The 62-year-old actress was horrified when she was offered the role of a witch three times over 20 years ago and admitted it made her realise that film executives didn`t value women of a certain age.

Meryl told her husband Don Gummer her career was "over" and added she believed that women of her age were looked on as "grotesque on some level".

However, Meryl`s career struggles have helped her with her most recent role, playing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in ` The Iron Lady`.

Speaking of her admiration for the former leader, she told the January issue of America`s Vogue magazine: "It was a men`s club. There were women there but I think it was 16 or 17 out of 630. The world was changing. You could feel the old order breaking down. There were many people who really didn`t want it to change. You could feel it.

"White-hot rage that didn`t speak - just emanated. I`m sure she experienced that.

"It`s hard to quantify which prejudice kept her out of the inner circle more. But for her to achieve that at that time was incredible. Incredible. And to stay there. And stay there. To be the longest-serving prime minster of the 20th century. Amazing."
sections: Celebrities