NEW YORK - Meryl Streep will join the cast of “Big Little Lies” season two, US cable network HBO announced Wednesday, generating another boost for a hit drama already basking in awards glory.
The triple Oscar winner will star opposite Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman in the second edition of a show that won plaudits for tackling domestic violence at a time when US society is increasingly focused on its treatment of women. Streep will play Mary Louise Wright, the grieving mother of Perry, the character played by Alexander Skarsgard, who died at the end of season one after being unmasked as a wife beater. Streep’s character will search for answers after her son’s death, HBO announced. Best known for her work in cinema, she won an Emmy for her performance in HBO miniseries “Angels in America” in 2003 and also appeared on Showtime’s “Web Therapy.” On Tuesday, Streep broke her own Oscar nomination record with her 21st nod for her role as Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham in “The Post”.