Exploring the Collaboration Between Meryl Streep and Phyllida Lloyd in The Iron Lady

Streep re-teamed with Mamma Mia director Phyllida Lloyd on The Iron Lady (2011), a British biographical film about Margaret Thatcher, which takes a look at the Prime Minister during the Falklands War and her years in retirement. Streep, who attended a session of the House of Commons to see British Members of Parliament (MPs) in action in preparation for her role as Thatcher, called her casting 'a daunting and exciting challenge'. While the film had a mixed reception, Streep's performance gained rave reviews, earning her Best Actress awards at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs, as well as her third win at the 84th Academy Awards. Former advisers, friends, and family of Thatcher criticized Streep's portrayal of her as 'inaccurate' and 'biased'. The following year, after Thatcher's death, Streep issued a formal statement describing Thatcher's 'hard-nosed fiscal measures' and 'hands-off approach to financial regulation', while praising her 'personal strength and grit'.