Variety‘s “Actors on Actors” series has been the go-to interview platform for celebrities — but which actor has “always” said no to the coveted opportunity?
Editor in chief Ramin Setoodeh was asked who was still on their wishlist during the Thursday, December 18, episode of the “Viall Files” podcast, saying, “Leonardo [DiCaprio] had been on my dream list for a really long time. We’re very, very lucky to have him this season. One actor who’s always said no and she’s never done it is Meryl Streep.”
Setoodeh recalled multiple actors asking to be paired up with Streep, 76, for their segment.
“Everyone’s always wanting to pair with Meryl Streep,” he revealed. “Meryl hasn’t made a movie in a few years now. She’s been on TV, she’s been on Hulu and she’s been doing other projects. But I do hope the next time she has a big movie — and she’s not on Only Murders in the Building — that we can have her on Actors on Actors.”
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He continued: “Literally, I could pair her with anyone. And every single actor in the portfolio always wants to pair with Meryl.”
Streep has been booked and busy filming high-profile projects such as The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. After joining the hit series in 2023, Streep portrayed Martin Short‘s love interest on Only Murders in the Building. Their public appearances off camera sparked speculation that they are dating.
Short, 75, and Streep’s characters, Oliver and Loretta, got married during season 4 of the series, which also stars Selena Gomez and Steve Martin. Ahead of season 5, which aired earlier this year, creator John Hoffman explained why Loretta left for a job overseas shortly after exchanging vows with Oliver.
“There are a lot of reasons [for that decision]. I’ll cop to that for sure. But I think, ultimately, I delighted in it, and we said yes to it because it felt like a funny, believable thing now. If you’re working in TV and film, again, it’s a little bit of a tweaking joke to the industry that overseas is cheaper, or overseas makes sense, or overseas is fresher,” Hoffman told The Hollywood Reporter in October 2024. “Things are happening like that all the time around productions that are either just getting going or are making a move, or whatever they can do to hold on to things and keep the costs down. So a little bit of that wink was a part of that decision.”
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Hoffman gushed over Short and Streep’s chemistry on the show.
“I just love the two of them together. Marty and Meryl and Oliver and Loretta dancing and talking and Loretta realizing, ‘I don’t know how I do this. I don’t know how I take you away from this.’ All that felt really sweet,” he continued. “And the whole idea of an unconventional relationship, and her sensing, ‘You’re going to come to New Zealand and this could very well be the end of this beautiful marriage.’ Her knowing that about him and saying, ‘Let’s roll with this.’ It’s a beautifully sweet and heartbreaking scene. It is very adult to make a call like that.”
In a separate interview with Decider, Hoffman explained the significance of Loretta and Oliver’s romance. “I remember one night we were shooting on the ferry in episode 5 of season 3. We shot until about two in the morning on the most gorgeous night in Manhattan,” he recalled. “I got off to gangplank there and Meryl was waiting, and she had tears in her eyes, and she said, ‘I just had to wait here for you to get off the boat to say thank you.’”
He added: “I was like, ‘What?’ and she said, ‘I just got to play a scene I really thought that the likes of which I wouldn’t have a chance to do. To play romantic scenes at this age with this band in this way, it’s just the greatest thing ever.’”
