Meryl Streep Confirms “Beef” With Oscar-Winning Actor In Classic ’90s Fantasy Horror Movie

Meryl Streep is finally having her say after 34 years.

Streep has had a career that many have aspired to have in Hollywood. Her career spans five decades, and she has often been called one of the best actresses of her generation, with incredible versatility and a record-breaking 21 Academy Award nominations. The actress earned her first Oscar nomination for the 1978 movie The Deer Hunter before winning her first Oscar a year later for Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Streep opened up about reprising her role as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2, as well as the cult classic Death Becomes Her and her alleged “beef” with her co-star, Goldie Hawn. The 1992 movie starred Streep and Hawn, as well as Bruce Willis, and wasn’t well-received upon release but has since regained popularity in recent years. However, Streep had some issues with Hawn during production:

“We just had a lot of fun. And she’s the best laugher in America, really. But VFX, or whatever they call it, that part is not that fun. Goldie, she was always late to set, but she was so adorable. And I’m always on time, you know, and annoying.

But she’s late, and she had a red convertible, I remember, and she’d drive herself to set. And so that was probably the problem. She had her hair all over, she’s like, ‘Oh gosh, sorry!’ Everybody thought, ‘Oh, she’s so cute.’ So I had beef with her, but I loved her. I love her, she’s one of my buddies.”

Death Becomes Her follows rivals Helen (played by Hawn) and Madeline (played by Streep), as they drink a magic potion that promises eternal youth and beauty. However, as they both fight over the same man named Ernest and die, they are declared undead and forced to live in their bodies, which requires general care, or else they will appear rotten. The movie’s message is clear, and that is to shine a harsh light on how women are pitted against each other based on beauty standards, which still rings true over 30 years later.

The star-studded fantasy horror performed well at the box office and grossed $149 million worldwide, but it only received a 58% Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics. Death Becomes Her won an Oscar for its groundbreaking visual effects and has since had a Broadway adaptation that has earned 10 Tony Award nominations.

Hawn is also a beloved actress, producer, and director after rising to fame in the 1960s. She won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in the 1969 film Cactus Flower and had major hits including Foul Play, Overboard, and The First Wives Club. The actress is also known for her long-term relationship with fellow actor Kurt Russell and their children Kate Hudson, Oliver Hudson, and Wyatt Russell, as the family has become Hollywood royalty.

Death Becomes Her still remains a fan-favorite movie for its campy and over-the-top acting, leaving everyone entertained and bewildered.

Release Date

July 31, 1992

Runtime

104 minutes

Director

Robert Zemeckis

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