Playing with Meryl Quiz | People Themed

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Meryl debuted in 1977 in "Julia", a film about a playwright smuggling funds to Nazi Germany. The lead actresses were Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave. What was Meryl's character name?

Answer: Anne Marie

Before auditioning for the role in "Julia", Meryl was a recognisable Broadway actress with a Tony Award nomination. She was auditioning for some movies (unsuccessfully) and during one audition the producer, Dino De Laurentiis asked his son in Italian, "She's ugly. Why did you bring me this thing?", to which Meryl replied in fluent Italian.

2. Meryl lived with an actor just before she started her movie career. In the late '70s he was diagnosed with cancer. His last role was in "The Deer Hunter", in which Meryl was also able to take part. She looked after him during filming, but he passed away on March 12, 1978, before the movie was finished. What was his name?

Answer: John Cazale

Cazale's career is outstanding. He played in "The Godfather", "The Godfather, Part II", "The Conversation", "Dog Day Afternoon" and "The Deer Hunter". What is unbelievable is the fact that those films were the ONLY ones he ever acted in. He passed away at the age of 42.

3. In 1979 Meryl starred in three movies. "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Manhattan" were two of them. In the third one she starred alongside Alan Alda, who played Joe Tynan, a US liberal senator who has his morals tested. What is the name of this film?

Answer: The Seduction of Joe Tynan

The film earned $19 million in the box office, however it has since faded into obscurity. Meryl stated that she was on "automatic pilot" during filming, as she was grieving after the loss of John Cazale. She admitted that acting her role was possible thanks to Alda's support.

4. In 1982 and 1983 Meryl played in three movies: "Still of the Night", "Silkwood" and "Sophie's Choice". All of them featured a German actor (once as a narrator). What was his name?

Answer: Josef Sommer

Josef Sommer has a pretty amazing filmography. He played in "Reds", "Witness", "Dirty Harry" and more recently he was the president in "X-Men: The Last Stand".

"Still of the Night" is an atmospheric thriller about a murder of a psychiatrist's patient and his search to find what happened. "Silkwood" tells the real story of Karen Silkwood, a metallurgy plant worker who became a whistle-blower and was found dead in her car soon afterwards. "Sophie's Choice" is a very powerful film about a woman's life following an impossible choice she made during the war.

5. Sometimes famous actors introduce their family members to movies. Meryl in 1986 introduced her mother Mary Streep. She played a dinner party guest with about one second of screen time. What was the movie's title?

Answer: Heartburn

Mary Streep was a commercial artist and an art editor. She passed away in 2001 at the age of 86.

"Heartburn" tells a bitter story of a couple, from the time they met to the time they divorced. It is based on Nora Ephron's (the film's screenwriter) own marriage to Carl Bernstein, of Watergate scandal fame. This film also marks the debut of Kevin Spacey.

6. In the '80s a lot of famous singers had really good movie careers. Meryl met some of them on the set. Which of these singers did NOT play in a movie with Meryl in the 1980s?

Answer: Meat Loaf

Sting played in "Plenty", Cher in "Silkwood" and Tom Waits in "Ironweed". Meryl also has got a knack for singing, which she showed in "Mamma Mia!".

7. In "Heartburn", Meryl played with her own daughter, who, coincidentally, played her character's daughter. What is the name of this actress?

Answer: Mamie Gummer

Mamie Gummer was three years old at the time. She came back to acting 20 years later and has since become quite well-known. She is most recognised from "Emily Owens M.D.", a TV show that was cancelled after only one season.

8. In 1993 Meryl introduced another of her daughters, Grace Gummer, to the world of film. What was the name of the film?

Answer: The House of the Spirits

Grace Gummer was seven years old at the time. She returned to acting in 2010 and since then has taken part in a couple of TV series and movies, the most famous of which is "Frances Ha".

"The House of the Spirits" is a multinational work helmed by a Danish director Bille August, based on a Chilean novel by Isabel Allende and starring an international cast (Antonio Banderas, Jeremy Irons, Maria Conchita Alonso, Winona Ryder). It was a big flop as it cost $40 million and made $6.5 million at the box office.

9. Roseanne Barr is a love-her-or-hate-her TV personality. Her antics are now part of TV history (especially her performance of the US National Anthem). In 1989 she co-starred in a film with Meryl. What was its name?

Answer: She-Devil

This was the first time Meryl did comedy, which turned up pretty well, as she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. This was also the big screen debut of Roseanne Barr.

"She-Devil" is a dark comedy about an affair and a vengeful wife. Meryl Streep plays a wealthy romance novelist who is the target of one woman's (Roseanne Barr's) revenge.

10. Meryl has worked with one actor in as many as five films, namely "Sophie's Choice", "The Devil's Wears Prada", "Prime", "Heartburn" and "Dark Matter". Who is he?

Answer: John Rothman

John Rothman has an astounding number of credits on IMDB, yet he is not very recognisable. Most of his roles are supporting characters. They include titles like "Ghostbusters", "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Daredevil" and "Gettysburg".

In "Sophie's Choice" he is a nameless librarian. In "Heartburn" he plays Jonathan Rice, Under Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs, whose wife has an affair with Jack Nicholson's character. In "The Devil's Wears Prada" he is an editor of the magazine. In "Prime" he is the father of Bryan Greenberg's character. In "Dark Matter" he plays the role of Rene.

Source: Author WayZee1

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor jmorrow before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Playing with Meryl Trivia Quiz

Meryl Streep is, according to her Academy Award nominations and wins, the most acclaimed actress alive. She has played with most recognisable co-actors and this quiz is about them.

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