Meryl Streep's personal politics may differ from Margaret Thatcher's, but the actress has revealed she admires many of the former British Prime Minister's qualities.
The 62-year-old acting legend, a self-confessed liberal, takes on the role of the controversial conservative in new drama The Iron Lady. Despite their obvious clash of opinions, at the film's European premiere at the BFI Southbank in London on Wednesday Streep said: ''I admire many of her qualities, I don't agree with many of her policies, but I think it's, the interesting thing about this journey was to, you know when you play a character you don't really judge them you just try to get as close as you can, especially to one that exists and has made a mark on history, you try your best to get as close to the truth as you can.''
The film shows Thatcher in the present day—as a frail old lady, as well as during her time in Downing Street and has been criticized for being overly sympathetic. However Streep is not concerned by the response, saying: ''I think, the thing that I noticed when I was making the film, is how fiery hot on both sides the feelings were, people wanted to hold her as this indelible icon or they wanted to regard her as a monster, and to me the only interesting thing is to look at Margaret Thatcher as if she were a human being, which after all she is.''
Anthony Head, who plays cabinet minister Geoffrey Howe, also backed up the movie's position as a personal, rather than political, story: ''It's not a biopic even though some people seem to think it is, it's not about the rights or wrongs of what she did it's about her pursuit of power, where it lead her and how it isolated her and then what happened when that power was taken away,'' he said.
Streep was also joined at the premiere by Jim Broadbent, who plays her husband Denis Thatcher and Richard E. Grant who takes on the role of Michael Heseltine. Both clearly enjoyed working with her, with Broadbent joking she was in charge on camera and off and Grant saying he thought she was "absolutely brilliant".
He's not the only one thinking that either. While the film might have has had mixed reviews, Streep is tipped for success at next month's Oscars. Her performance has already gained her a Golden Globe nomination and it's thought she will at least get a nod from the Academy too.
Certainly director Phyllida Lloyd thinks Streep is deserving of a third Oscar: ''As far as I am concerned if she doesn't win for this, I don't know who will,'' she said.