition for the role. Undeterred, Streep delivered a perfect comeback to the producer before exiting the audition.
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Meryl Streep Had The Perfect Reply For The Producer Who Called Her ‘Ugly’
Meryl Streepwas a Broadway actress before she ventured into films. Inspired byRobert De Niro’sTaxi Driver, Streep decided to try her hand at film auditions. Frederico De Laurentiis attended one of her Broadway plays and was very impressed with her acting talent. He invited her to audition for the lead role inKing Kong, a remake of the 1933 film.
De Laurentiis Jr. served as an executive producer in the film, which was produced by his father,Dino De Laurentiis. TheMamma Mia!actress had one of the most horrible audition experiences with the producer. She recalled the audition when she appeared onThe Graham Norton Show. Streep detailed the audition, which took place on the top floor of the Gulf and Western building in Manhattan.
When she walked in, both the father and son were sitting in their office. De Laurentiis Jr. was excited about bringing in a talented actress for the audition, but the Italian producer was not at all happy. He turned to his son and uttered in Italian,“Che brutta”. Unbeknownst to the producer, Streep understood Italian and realized that the producer had called her“ugly”. Streep shared onThe Graham Norton Show:
“I walked in, and [Dino De Laurentiis’s] son was sitting there, very excited that he had brought in this new actress and the father said to his son — in Italian, because I understand Italian — he said ‘Che brutta?’, you know, ‘Why you bring me this ugly thing?’”
While Streep admitted toGraham Nortonand fellow guests,Mark RuffaloandJames McAvoy, that the experience was“pretty sobering”for a young actress. However, she did give a Miranda Priestly-style reply to the producer in Italian, stating,“I understand what you’re saying. I am sorry I am not beautiful enough to be in King Kong.”Dino De Laurentiis should have known better than to underestimate Meryl Streep.
Also Read:“I remember sinking down to the bottom”: Meryl Streep Never Returned to the Action Genre After 1 Movie Almost Killed Her in Freak Accident
TheKing KongRole Ultimately Went To Another New Actress
Dino De Laurentiis was looking for an innocent face to portray a damsel-in-distress inKing Kong. After rejecting Meryl Streep, the role was proposed to Barbra Streisand who turned down the role. Goldie Hawn was also another contender for the role. But eventually,Jessica Lange, who was a model at the time, landed the lead role.
While the film achieved modest success and became the fifth highest-grossing film of the year, critics were largely critical of both the film and Lange’s performance. However, some critics gave her credit for pulling off a decent performance, despite her lack of prior acting experience. Lange received a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year in 1976.
Also Read:“He doesn’t bring in the box office”: Meryl Streep Might Have Been Wrong About Sylvester Stallone’s Box Office Power and Insane Movie Salary
King Kong(1976) is now available for streaming on Paramount+.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3020
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
