Meryl Streep has been nominated for 18 Academy Awards and 29 Golden Globes, including one this Sunday for her performance in Into the Woods, but she hasn’t always been considered worthy of an appearance.

Streep was called in to audition for the female part in De Laurentiis’ 1976 adaptation of “King Kong” after appearing in a play and impressing people like Dino Sr.’s son.

But the renowned senior moviemaker exclaimed to his son, “Che brutta!”, which Streep basically translates to “Why did you bring me this ugly thing?” She recalled during a recent visit on Graham Norton’s show.

The unpleasant audition was ‘very sobering as a young girl,’ the star of The Devil Wears Prada remarked. The actress, on the other hand, hit back since she speaks Italian.

‘I’m sorry I’m not beautiful enough to be in ‘King Kong’!’ she answered. Instead, Jessica Lange was cast as Dwan in the 1976 picture.

Although Streep can now joke about it, Norton believes that “young actors should take solace” in the fact that “even a legendary actress had a bad audition.”

“This is my first witch,” Meryl said, referring to her recent performance as the witch in Into The Woods. “When I turned 40 I was offered three witches in one year. And it sent me a signal about how Hollywood felt about people turning 40 and I felt bad, it put my back up and I didn’t want to play them. Now I am more age appropriate!”

“When I was a kid I found out Prince Charles and I were born in the same year so I figured it was pretty likely we would get married one day. When I told him he was nonplussed!” the actor said.

She said when asked if she was standoffish on the set of The Devil Wears Prada, ‘They all had a fabulous time – Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway – and I was off in my trailer sulking.’

‘I just didn’t think it would be helpful to have a good time – and I really like to have a good time. But I couldn’t do that and then walk in and chill the blood.’