Meryl Streep is one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses. With three Oscars under her belt and nine Golden Globes, she is one of the most decorated veterans in the industry. But according to the 74-year-old, there was a point when she thought her career would be 'over'.
Taking to Cannes to accept an honorary Palme D'Or award, Meryl reflected on a moment in 1989 where she had doubts that her career would continue.
"Thirty-five years ago when I was here for the first time, I was already a mother of three. I was about to turn 40 and I thought that my career was over", Meryl explained, setting the scene. At the time, the actress had won best actress for her Cannes debut, 1988's Evil Angels.
"And that was not an unrealistic expectation for actresses at that time", she continued. "I’m just so grateful that you haven't gotten sick of my face, that you haven't gotten off of the train."
Fortunately, Meryl received words of wisdom from her late mother, "who was usually right about everything".
Her mom said: "Meryl, darling, you’ll see it all goes so fast. So fast." Meryl confirmed that "it does. Except for my speech, which is too long."
It turns out this wasn't all that she picked up from her first Cannes experience, as she was told she'd need "nine bodyguards" as back then, the festival didn't have the security barriers it now does.
"I said, 'I don’t even need one bodyguard. Believe me, I don’t need one. I don’t have a bodyguard. … I never have a bodyguard,'" she said. "They said, 'You will need nine.' I needed maybe a dozen the first time I came here because in the olden days, I don't know, there wasn't the same security."
She added: "It was insane. I almost didn’t recover from that. I went to the hotel room and I couldn’t believe how wild it was. So that was 35 years ago. It’s changed a lot ... I was so afraid. I mean, you have to realize, I was afraid. Physically, because I don't know, I'm not a rock star."