Getting Meryl Streep for Big Little Lies an ‘extraordinary’ coup, says author Liane Moriarty
Writer Liane Moriarty says its ‘extraordinary’ that the new character she created for the second series of Big Little Lies is being played by Meryl Streep.
North Shore
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Fans of smash hit television series, Big Little Lies, were given an exclusive sneak peek behind the scenes of the second series by north shore writer Liane Moriarty at an event in Sydney today.
The best-selling author was the special guest speaker at the Children’s Medical Research Institute Mother’s Luncheon, which is organised by the not-for-profit’s Hills Fundraising Committee.
More than 600 guests packed into The Hilton Sydney, to hear about the secret second series which is now being filmed in the US and stars Academy Award-winner Meryl Streep along with Moriarty’s fellow north shore native Nicole Kidman.
Liane is one of three Moriarty sisters — alongside Jaclyn and Nicola — to become published authors and said it was a sibling dare to come up with a second series and create a new character.
“My sister said to me, ‘why don’t you do the second series, it will be fun’,’’ Ms Moriarty said.
“She said, ‘you could write a new character’ and that’s how I came up with Mary-Louise for Meryl Streep. It’s incredible that they got her. It’s just, it’s extraordinary.’’
The hugely successful novelist was interviewed at the event by MC John Mangos about her sixth novel, Big Little Lies, which become a New York Times bestseller before being turned into an award-winning television series after an approach from Kidman.
“Originally her people called my people,’’ Moriarty laughed.
“We were supposed to meet at a cafe in Sydney and when I got there, it was closed. I thought maybe it had been closed for Nicole so I asked, with a meaningful eye, ‘are you closed for everybody’? They said ‘yes’ and it was just mortifying,’’ she told the crowd with a giggle.
“She was so lovely and warm and we just talked about our children and I was trying to play it cool the whole time. Of course, I’ve ditched all my old friends for her!’’
The rest is history with the 51-year-old walking the red carpet at the Emmys alongside Nicole Kidman and fellow producer Reese Witherspoon.
But, she said, he new-found fame had not yet delivered recognisability in Tinseltown.
“We were in the car on the way to the Emmys. It was so glamorous, then we get stopped by the police who asked the driver if there was a celebrity in the back and he said ‘no’,’’ she laughed.
Moriarty said she embraced the fact that her books were able to be adapted for an American television audience.
She revealed that there was also US interest in her favourite book The Last Anniversary.
However, she said she would insist that any adaptation would be set and shot in the Hawkesbury.
“There is a bit of cultural cringe that our locations are ordinary and not exotic enough,’’ she said.
Reflecting on her north shore childhood, she said as a child she wrote books, inspired by Enid Blyton.
“There was lots of, ‘what a jolly good idea’. It didn’t sound much like a girl who grew up near (Waitara’s) Blue Gum Hotel.’’
The annual Children’s Medical Research Institute Mother’s Luncheon is organised by the Hills Committee as its main fundraiser for the year. It has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for research to help the 1 in 20 kids born with a genetic disease or birth defect. It is the research institute behind Jeans for Genes Day which is celebrating 25 years on August 3.