Actors aren't always friends. Honestly, most of the time they just clock in, say their lines, and go home to separate lives. But when you put two titans like Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant in a room—specifically for the 2016 biopic Florence Foster Jenkins—something weirdly magical happens. It wasn't just a "professional collaboration." It was a collision of two completely different acting universes.
You've got Meryl, the woman who basically owns every Oscar ever made. Then you've got Hugh, the king of the British "bumbling but charming" archetype who actually tried to retire like three times before this.
The Audacity of Florence Foster Jenkins
The movie itself is a fever dream of a true story. Streep plays Florence, a New York socialite who thought she could sing opera. She couldn't. It was bad. Like, "nails on a chalkboard during a thunderstorm" bad. Grant plays St. Clair Bayfield, her common-law husband and manager who spent his entire life bribing critics and hand-picking audiences to make sure she never found out she was terrible.
Why does this matter now? Because it’s one of the few times we see a relationship built entirely on a shared delusion. And Grant and Streep had to sell that without making it look like a caricature.
Hugh Grant's "Meryl Anxiety"
Hugh Grant was terrified. He’s been very open about this. Before filming started, he hadn't done a big-scale movie in years and was mostly spending his time fighting the British tabloids with the "Hacked Off" campaign. Suddenly, he's cast opposite the "Greatest Living Actress."
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He actually asked her early on: "Meryl, are you nervous?"
She said yes. She was worried about making the "bad" singing sound authentic rather than just a joke. That's the Meryl method. She doesn't just do a voice; she finds the tragedy inside the comedy.
- Fact check: They actually read the real love letters between the real Florence and St. Clair.
- The letters: These weren't just business notes. They were "fervent" letters written over 35 years.
- The secret: The real Florence had syphilis, which she caught from her first husband. That's why her relationship with Bayfield was platonic. It adds a layer of sadness that most people miss when they're just laughing at the off-key high notes.
Behind the Scenes of a 35-Year Delusion
Streep and Grant spent a lot of time figuring out how to play a couple that had been together for three decades without ever having sex. It’s a strange, "realistic, delusional love," as Streep calls it. Grant’s character had a whole second life—a mistress, a separate flat—but he still loved Florence.
There was a scene they actually shot—but cut from the final film—that changed everything. It was a trial scene set after Florence died. Bayfield was in court fighting her "evil cousins" for his inheritance.
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Grant says he was "rather good" in it (classic Hugh). But they cut it because it made him look like a gold digger. By removing that scene, the audience is forced to wonder: Does he love her, or does he love her money? It keeps the tension alive until the very end.
Why Their Chemistry Worked
It shouldn't have worked. Grant is a "minimalist" who hates over-rehearsing. Streep is "intense emotionally" and brings a full-on New York method approach.
But they met in the middle.
Basically, the movie works because Grant plays the "straight man" to Streep’s eccentricity. He is the audience's eyes. When she hits a particularly screechy note, you see his face twitch. It’s a masterclass in reacting.
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What You Can Learn from the Streep-Grant Dynamic
If you're looking at their partnership as a lesson in career longevity, there are a few takeaways that aren't just fluff:
- Vulnerability is a Tool: Even at the top of her game, Meryl was scared. Admitting that helped her bond with Hugh.
- Delusion has a Purpose: Sometimes, to do something great (or even just something you love), you have to ignore the critics. Florence Foster Jenkins sold out Carnegie Hall. People laughed, but she did it.
- Contrast Creates Value: You don't need to be like your partner to succeed. Grant’s dry wit was the perfect foil for Streep’s high-energy performance.
The next time you watch Florence Foster Jenkins, look past the bad singing. Look at how Grant looks at her. That’s the real story. It’s a movie about the lengths we go to protect the people we love from the truth.
To really appreciate what they did, you should track down the original recordings of the real Florence Foster Jenkins on YouTube. Listen to her "Queen of the Night" aria. Then go back and watch Meryl. You’ll realize she didn't just sing badly—she sang precisely as badly as Florence did. That's the level of detail that makes this duo legendary.