Meryl Streep is a highly acclaimed American actress, celebrated for her versatility, masterful accent work, and considered by many as the best actress of her generation. Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, is adorned with numerous prestigious awards, including three Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, eight Golden Globe Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Streep's talent extends beyond acting, as evidenced by her nominations for seven Grammy Awards and a Tony Award, showcasing her significant impact across various entertainment mediums.
On June 22, 1949, Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep was born. She is an American actress known for her versatility.
In 1995, prior to filming The Bridges of Madison County, Meryl Streep viewed Pier Paolo Pasolini's Mamma Roma (1962).
In 1963, Meryl Streep's family moved to Bernardsville, New Jersey, where she attended Bernards High School.
The movie Doubt is set in 1964, about the events that happen that year in a Catholic school in the Bronx, New York.
In 1969, Meryl Streep acted in the play Miss Julie at Vassar College, gaining attention across the campus.
In 1970, Meryl Streep enrolled as a visiting student at Dartmouth College.
In 1971, Meryl Streep earned her AB in drama cum laude from Vassar College.
In 1975, Meryl Streep earned her MFA in drama from Yale.
In 1975, Meryl Streep had her first professional job at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference and moved to New York City.
In 1975, Meryl Streep made her stage debut in Trelawny of the Wells.
In 1976, Meryl Streep auditioned unsuccessfully for King Kong and appeared in a double bill of plays on Broadway, receiving a Tony Award nomination.
In 1976, Meryl Streep met actor John Cazale during a production of William Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure' at the Delacorte Theater.
In 1976, Meryl Streep starred in the Broadway theatre productions 'A Memory of Two Mondays' and '27 Wagons Full of Cotton'.
In 1977, John Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer, and Meryl Streep cared for him.
In 1977, Meryl Streep had her first feature film role in Julia, although most of her scenes were edited out.
In 1977, Meryl Streep starred in 'Julia', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
On March 12, 1978, John Cazale, Meryl Streep's partner, died. She had been nursing him until his death.
In March 1978, John Cazale, Meryl Streep's partner, passed away from lung cancer.
In May 1978, Meryl Streep played the supporting role of Leilah in Wendy Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others.
In 1978, Meryl Streep played a role in The Deer Hunter to remain with John Cazale during filming.
In 1978, Meryl Streep won a Primetime Emmy for her acting role in the miniseries Holocaust.
In 1979, Meryl Streep appeared in The Seduction of Joe Tynan and Manhattan.
In 1979, Meryl Streep starred in 'Kramer vs. Kramer', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 1979, Meryl Streep used a southern American accent in 'The Seduction of Joe Tynan'.
In 1979, Meryl Streep won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer. She also received awards from other film critic associations for her collective work in her three film releases of the year. Both The Deer Hunter and Kramer vs. Kramer were major commercial successes and won the Academy Award for Best Picture consecutively.
In 1979, Meryl Streep won her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Kramer vs. Kramer.
In 1979, Meryl Streep's first child, Henry Wolfe Gummer, was born.
In 1979, Streep began workshopping Alice in Concert with Elizabeth Swados and Joseph Papp.
In December 1980, Meryl Streep starred in Alice in Concert at New York's Public Theater.
In 1981, Meryl Streep commented on the limited career options available to actresses as they age, expressing concern about the industry's lack of interest in women in their mid-forties.
In 1981, Meryl Streep played her first leading role in The French Lieutenant's Woman, a film about a story within a story. She starred opposite Jeremy Irons as contemporary actors and Victorian era characters. Streep developed an English accent for the role and won a BAFTA Award for Best Actress.
In 1981, Meryl Streep received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College.
In 1981, Meryl Streep starred in 'The French Lieutenant's Woman', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 1982, Meryl Streep re-united with Robert Benton for the psychological thriller, Still of the Night. Later in 1982, Streep starred in the drama Sophie's Choice, portraying a Polish survivor of Auschwitz. Her performance and Polish accent drew praise.
In 1982, Meryl Streep starred in 'Sophie's Choice', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 1982, Meryl Streep won her second Academy Award, this time for Best Actress, for her performance in Sophie's Choice.
In 1983, Meryl Streep played Karen Silkwood in Mike Nichols' biographical film Silkwood. She prepared for the role by meeting with people close to Silkwood and gathering information to understand her from the inside.
In 1983, Meryl Streep starred in 'Silkwood', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 1983, Meryl Streep's daughter, Mary Willa "Mamie" Gummer, was born.
In 1984, Meryl Streep starred opposite Robert De Niro in the romance Falling in Love, which was poorly received.
In 1985, Meryl Streep and her family moved into a $1.8-million private estate in Connecticut.
In 1985, Meryl Streep portrayed a fighter for the French Resistance during World War II in the British drama Plenty.
In 1985, Meryl Streep starred as Karen Blixen in Out of Africa, opposite Robert Redford. The film was a commercial success and won a Golden Globe for Best Picture. It also earned Streep another Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
In 1985, Meryl Streep used a Danish accent in 'Out of Africa' and British Received Pronunciation in 'Plenty'.
In 1986, Meryl Streep's daughter, Grace Jane Gummer, was born.
