Meryl Streep Recalls Being Told She Was 'Too Ugly' For King Kong

Though it’s hard to believe now, at one time Meryl Streep had to battle to get movie roles.

But the Hollywood veteran has now recalled the moment that she was told that she was ‘too ugly’ to appear in the movie ‘King Kong’.

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She told The Graham Norton Show that she was up for the lead in the 1976 version of ‘King Kong’, but the initial meeting with Dino DeLaurentiis, the movie’s producer, didn’t go well.

The movie legend didn’t count on the fact that Streep spoke Italian during their first meeting, which made for an awkward exchange.

His son had ‘discovered’ the actress while she was appearing in a play, and had then taken her to meet his father, who was at that time searching for an unknown actress for the part.

“I went up to the top of the Gulf Western building, he has this amazing office that looked all over Manhattan,” she said.

“I walked in and his son was sitting there very excited, and he brought in this new actress, and his father said to his son, in Italian, ‘che brutta’ – ‘why do you bring me this ugly thing?’

“It was sobering, as a young girl. So I said to him, ‘I know what you’re saying’ [in Italian]. I’m sorry I’m not beautiful enough to be in ‘King Kong’.”

Instead the role went to Jessica Lange, but Streep ended up dodging a bullet.

The movie was hammered by the critics, and Lange later revealed how she was man-handled by the massive ape’s hydraulic hand on set.

“Once he was supposed to crush me, and he almost did,” she said.

“Once he was supposed to pat me on the head, and he almost knocked me out. I got bruises and pinches and pokes, and I looked scared to death half the time, which was fine, because I was supposed to be projecting fear.”

Sounds like she had a lucky escape.

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Image credits: PA/Getty