What If?: When Meryl Streep / Michelle Pfeiffer Almost Starred in "Evita"
Friday, December 24, 2021 at 6:00PM by Gabriel Mayora
On Christmas day, twenty-five years ago, Evita (1996) premiered nationwide in theaters. The musical adaptation was helmed by Alan Parker and international superstar Madonna was its leading lady. For her divisive star turn, the actress was famously awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy over Frances McDormand (Fargo), who went on to claim the Academy Award in the equivalent category a couple of months later. Yet, Madonna’s name was left out of the Academy’s Best Actress line-up, suggesting the casting and Madonna's pop stardom may have proven too controversial for the group.
Much like Effie White, Fantine, and Velma Kelly, Eva Perón is the kind of role that appears destined to win awards sight unseen. What happened, then?
Perhaps another actress who was originally cast in the role and whose career is indelibly tied to the Academy Awards would have garnered that nomination? What if that actress’s much-publicized casting in Evita and eventual departure made it tough for Academy voters to accept Madonna as a legitimate choice?
The circumstances surrounding Meryl Streep’s involvement with Evita remain fascinating all these years later, especially given the contradictory media reports and Streep’s conflicting statements over the years. There are a few facts that remain consistent across all reports from the time. In March of 1989, The Washington Post announced that Streep was set to star in the film, with Oliver Stone at the helm, after a “decade-long search” the paper compared to the legendary casting process behind Gone with the Wind’s Scarlett O’Hara. By all accounts, Streep’s recording of the songs marveled everyone involved with the production and, after being cast, she spent a year preparing for the role.
a 1989 article from the New York Times
What happened after is a bit more unclear. By September of 1989, it was announced that Streep had dropped out of the film due to exhaustion. An extensive report from The New York Times published the following month provided alternative theories regarding her departure—a breakdown in salary negotiations, concerns over tensions between Stone and the producing team, frustrations with the postponed production timetable. The same report alleges that Streep eventually changed her decision and chose to make the film, but Stone had abandoned the project at that point.
There is some evidence that suggests Streep remained interested in starring in Evita past 1989. Notably, a 1991 New York Times profile tied to the release of Defending Your Life characterizes Streep as “a shrewd careerist” based on the response she gives regarding the casting of Madonna in the role.
It is in this profile where she is infamously quoted as saying, “I could rip her throat out. I can sing better than she can, if that counts for anything.” Years later, Streep would deny saying this, dismissing the quote as Internet lore.
The transition from Meryl Streep to Madonna was far from seamless.
In 1994, upon his return to the project, Oliver Stone—whose meeting with Madonna when he was first involved with the project led him to decide they would not work well together—chose to cast Michelle Pfeiffer. According to a 2007 profile in the British publication Compass, Pfeiffer recorded demos of the score and started preparing for the part while Stone was involved. Then, the director quit the project for good (he is credited as a co-writer and executive producer in the film). When Alan Parker came on board, Pfeiffer was still the top choice. By this time, the actress had a newborn and the shooting location had moved from L.A. to England, which would have meant spending several months away from her family. Pfeiffer, then, became the second leading lady to depart the project, clearing the path for Alan Parker to eventually offer the role to Madonna. At least fans got a tease of what Michelle Pfeiffer’s Evita would have been like when the demos she recorded for Stone became widely circulated among theater fans online.
Ultimately, we will never know what Streep or Pfeiffer would have done with the part. Madonna’s acting career never again reached the heights of her performance in Evita. It would take both Pfeiffer and Streep another decade before they'd star in movie musical based on a Broadway show. They both opted for silly over Evita-serious with Hairspray and Mamma Mia!, respectively.
When was the last time you thought of Evita?
Reader Comments (18)
Fascinating stuff,I believe if it had been made and released in 94 Pfeiffer would have won Best Actress,I have never heard her demos,thanks for this.
Madonna is good in Evita but she just can't do justice to the songs as much as she rehearsed and tried,I don't remember it being that much of a shock when she won the Globe,I was 20 then and Madonna obsessed,the Globes love stars and back in 96 McDormand although respected was not the McDormand she is now.
I think Streep would have done great... she can certainly sing in the fashion of the show and we all know her acting chops..
I think Pfeiffer would have done well, also... However, I am not sure of the singing.
Pfeiff'er's demos are the worst. Sounds like Catwoman nails on a chalkboard.
Madonna was a great choice from the perspective of the industry, and she certainly took the challenge seriously, her Globe win was actually quite deserving (considering the challenge/results, while McDormand was a better performance, the role wasn't that difficult and the surprise factor played even more than the star power, to give the Blonde Ambition the Globe win).
Should Madonna have been nominated as well for Óscar? I would have nominated Banderas as lead/supporting for the same film, first... but wouldn't have complained if she got the nom. She could totally have been nominated for "Desperately Seeking Susan" many years before that, for, well, virtually playing herself? Madonna's Oscar should have come anyways from her songwritting rather than her acting, anyways, and it is a bit embarrassing that she haven't been nominated yet ("This used to be my playground" and "Beautiful Stranger", should have been nominated, in my opinion)
Loved Madonna in Evita. In another year I think she would have been nominated. 1996 was one of the most competitive Best Actress races in history. And I have to defend her vocals. I defy anyone to listen to the end of High Flying, Adored and not think her singing is beautiful.
And to the people who say she's no Patti LuPone I have this to say : she is not. Who is? But that constant projecting to the back row singing who grow tiresome in a film.
My main memory of Evita is being delighted about how it made Madonna a better vocalist-musician—especially live, where previously it was often painful to listen to her sing off-key. No Evita, no Ray of Light and all its glory.
The real miss here is Courtney Love in Larry Flynt (unless considered supporting). A dynamo performance that 100% deserved to be in the mix over half the nominees.
Thank God they didn't.
I love Evita and the Madonnaisance at that time: she was enlightened by motherhood and did a great job. She should have been nominated instead of Diane Keaton to a 100% perfect best actress line-up.
I remember my very brazilian mother who, somehow, managed to watch Evita before me, saying “oh, they sing all the time and she wears so many clothes, I loved it”. Yes, mama. Penny Rose was robbed too for a costume design nomination.
Madonna is very good in Evita. I don't like Alan Parker direction. Lady Gaga would be a great - and maybe obvious choice - the flick made nowadays, wouldn't? Probably with a nomination.
Can Anya Taylor Joy sing. If they made the film today she’d surely be considered?
Madonna is great in the movie and would have made a worthy nominee. (So would Courtney Love and Debbie Reynolds; Reynolds even did a bit about it at the ceremonies). It was a very strong lineup that year, and a refreshingly eclectic mix of roles and performances. I'd hate to take away her only (!!!!) nomination, but I'd put Madonna in over Kristin Scott Thomas.
Madonna should have a handful of nominations for Original Song, however. And a couple of wins.
The way nominations were voted on made a Madonna nomination nearly impossible. The Miramax bloc was too strong in those days for KST to miss. The other four nominees would have had the highest number of #1 votes among Academy members. Madonna and either Courtney Love or Debbie Reynolds were probably the last two left during the last round of voting.
I don't like Andrew Lloyd Weber or Madonna as an actor, so I've never seen it. (Ducks.)
ramification -- yes, she can. She has a big number in LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
Sorry guys, this conversation is amazing, but the idea of Barbra Streisand as Evita is so amusing! Of course she would also write and direct. And who would be Peron in this version that must exist in an alternate version of Earth? Warren Beatty? Jack Nicholson? Mandy Patinkin! Her former partner, finally singing. I can see Funny Girl wandering the streets with her luggage singing "Buenos Aires".
*would, not who.