US television Meryl Streep to star in Big Little Lies season two The Oscar winner will join Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman in the return of the Emmy-winning HBO drama Meryl Streep will play the mother of Alexander Skarsgård’s character. Photograph: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
Meryl Streep is set to join the cast of Big Little Lies for the show’s second season.
The Oscar-winning actor, fresh off her record-breaking 21st Academy Award nomination for her role in The Post, will join the multi-award-winning drama alongside Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern.
Big Little Lies season two confirmed with Andrea Arnold directing Read more
Streep will play the mother of Alexander Skarsgård’s character, described as a woman arriving in the town of Monterey looking for answers about what happened to her son. The casting will make her the mother-in-law of Kidman’s character. The two previously starred in The Hours but were never on screen together.
Sources have told Variety that she is set to make $800,000 an episode, which follows on from news that returning cast members will see a pay rise for the second seven-episode season. It is reported that Witherspoon and Kidman will take home $1m an episode, up from between $250,000 and $350,000 for season one.
The second season will be directed by the acclaimed British film-maker Andrea Arnold, whose credits include Red Road and American Honey. The first season was helmed by Jean-Marc Vallée, whose latest HBO series, Sharp Objects, will premiere this year. It stars Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson.
Plot details are vague for season two but HBO has stated that the plot will revolve around “the malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting”.
Big Little Lies has been a major hit for HBO, winning multiple Emmys, Golden Globes and Sag awards. The second season is expected to premiere in 2019.
It marks the second forthcoming show that Streep has been attached to, with the actor set to star in JJ Abrams’s show The Nix, based on the novel by Nathan Hill. She will also star alongside Emily Blunt in this year’s sequel Mary Poppins Returns.
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The second season of “Big Little Lies” is getting bigger.
Meryl Streep has been cast in the Emmy-winning HBO series, the network said Wednesday, joining Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon as television continues to attract major stars.
Ms. Streep, who received her 21st Oscar nomination this week for “The Post,” has not done much TV work over the years, though she has won three Emmys, the last in 2004 for the HBO mini-series “Angels in America.”
In “Big Little Lies,” Ms. Streep’s character comes to the show’s beachside California town “searching for answers” following the death of her son, Perry, played by Alexander Skarsgard. Her character is the mother-in-law of Ms. Kidman’s character.
Though HBO hasn’t announced the rest of the cast, the network said it expected that most of the actors from the first season would return. TV Line reported this week that even Mr. Skarsgard was expected to return in some way.
The next season will based on a story by Liane Moriarty, whose book inspired the first season. HBO has not said when it expects the show to return but the earliest it could be on the air would be 2019.
(CNN) Just when you thought "Big Little Lies" couldn't possibly have more star power, HBO has announced that Meryl Streep will join the cast in Season 2.
Streep will play the mother-in-law of Nicole Kidman's character, Celeste Wright.
Named Mary Louise Wright, Streep's character will arrive in Monterey after becoming "concerned for the well-being of her grandchildren" following her son's death and "searching for answers," according to a description provided by HBO.
In the second season, Celeste will be "reeling from her husband Perry's death" and find herself "adrift, but determined to fight for her family and find the woman she once was," HBO added.
Season 2 of "Big Little Lies" was officially announced back in December.
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The first season has won a swag of awards this month.
And the second installment of Big Little Lies looks set to be just as critically acclaimed as the first, with Oscar winner Meryl Streep joining the cast.
Big Little Lies writer Liane Moriarty told the Herald Sun on Thursday how Nicole Kidman had pursued Meryl for the role after the author asked the Australian actress for help.
'Ask and you shall receive': How Nicole Kidman persuaded Meryl Streep to sign on for Big Little Lies sequel at author Liane Moriarty's request
Liane revealed how she had written the role of Perry's grieving mum Mary Louise with Meryl in mind and asked producers to get the feted actress to take on the role.
In season one Perry (Alexander Skargard) is killed after his abuse of wife Celeste, played by Nicole Kidman, is exposed at a party.
'The producers were laughing at me because they were saying ''you’ve become so Hollywood'' ... as in, picking up the phone and saying, ''get me Meryl'',' Liane explained.
Personally persuaded Meryl: Liane said she reached out to Nicole for help, with the actress offering a surprising response
Dramatic ending: In season one Perry (Alexander Skargard) is killed after his abuse of wife Celeste, played by Nicole Kidman, is exposed at a party
'They were teasing me ... but then they were saying, it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities because Nicole and Meryl are friends.'
Liane said she reached out to Nicole for help, with the actress offering a surprising response.
'Nicole sent me an email saying, ''ask and you shall receive,''' the author revealed.
HBO confirmed on Wednesday Meryl had signed on for the second season of Big Little Lies.
Wanted Meryl: Liane revealed how she had written the role of Perry's grieving mum Mary Louise with Meryl in mind and asked producers to get the feted actress to take on the role
'Welcome to the #BigLittleLies family Ms. Streep - can’t wait xx,' Nicole wrote on Instagram.
Reese also shared an Instagram posted about the announcement, writing: 'Beyond thrilled to have the one, the only, Meryl Streep joining the cast of #BLL for season 2. Get ready for more wine, secrets, and #BigLittleLies. Monterey better watch out!!'
Nicole and Reese Witherspoon will return in their roles, as well as Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley, it has been claimed.
