Meryl Streep hopes her new film 'The Iron Lady' will inspire more movies with older actresses in the lead role.

The 62-year-old screen legend portrays the former British Prime Minister in the political drama and she hopes Hollywood will take notice of the movie's plot and casting and realise audiences want variety on the big screen.

Braving The Rain and wind at the UK premiere of the movie at the BFI Southbank cinema in London last night (04.01.12), she said: "If you look around at the movie offerings there are over 300 films that are out there this year there are very few that are starring 62-year-old women, that isn't to say that there aren't many stories that those women can embody and there aren't many women, and men, who might like to see them. I think each one that comes out and gets a lot of attention enables the next one and the next one."

Meryl was joined on the special blue carpet - a reference to Mrs Thatcher's allegiance to the Conservative political party - by a number of her co-stars, including Jim Broadbent, who plays the Prime Minister's husband Denis Thatcher, Harry Lloyd, Alexandra Roach and Anthony Head who was joined by his 'Inbetweeners' star daughter Emily Head.

The two-time Oscar winner met many of her fans who had braved the miserable weather to meet their idol before heading inside.