# Meryl Streep desperately wanted a 1976 role. After seeing who got it, she understood why she hadn’t

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/meryl-streep-desperately-wanted-a-1976-role-after-seeing-who-got-it-she-understood-why-she-hadnt/
- Published: 2026-11-12T18:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T21:05:59+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/jessica-lange-kept-taking-meryl-streep-roles-1976/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Lange was cast over Streep in *King Kong* and *Sweet Dreams*.
- Streep turned down *The Postman Always Rings Twice*.
- Streep later praised Lange’s performance as Patsy Cline.

## Summary

Meryl Streep missed out on two film roles to Jessica Lange and turned down a third that Lange later took, illustrating how casting choices can hinge on a director’s view of who best fits a character. Streep later said she understood why Lange was right for the role of Patsy Cline in *Sweet Dreams*, despite having been keen to play the singer.

Streep first lost the role of Dwan in *King Kong* after producer Dino De Laurentiis reportedly dismissed her appearance; Lange was cast instead. Streep declined *The Postman Always Rings Twice* because of its explicit scenes, and Lange accepted the part. For *Sweet Dreams*, director Karel Reisz chose Lange over Streep; both actresses later received Oscar nominations in the same category, which Geraldine Page won.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.