Glenda Jackson and M, in Conversation

Glenda is a lovable cunt, isn't she?

Thanks for posting. Always loved Glenda--

STREEP: Do you still smoke cigarettes?

JACKSON: I do, but not to the extent that I did, partly because in my country, as here, you can’t smoke indoors. I can smoke in my own flat if I want to, but my grandson lives above, so I’m trying to cut down. Mind you, I frankly admit I was outside this morning in the bitter cold puffing away. And I did say to myself, “Why are you doing this? This is crazy.”

I have a friend in NYC who got to known Glenda fairly well while she was there doing Three Tall Women last year and he raved about her. Told me she's a total hoot.

I never realized how middlebrow and unimaginative Meryl Streep is in real life.

It reveals that Meryl will be a grandma for the first time.

And youngest child Louiisa, 27, is studying to be an actress. She’s by far the prettiest of the Gummer girls.

Poor Glenda is a raving old-school. bleeding-heart, romantic Leftie but her son disowned all that and now works as a sensible journalist for people doing sensible things.

Love Glenda Jackson — outstanding in “The Music Lovers”!

M just does not get that Glenda is throwing a fuck load of shade at her for playing Thatcher in that cunt licking biopic. Meryl really appears to be quite dense

I wish Glenda had said, "So Meryl, why aren't YOU doing Lear, instead of these ridiculous schmaltzy poorly written Hollywood movies?"

STREEP: It is quite strange. I have my own theory that for years gay writers, male gay writers, spoke through the voices of women because they weren’t free to write their own stories. And those fabulous creations that were the product of repression actually gave us an opportunity.

I'm interviewing Tara Reid in next month's issue! Make sure to get your copy.

R6 She was a sensible MP for people doing sensible things, like opposing the coalition's invasion of Iraq.

R10, I’m assuming by that remark she was mostly referring to Tennessee Williams?

r13 And Albee, as his female characters were such a delight

She's incredible....can't wait to see her in King Lear

I think Meryl must be thinking ENTIRELY of Tennessee Williams in the comment at R10. Offhand I can't think of any other gay writers who that comment applies to.

In the 1960s Tennessee Williams, William Inge, and Edward Albee were all accused by straight male critics of of writing gay male characters disguised as women. It was a simplistic theory, which Albee, in particular, rejected, saying the notion was "ludicrous bullshit".

Albee was a tiresome crank. Of course that theory had validity.

Glenda sat on those padded seats in those hallowed halls for 20 years but can take no credit for any change.

She says "One of the big disappointments for me going into Parliament was that quite often it felt like more of a PR exercise than actually getting things done".

She sat alongside Crazy-Corbyn, David Lammy and the Lady Nugee— none of whom can take credit for any change.

And sitting beside that wackadoodle Dianne (so?) Abbott can’t have been much fun, either.

R20 Diane Abbott is hilarious

If Williams, Inge and Albee were such hot shit, how come not one of them came up with the most brilliant idea in history: namely, disguising four gay men as elderly women living together in a house in Florida? Huh, how come?

oh Blanche! it's a tale as old as time. Did you read the Canterbury tales?

JACKSON: I was prepared to do anything I could that was legal to get Margaret Thatcher out.

Streep shaming so effortlessly by Jackson

Why is Streep pretending she has some illustrious stage career? She hasn’t done a proper run since the ‘70s.

What a fool encouraging all her kids to go into acting - sheer narcissism on her part. And all four of them, stunning mediocrities.

R25 Exactly, Glenda was trolling her extremely well

I never liked either of them. I heard that Jackson is supposed to be amazing to watch onstage but onscreen these two are both totally mannered and unable to give a subtle performance.

What pleasure do you get in visiting this gay , liberal site R6? Wouldn't you get more satisfaction jerking off to pics of Rees Mogg?

Meryl really is dim. Being just pretty enough, just ingratiating enough and she really doesn’t understand what it’s lije to be have another point of view.

LOL Meryl never mentions that she played Thatcher and when she tries to make a comparison between Thatcher and Glenda as being fearless, Glenda shoots her down. I love you, Glenda.

I think it’s interesting she thought Gaga would win the Oscar. Meryl made a similar comment early in the season. Perhaps she and Glenn really did split the vote and that let Coleman get it

Glenda is my new favorite person.

I love Glenda Jackson and Judy Davis above all other actresses because they truly don't give a fuck.

[quote]I heard that Jackson is supposed to be amazing to watch onstage but onscreen these two are both totally mannered and unable to give a subtle performance.

