Daily Mirror

I hope that Trump sees the film and realises what true patriotism really is

- BY WARREN MANGER warren.manger@mirror.co.uk

Donald Trump has made countless outrageous claims on Twitter, but few sounded as desperate as him dismissing Meryl Streep as an “overrated actress”.

After all, Meryl has three Oscar wins to her name, and more nomination­s than anyone else in history – 20 in the last 40 years. Tomorrow, she will learn if she can add another nomination to the tally, for her latest movie, The Post.

And while Trump may not be a fan of her previous work, Meryl, 68, hopes that the US President might learn a valuable lesson from her most recent role.

Based on a true story, the Steven Spielberg-directed thriller sees Meryl play The Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, alongside Tom Hanks, 61, as its editor, Ben Bradlee.

It follows their fight to publish the Pentagon Papers – classified documents revealing damning secrets about the US government’s involvemen­t in the Vietnam War. And, after a year that brought us “alternativ­e facts” and “fake news”, the film seems rather apt.

Meryl hopes the movie might teach Trump to respect others more, instead of trying to undermine them on Twitter. She says: “I actually think he may really like The Post, weirdly, because it is a great movie and it is a patriotic movie.

“What effect would I hope it would have on him? Well, that he would stop the shenanigan­s and give some respect for people who are operating on their principles, and not on their appetite.”

The latest barb between the pair came as Trump celebrated his first year as president on Saturday.

Democratic voter Meryl used her acceptance speech for a lifetime achievemen­t award at the Golden Globes last year to criticise Trump for mocking a disabled reporter, which he denies.

And, during his election campaign, she dressed as Trump for a stinging parody performanc­e. After her Globes speech, Trump tweeted: “Meryl Streep, one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood, doesn’t know me but attacked [me] at the Golden Globes.”

Whether Trump watches it or not, The Post marks the first time Meryl has acted opposite Oscar winner Tom, who, she admits she found surprising­ly sexy. She reveals: “Tom has the reputation of being the nicest guy in Hollywood. And he is very nice, but he’s also really

Tom Hanks is really smart and witty, and that’s very attractive MERYL STREEP ON HER CO-STAR IN THE POST

I hope it will make Trump respect people operating on their principles, not appetites MERYL ON EFFECT SHE HOPES FILM WILL HAVE ON US PRESIDENT

smart. It’s such an attractive quality. He’s always a few steps ahead of everybody in the room. He has that crackling wit and demanding personalit­y. “It’s very sexy. I think people will be surprised.” Despite Tom’s on-screen charms, Meryl is steadfastl­y committed to her husband, sculptor Don Gummer, 71. They wed in 1978, and have four children – musician Henry 38, actresses Mamie, 34, and Grace, 31, and model Louisa, 26. So, in an industry where relationsh­ips are notoriousl­y fickle, what’s the secret of their longevity? Meryl says: “I have no idea. People think being married to an actor is hard, but try being married to an artist. But my husband does understand the deal – the sort of serial fixation that actors have with their work.”

Meryl was nominated for a Golden Globe this month for Best Actress for The Post, but lost to Frances McDormand for her impressive turn in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

But The Post feels incredibly timely, amid Trump’s “fake news” presidency, and the sexual abuse allegation­s against producer Harvey Weinstein and other high-profile Hollywood figures.

Meryl, who has appeared in several films distribute­d by Weinstein’s former studio, including 2011’s The Iron Lady, strongly denies claims that she had been aware of his behaviour.

The Post not only show the press holding the government to account, but it follows the pioneering Katharine – the US’s first female newspaper publisher – as she makes her way in a male-dominated industry.

Her father, Eugene, bought The Post in a 1933 bankruptcy auction, and she began working as a reporter in 1938.

In 1946, Eugene gave the newspaper to her husband, Philip Graham. After Philip committed suicide in 1963, Katharine took over his position.

The Post joins her in 1971, as she quibbles over publishing documents leaked by a disillusio­ned military contractor, which reveal how badly the Vietnam War is going. Her editor, Ben, wants to run the story, but her lawyers warn it could lead to criminal charges and financial ruin.

She decides to go ahead, and The Post went on to win a landmark legal case against Richard Nixon’s government. It led to the Watergate scandal, and Nixon’s resignatio­n. Katharine passed away in 2001, age 84, in Idaho.

Her eldest son William, 69, a successful philanthro­pist, died two days after the film’s US release last month, in an apparent suicide.

Meryl says: “So much has changed in the 35 years since the film was set, so much that is good. Sometimes, in the inundation of news, we lose track of how much progress we have made.

“This movie really meets its moment in history. It does speak to our particular moment in time, where the press are under siege and women are emerging to take their rightful space and own it and call out sexism.”

 ??  ?? PRESS GANG Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in The Post PIONEER Katharine Graham in 2001
PRESS GANG Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in The Post PIONEER Katharine Graham in 2001
 ??  ?? ROLE MODEL L-R: As Trump in skit, in 1983 movie, & with husband Don Gummer
ROLE MODEL L-R: As Trump in skit, in 1983 movie, & with husband Don Gummer

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