 The story within a story drama The French Lieutenant 's Woman ( 1981 ) was Streep 's first leading role . The film paired Streep with Jeremy Irons as contemporary actors , telling their modern story , as well as the Victorian era drama they were performing . Streep perfected an English accent for the part , but considered herself a misfit for the role : " I couldn 't help wishing that I was more beautiful " . A New York Magazine article commented that , while many female stars of the past had cultivated a singular identity in their films , Streep was a " chameleon " , willing to play any type of role . Streep was awarded a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work . The following year , she reunited with Robert Benton for the psychological thriller , Still of the Night ( 1982 ) , co @-@ starring Roy Scheider and Jessica Tandy . Vincent Canby , writing for The New York Times , noted that the film was an homage to the works of Alfred Hitchcock , but that one of its main weaknesses was a lack of chemistry between Streep and Scheider , concluding that Streep " is stunning , but she 's not on screen anywhere near long enough " . 