Watch "Stevie" and "Turtle Diary"

Judi Dench wouldn't even have a film career if Glenda Jackson hadn't left acting for 20 years. I rest my case:

I was surprised to read about the stage manager giving Glenda notes every night. What gall.

Thank you for posting this, my God, Streep is a bore.

And pushing her daughters constantly as well...

[quote] And pushing her daughters constantly as well...

Those lumps ain't gonna push themselves, toots.

Can't just one of her kids become a bank teller or something and leave the performing arts alone?

R33, don’t forget about me!

Surprised Glenda is acting again after her time in Parliament. She once said acting was just a job to pay the bills. Maybe she felt that way about doing films. Always loved Jackson and it’s no small feat taking on Lear at 82. Bravo.

I saw Jackson in one of those cavernous Victorian theatres in the 80s doing 'Hedda Gabler'.

I have to confess it made little impression on me at the time— not half as much as the divine Ingrid in this intimate TV version.

M: "Glenda, as you get older, you look more and more like Sir Ian McKellan. Should it cause us concern we never see the two of you together?"

[quote] not half as much as the divine Ingrid

Mary!

Not bad for an 82 year old smoker.

smoked for 50 yrs.....uses oxygen tank when not on stage.....how lovely....lets hear it for lung rot from smoke.

Speaking about her facially, R47. Your point is well taken. A true addiction it must be.

hard to believe someone as 'smart' as her, would still be puffin away on them death sticks. unreal....reckon she aint that smart.

imagine what her lungs will look like when they dissect her.

She was on seth Meyers, was hoping she would fire one up, and cough uncontrollably, be good ad to quit.

49 - As a non smoker of cigarettes; you think I give a fuck what my dead lungs look like when I die? I am not taking anything from anybody and nobody is getting anything of mine. Maybe Ms Glenda has the same attitude? And if I live to 82, I may take up a little crack addiction. Quite frankly with all the scolds about, I think that anybody who has reached seventy can do what the fuck they like is it is lawful, because the world is a far more humourless, but more privileged ( if we are not measuring it by the denial of immediate wants that mediating class types measure "happiness" by) than it has ever been in my lifetime. I admire people older than me for simply not committing mass suicide. Poor fucks have witnessed so much deterioration of all facets of what constitutes "humanity"..........

They both are insufferable. And FYI, Meryl knew.

Meryl really should go back to the stage. It's a bit bizarre having her wax lyrical about the magic of the stage when she hasn't been on Broadway since the 70s

Glenda will never be insufferable.

Considering the subjects, that was a very disappointing interview in which nothing new is revealed except M becoming a grandma.

It was very superficial questioning. As it was the day after The Golden Globes maybe Meryl was hungover after watching it live?

I laughed out loud at Streep's response to Jackson's statement about being a character actor. She clearly aspired to much more. So phony.

Glenda's the real deal. She never became extravagant, never thought of herself as being famous despite having money. She still went to the laundromat and did her own shopping. Never gave a shit about awards. She doesn't even have her two Oscars, she gave them away. And she walked away from it all to pursue a passion which she could have bombed at.

Bette and Joan thought the world of her.

R57 I think in the 70s Meryl really didn't aspire to be a movie actress, she's said many times she always saw her life on the stage. She landed Julia and The Deer Hunter by chance, the record shows she didn't pursue them. Maybe once she got a taste for it her priorities and outlook changed.

R48 Are you suggesting her decades of fagging have given her rough-looking face to match her 'old slapper' attitude

Smoking, yes, but Glenda looks like she never heard of facial moisturizer.

^ yes Glenda always specialised in playing working class, tough, feminist broads.

I liked the first Oscar win but didn't think she deserved another so soon after.

Actually....Women in Love, A Touch of Class, The Music Lovers, Marat Sade, Queen Elizabeth I, Sunday Bloody Sunday......none of these roles were working class, tough feminist broads.

^ All of them were tough women which appealed to feminists.

Gudrun's father was working class. Mrs Tchaikovsky was a slut. The inmates at Charenton showed their fannies. And Glenda made Queen Elizabeth seem working class.

Tough, yes for sure, but it's interesting how she's thought of as a working class icon and yet rarely played someone from the working class.

r65, you obviously haven't seen this film:

F66. That looks like something to avoid

1. The voice-over man is SO utterly smarmy

2. The director spells their name as "Lezli-An".

3. A score of only 6.2 on IMDB.

I think you'll find my interview with Tara Reid in next month's issue far more engaging and enlightening. I only hope her future is as bright as mine!

You're all so hard on them both! They're both marvelous in their own way. And both are still doing interesting work. Not easy for women at that age. They make the most of their opportunities. Very inspiring, I think.