# The 1981 movie Meryl Streep called “the first great role” she ever turned down

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1981-movie-meryl-streep-called-the-first-great-role-she-ever-turned-down/
- Published: 2026-10-24T16:45:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T17:11:00+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1981-movie-meryl-streep-first-great-role-turned-down/
- Topics: Business, Entertainment, Film, Markets

## Key points

- Streep called *Ragtime* the first great role she turned down.
- She declined it after learning she was pregnant.
- Elizabeth McGovern took the role in the 1981 film.

## Summary

Meryl Streep has said she regrets turning down a role in Miloš Forman’s 1981 film *Ragtime*, calling it “the first great role” she gave up. She was pregnant with her first child, Henry, and chose to step back from films; the story illustrates how family responsibilities shaped an early career decision.

Streep told Austin.com she had been married only briefly when she learnt she was pregnant, adding that “Henry turned out alright”. Elizabeth McGovern took the role instead. *Ragtime*, James Cagney’s final screen appearance, received several Academy Award nominations, while Streep returned to films in 1981 with *The French Lieutenant’s Woman*.

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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.