Here’s who Meryl Streep is playing in “Big Little Lies” Season 2
One of the many reasons Big Little Lies blew our minds when it landed on HBO last year was its ability to harness the incredible star power of Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Kravitz, Shailene Woodley, AND Laura Dern, all in one TV show. Now, as Big Little Lies Season 2 moves forward, the celeb-magnet team behind the show have really outdone themselves. HBO announced Her Royal Awesomeness Meryl Streep will be joining the cast this time around. While we let that magical news set in, we can’t help but wonder: Who, exactly, will Streep be playing when Big Little Lies takes us back to Monterey?
Apparently, she’ll be Mary Louise Wright — yep, the mom of Celeste’s (Kidman) abusive husband Perry (Alexander Skarsgard).
The second season — partially based on a story by the original novel’s author, Liane Moriarty — will reportedly dive a little deeper into some major characters’ pasts. That includes the — SPOILER ALERT — now-dead Perry. Mary Louise shows up in scenic Monterey to check in on her grandsons and look for answers after her son’s death. Will we find out where Perry got his rage and need for control? Will the Monterey Moms Squad tell their visitor (or the cops) what really happened the night of the talent show? Will Mary Louise join the world’s most dramatic PTA?
We have so many questions, and we can’t wait for Meryl to help answer them in the seven-episode season.
Welcoming #MerylStreep to our tribe of fierce #BigLittleLies women. pic.twitter.com/zFoLH7eBwF
— HBO (@HBO) January 24, 2018
The season as a whole, HBO said in a statement, will examine the “vicious ferocity” of parenting, so Streep will have plenty of tension to tap. (And, perhaps, Bonnie’s (Kravitz) parents, who will reportedly be showing up in the story, too.) Per the network, we’ll see the “malignancy of lies, the durability of friendships, the fragility of marriage and, of course, the vicious ferocity of sound parenting. Relationships will fray, loyalties will erode…the potential for emotional and bodily injury shall loom.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner David E. Kelley actually joked back in October that his “dream casting goal” would be adding Streep — AND TOM HANKS — to the Big Little Lies cast. We’re going to go ahead and interpret that to mean America’s Dad will be showing up. Again, that’s just our dreams talking. But if Kelley was able to check Meryl off the dream list, what can’t he do?
Big Little Lies has already proven to be an awards show powerhouse, winning eight Emmys and four Golden Globes. Naturally, the only thing that could make it any more golden is adding the 21-time Oscar nominee herself. We seriously can’t wait to meet Mary Louise.
