'Big Little Lies' Cast Gush Over Meryl Streep Joining Season 2 at Premiere Event

Meryl Streep is officially part of the Big Little Lies cast and fans aren't the only ones excited [...]

By Caitlyn Hitt

Meryl Streep is officially part of the Big Little Lies cast and fans aren't the only ones excited to see her on the HBO original series. Her co-stars recently gathered at a premiere event, where they gushed about her role in the upcoming second season.

Alexander Skarsgard, who plays Steep's deceased son in Season 2 of Big Little Lies, told Variety he approved of the decision to cast the iconic actress in the role. He joked that she was an "alright" choice.

"I had casting approval and I said, 'Yeah, Meryl can play my mom. That's alright. She works. She'll do," he said.

It's unclear if he got an opportunity to act alongside Streep on the show, though. Skarsgard's character was killed off at the end of Season 1, and he declined to tell Variety if he'd be appearing in Season 2 of Big Little Lies in flashbacks. He did, however, say he was looking forward to fans finally seeing what they put together.

"I'm very excited for people to see it — the way she comes into the dynamic of the group and asking some hard questions. It creates a lot of tension and it's great drama," Skarsgard shared.

He's not the only Big Little Lies star thrilled to have Streep on the show. Laura Dern, who plays Renata in the series, told Variety working with the Devil Wears Prada star was a dream come true. She said the vibe on set was "like you're a little girl dreaming of becoming an actor and working with Meryl Streep. That's where I dreamt as a child and it's a great extraordinary gift to have come true."

Dern said she learned a lot from working with Streep on Big Little Lies Season 2, but there was one takeaway that stood above the rest.

"What an incredible teammate she is. Her goal is to make all the stories, even if she's not a part of those stories, resonate and remain honest and relatable — and that is a great lesson and reminder," she said.

Adam Scott, who plays Reese Witherspoon's character's husband, said he was still in shock over Streep being added to the show. He recalled their first meeting, admitting he was a little star-struck. Scott got a helping hand from Dern, who assured him he handled it well, however.

"I still can't believe that I'm on a TV show that Meryl Streep is also on. That's still weird," he admitted. "The first time I met her was at the table read and she was so sweet and we chatted for just a second and she moved on to talk to someone else, and I was just sort of standing there, and immediately, Laura Dern came up to me and she was like, 'I saw the whole thing. You did very well.'"

"Everyone knows, as an actor, you're waiting your whole life to meet Meryl Streep, let alone work with Meryl Streep and be on a show with Meryl Streep," Scott continued. "It was as incredible as you would imagine."

Jame Tupper, who plays Zoe Kravitz's on-screen beau, expressed similar feelings to Scott, telling Variety meeting Streep "was like meeting the Queen of England."

Big Little Lies premieres on HBO June 9 at 9 p.m. ET.

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