MovieChat Forums > 101 Dalmatians (1996) Discussion > Why didn't they choose Meryl Streep?

Why didn't they choose Meryl Streep?

posted 17 years ago by Birugirl
22 replies | jump to latest

I know that Glenn Close was a suitable actress for the role, but why didn't they choose Meryl Streep to play as Cruella?

[–] NBates1 11 years ago

No one, but NO ONE, could have played Cruella like Glenn. The biggest crime in Hollywood was not giving her an Oscar for this.

"We all go a little mad sometimes..." - Norman Bates

[–] hvg-1 11 years ago

Glenn is horribly overrated in this movie. The whole movie has naturalistic performances and Glenn does the over the top portrayal which makes you notice her for all the wrong reasons.

Yes, she's trying to be like the cartoon version but she misses the point. In the cartoon, De Vil is more seducing with her evil... in this Glenn just plays her loud with big eyes. If Glenn played it with that seduction she would have been 10 times better.

That over the top performance needed to come at the end when everything was unravelling, not at the very beginning when she's trying to buy the puppies. I'm surprised how many people on this board call her performance 'amazing'. It was fine, but so melodramatic.

[–] MyMovieTVRomance 10 years ago

I think they didn't choose her because they wanted someone who would define the role...someone who would be acceptable as a villain and become known for the part. And, that's exactly what happened with Glenn. Audiences love her in villainous roles and she has indeed become known for the part.

By contrast, if Meryl had gotten it, it would have just been Meryl playing a part, she would not have become known for the role...the role wouldn't have taken on such a life of its own if Meryl had the part, because for most of her fans, this is not the type of role they want to see Meryl in, thus her role in it would have been more forgettable. That's why I'm glad they chose Glenn.

Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize!