Meryl Streep stars with Nicole Kidman in “The Prom,” directed by  Ryan Murphy and debuting in December 2020. When interviewed about “Silkwood” in 1983 and “A Cry in the Dark“ in 1988, Streep talked about the actors and directors she most admired.

The most fun director to work with was Mike Nichols, because he was very funny all the time, his wit was so alive off camera that it kept things popping on the set of “Silkwood.”

Alan Pakula, who directed me in Sophie’s Choice (1982), had a very different style; he created a sacrosanct atmosphere on the set, a hallowed space in which to work, where actors felt completely protected and cushioned from any outside influence. Robert Benton was more like a friend and a collaborator, we worked closely on both films, Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Still of the Night (1982).

I had a good working relationship with Fred Schepisi in “Plenty” (1985) and our second film, “A Cry in the Dark” (1988), which I hope is not the last. He lets me talk and occasionally listens to what I say, which is nice, so it’s very enjoyable to work with him, except that the hours he keeps are insane. Hector Babenco, who directed me in “Ironweed” (1987) is so volatile and has such a grand temperament, that he would blow his top or weep or get hysterical, so I didn’t have to feel any of those things, I could let all the problems go to him. But, at the same time, he was always very clear about what he wanted the picture to look like, and I like that, a director who’s very strong, because I can relax in the security of that vision.

When I was a kid used to watch “I Love Lucy” all the time and liked Lucille Ball, I loved Carole Lombard too, although l didn’t know her name for a long time, I just knew that whenever that woman was on, I liked her. I also really admired Katharine Hepburn and Judy Holliday.

When I was in drama school, I idolized Robert De Niro, after I saw “Taxi Driver,” I said to myself, “That’s the kind of actor I want to be when I grow up.” So, it was a dream to work with him the first time in “The Deer Hunter” (1978), after that we always wanted to do something else together, and we found the script of “Falling in Love” (1984), which was a very delicate story with a lot of interior emotion. I love working with him because he’s so meticulous and he’s very committed to the moment that happens, he can’t stand any kind of lie and he’ll go on and on in search of the take that feels absolutely truthful. It’s really very challenging to work with him, but great.