In the early 80s, Meryl Streep found herself pegged as one of Hollywood's most sought after actresses - having impressed in acclaimed roles in the likes of The Deer Hunter, Manhattan and Kramer Vs. Kramer (the latter of which bagged her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), everybody wanted a piece of the Streep. And yet, despite her successes, she still found herself having to beg for the role that would eventually become what is still her most lauded today: that of Sophie in the 1982 adaptation of William Styron's classic novel, Sophie's Choice. Casting Streep in the role should have been an obvious move, and yet director Alan J. Pakula originally shied away from the possibility of Streep as Sophie because he had envisioned actress Liv Ullman. Hell hath no fury like Meryl Streep wanting a role, though: after finding a bootleg copy of the script, she tracked down Pakula, threw herself at his feet, and literally begged him to give her the part. He was swayed by her dedication, however, and came around to the idea... and Streep won her second Oscar for her frankly astounding work in the movie.
