Meryl Streep's splits instinct

Meryl Streep says the scene in 'Mamma Mia!' where she does the splits was "instinctive".

The 59-year-old actress stunned her co-stars and critics with her flexibility in the movie, but admits she did a lot of the dance moves without thinking.

She said: "I just did the splits on instinct. That's what always happens with my acting. As an actor, you're not allowed to think. I mean, I couldn't do the splits any time I wanted."

Meryl has also revealed she only accepts roles that excite her now, as opposed to parts she thought she should take when she was younger.

She added: "I'm not strategising my career moves at all. I haven't got a career that I'm building. When I swim my 55 laps, I try to remember the movies I've been in order, and I can't - the past is just a miasma. There's no career path.

"I just want to do things that are valuable to introduce into the culture. This film, 'Mamma Mia!', is a valuable thing. I knew it when I saw it."

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