Meryl Streep Will Join the Cast of Big Little Lies Season 2
Big Little Lies is somehow getting even more star power in its second season, by way of one Meryl Streep.
The Academy Award–winning actress will join Academy Award–winning actress Nicole Kidman, Academy Award–winning actress Reese Witherspoon, Academy Award nominated actress Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, and Zoë Kravitz in the second season. She’ll play Mary Louis Wright, mother of now deceased Perry Wright (played by Alexander Skarsgård) and mother-in-law to Kidman’s Celeste, Variety reports.
HBO has announced that Streep’s character will arrive in Monterey “concerned for the well-being of her grandchildren following her son Perry’s death and on the hunt for answers.” (FYI: This also squashes any speculation that Perry somehow survived his fall at the end of season one). It’s unclear how large of a role she’ll play in the goings-on of the school community, but safe to say there will probably be a fair share of conflict between Streep’s character and her newly empowered daughter-in-law, a survivor of domestic abuse at the hands of her late husband. That also promises several scenes involving Streep and Kidman, who co-starred in The Hours, but never shared the screen.
It’s a big week for Streep, who recently received a best actress Oscar nomination for her role in The Post. This is her 21st nomination for the same award, making her the most-nominated actress in the category in history.
News that Big Little Lies had been confirmed for a second season was announced in December, and Variety reports that most of the original cast will be returning. The first season left off where Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name (on which the show is based) ended, so the second season will be entirely based on a new story. David E. Kelley will return in his role as writer and producer, and Andrea Arnold will direct all seven of the show’s new episodes.
One other interesting tidbit: The Hollywood Reporter says that the parents of Kravitz’s character Bonnie will also appear, perhaps opening the door for the addition of yet another powerhouse actress.
It’s TBD on when the new episodes of Big Little Lies will hit the small screen, but safe to say we’re all now more excited than ever.