Sears Catalogs and The Truman Show: The Untold Story of Meryl Streep's Character

The Truman Show: How 1940s Catalogs Shaped Meryl Streep's Iconic Character. Los Angeles, CA – June 4, 2025 – A recent video reveals fascinating details about the creation of Meryl Streep's character in the iconic film, The Truman Show. Actress Laura Linney, sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes, explains how director Peter Weir and his wife, Wendy Stites, used 1940s Sears catalogs as a surprising source of inspiration. "They gave me a Sears catalog from the 1940s," Linney recalls, "and so all the physical movements are sort of based on those silhouettes from those models." This unconventional approach, involving careful study of posture and movement from the catalogs, resulted in the character's distinctive, unsettlingly perfect demeanor. The process, Linney adds, was filled with laughter, highlighting the blend of absurdity and control that defined the character's creation. The video's popularity underscores the enduring interest in the film's legacy and the creative processes behind iconic performances.