Popular Director Compares 32-Year-Old Star to Young Meryl Streep: ‘I Wish I Had Shares in Her Future’ originally appeared on Parade.
Nowadays, it’s become one of the highest honors in the industry for a male actor to be compared to Marlon Brando and a female actress to be compared to Meryl Streep.
Two of the finest dramatic performers of their respective generations, both Brando and Streep set an insurmountably high bar for future actors that followed in their footsteps, with only a select few performers able to be compared to the two award-winning thespians.
In a recent interview with the U.K. Times, however, director Kenneth Branagh has made the bold decision to compare an up-and-coming actress with the iconic Streep.
Speaking with The Times, the prolific director behind Belfast, Hamlet and Henry V had nothing but positive things to say about Jodie Comer, the 32-year-old actress best known for her breakout roles in Killing Eve, The Bikeriders, The Last Duel and 28 Years Later (the last of which has has earned Comer significant praise among mainstream viewers).
“As somebody once said of the young Streep, ‘I wish I had shares in her future,'” Branagh said of Comer.
Looking ahead to the upcoming release of his latest movie, The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde, Branagh — who directed Comer in the film — said that he felt “fortunate” to work with someone of Comer’s talent, alluding to her remarkable potential in the mainstream film industry.
“I consider myself fortunate to have worked with her at this stage in her career,” Branagh told The Times.
Upon learning of Branagh’s gleaming endorsement and the favorable comparison he made between her and Meryl Streep, Comer responded with a brief yet humble, “He is very kind… Bless him.”
As of yet, plot details for The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde have remained relatively scarce, although several prominent cast members have since been announced for the project. Appearing opposite Comer, the film will star Patricia Arquette, Michael Sheen, Tom Bateman and Vicky McClure. Though an official release date has also yet to be announced, the film is expected to arrive in theaters sometime next year.
Popular Director Compares 32-Year-Old Star to Young Meryl Streep: ‘I Wish I Had Shares in Her Future’ first appeared on Parade on Jun 23, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
