Fresh Air: First Attempt

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. My guest, Meryl Streep, is nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the movie "The Iron Lady." Streep has a record number of Oscar nominations; this is her 17th. She's won twice, for "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Sophie's Choice."
Streep is famous among other things for her uncanny ability to do accents. Let's start by hearing how she sounds as Margaret Thatcher. The film begins after Thatcher has lost her husband and is suffering from dementia, imagining that her husband is still there with her and talking to her. Much of the film is told in flashbacks to Thatcher's youth, her early political career and her years as a staunchly conservative prime minister.
Streep portrays Thatcher from the age of 49, when she became the first woman to lead the Conservative Party. In this scene, early in her political career, she's speaking before the House of Commons.