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Exclusive: Meryl Streep, Part 1

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    Oscar-winning actress on 'Huckabee'

  • Duration 7:24
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Academy best actress awards nominated for another.

For her role as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the movie iron lady.

We you stand on principle.

-- -- will not stand tool but Margaret with all due respect when one has been to war we -- -- -- I have to unpack so every single day of my life and many men have underestimated me -- They still -- -- to do this saying.

To -- will move day.

-- sure and another.

T how do you take your -- black or liked.

Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Meryl -- -- -- So nice to have you here.

You know.

I saw that scene.

In which Margaret Thatcher was just essentially emasculated these men you scared me.

I want to trust and introduce you out here that -- -- -- -- It is a remarkable film one of the greatest.

I think movies that depict a living person that I've seen.

And it must have been an incredible challenge to play the role of Margaret Thatcher with so many people still.

Knowing of her and remembering her yeah we will intimidated before you started this whole process.

I was I mean not the least because I'm from New Jersey on you know not British sound I was walking in to.

I cast of over 250.

Actors all of whom -- Really beautiful.

Well prepared actress playing very specific roles and I was scared about that scared about playing a real person.

And also someone.

That people have such vehement opinions about they really do an all or lover or hater there's a dessert every little middle ground about Margaret -- that's exactly right and so.

We wanted to make a film that wasn't really a traditional biopic I mean.

There there are lots of films that can be made about Margaret Thatcher and everything that she achieved and tried to do in her life.

But what we did was we interest in telling a human story from the point of view.

At the end of life.

And that's -- of reckoning that.

People make you know -- this time justify.

You know they're they're they're been some critics because that the picture starts with her.

Didn't in the contemporary.

Setting yes we know that she's going through some issues of dementia -- that's very real.

And then it looks back on her remarkable career -- and some of the critics thought that was unfair I personally thought.

That it made me appreciate her more because this remarkable figure iconic historic person is also.

Very real and very human.

That's right I think we tend to especially with political figures reduce them to either villains or that.

-- -- them and people are people we are all.

Many faxes and we have lots of five different different sides to us and and the truth is always so much more interesting nuanced and complicated so that's what we -- after did you have some.

May be preconceptions about Margaret Thatcher before this -- preparations started and what were they what were things that surprised you.

As you got into the role.

But there was so many surprises.

I mean so many surprises she is she really is being held up as a conservative icon.

In many and too many people and together with -- President Reagan credited with bringing bringing down the Berlin Wall and all of that and also making and -- an approach to the Soviet Union.

To talk.

To just make tried it and figure out how do.

Talk to people.

And so.

She was -- -- -- was it chemist by training she went to Oxford in chemistry.

And she was an early proponent of the idea of global warming early warning about it was time.

Very and that its surprise me.

She also.

Never touched the national health and Britain since nineteen.

48 every.

Person is and afforded health care from the time they're born till they die.

And she never attempted to dismantle that she thought that was a -- right.

In in conservative circles here that she would be drummed up -- good thing for that but it's just a different you know.

And yet she adhered to a very very strict financial.

Agenda.

But they were just certain things that.

People thought of her is very hard and cold that were most surprising to.

You know I think that's one of the ways in which the film helps.

Really.

Give us of a picture of Margaret -- that we never had because if she was the iron lady this stuff.

Person who could just -- down a room of men and have them in tears.

And yet there was also a very poignant scene in the film that that I remember -- After she has virtually just destroyed the ego you have every man -- -- cabinet.

And then she dismisses them summarily dismisses and they all walk out and then you see her hand trembling and and they realize it was some dramatic license -- but still that showed to me that beneath the crust of the iron lady.

It was a -- I don't think for me just as an actor to explore the idea of what it means to be a leader to take all that.

I mean you take so much hatred so much venom on yourself.

How -- people.

Live how they remain.

Strong when they still have to go to work and still -- in the work of the nation depends on them.

How do you not how that affects you physically affect you to take.

All that responsibility on your thing on your shoulders I think everybody that's -- up for public office you know should be applauded because.

There are many sacrifices you're -- you're bound to make with your family in many banks.

And I just applaud people because I realizes I was stepping into her -- just a little bit.

I didn't have any anywhere close to the stamina.

And -- that she.

I'm not sure about that you know -- -- But I read about you have -- it -- -- -- -- incredibly well educated person vasser -- toward your high school all of these oh no that's a -- You know it's true and everybody apart its high school knows that could fail and if you've been hit FA from Yale -- -- straight from.

You're also known as a person who's very self effacing you're not the person take yourself too seriously so truly.

With all of that with your humility he had no business ever go running for office you know -- Ever -- -- and I don't have to worry about.

You're too Smart and you don't have that sense of itself.

Maybe a grand -- meant so I want it.

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