In 1988, Meryl Streep developed a hybrid of Australian and New Zealand English for 'Evil Angels', also released as 'A Cry in the Dark'.
In 1988, Meryl Streep starred in 'A Cry in the Dark', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 1989, Meryl Streep lobbied to play the lead role in Oliver Stone's adaption of the play Evita, but dropped out due to salary disputes. Later that year, she starred in She-Devil, a satire that parodied societal obsession with beauty and cosmetic surgery.
In 1990, Carrie Fisher wrote the screenplay for Meryl Streep's film 'Postcards from the Edge', based on Fisher's book.
In 1990, Meryl Streep and her family bought a $3-million mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles.
In 1990, Meryl Streep keynoted the Screen Actor's Guild National Women's Conference, emphasizing the decline in women's work opportunities, pay parity, and role models within the film industry.
In 1991, Meryl Streep starred in 'Defending Your Life', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 1991, Meryl Streep's daughter, Louisa Jacobson Gummer, was born.
In 1992, Meryl Streep starred in the black comedy Death Becomes Her. Despite its commercial success, Streep later admitted to disliking filming the scenes involving heavy special effects.
In 1993, Meryl Streep appeared in The House of the Spirits, set in Chile during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship. The film was not well received by critics.
In 1995, Meryl Streep starred in 'The Bridges of Madison County', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 1996, Meryl Streep played the estranged sister of Bessie in Marvin's Room. Streep recommended Keaton for the role and earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.
In 1997, Meryl Streep starred in the television film '...First Do No Harm'.
In 1997, Meryl Streep's performance in First Do No Harm earned her a second Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.
In 1998, Meryl Streep starred in Dancing at Lughnasa opposite Michael Gambon and Catherine McCormack. The film was an adaptation of a Broadway play and was entered into the Venice Film Festival. Also in 1998, she played a housewife dying of cancer in One True Thing, which received positive reviews.
In 1998, the novel 'Evening' by Susan Minot was published, which was later adapted into a movie where Meryl Streep acted in 2007.
In 1999, Meryl Streep starred as Roberta Guaspari in the music drama Music of the Heart, earning nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
In 1999, the novel 'Mrs. Dalloway' by Virginia Woolf was published, which later became a part of the movie 'The Hours' where Meryl Streep acted in 2002.
On December 11, 2001, Meryl Streep co-hosted the annual Nobel Peace Prize Concert with Liam Neeson in Oslo, Norway, honoring the United Nations and Kofi Annan.
In 2002, Meryl Streep starred in 'Adaptation', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 2002, Meryl Streep starred in Spike Jonze's comedy-drama Adaptation, playing Susan Orlean, and won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared in The Hours alongside Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, a film based on the novel Mrs. Dalloway, winning a Silver Bear for Best Actress with her co-stars.
In 2003, Lauren Weisberger's novel 'The Devil Wears Prada' was published, which was later adapted into a movie where Meryl Streep acted in 2006.
In 2003, Meryl Streep received an Honorary César.
In 2003, Meryl Streep starred in HBO's adaptation of Tony Kushner's Angels in America, winning her second Emmy Award and fifth Golden Globe for her performance in four roles.
In 2003, Meryl Streep won a Primetime Emmy for her acting role in the miniseries Angels in America.
In 2004, Meryl Streep appeared in The Manchurian Candidate, playing a U.S. senator, and in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events as Aunt Josephine. She also narrated the film Monet's Palate in 2004.
In 2004, Meryl Streep received the AFI Life Achievement Award.
In 2005, Meryl Streep starred in the comedy film Prime, playing Lisa Metzger, a psychoanalyst. The film was a modest success, grossing US$67.9 million internationally.
In August and September 2006, Meryl Streep starred in The Public Theater's production of Mother Courage and Her Children at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. The play featured a new translation by Tony Kushner and songs by Jeanine Tesori, directed by George C. Wolfe.
In 2006, Emma Brockes of The Guardian wrote that the 'choice' scene in Sophie's Choice, filmed in 1982, in which Streep is ordered to choose which of her two children would be gassed, is her most famous scene.
In 2006, Meryl Streep starred in The Devil Wears Prada as Miranda Priestly, a fashion magazine editor. The film was a commercial success, grossing over US$326.5 million worldwide, and Streep received critical acclaim and award nominations, including an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe.
In 2006, Meryl Streep used a Minnesota accent in 'A Prairie Home Companion'.
In April 2007, following the Virginia Tech shooting, producers of the film Dark Matter, starring Meryl Streep, decided to shelve the film out of respect for the victims.
In 2007, Meryl Streep had a short role in the drama film Evening and also starred in Robert Redford's Lions for Lambs. Both films received lukewarm reactions from critics.
In 2007, Meryl Streep starred in 'The Devil Wears Prada', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In October 2008, after Meryl Streep starred in Mamma Mia!, her rendition of the titular song rose to popularity on the Portuguese music charts, peaking at number eight. Also in 2008, at the 35th People's Choice Awards, her version of "Mamma Mia" won an award for "Favorite Song From A Soundtrack".
In December 2008, Meryl Streep alluded to her lack of religious belief.
In 2008, Meryl Streep appeared in Doubt and Mamma Mia!.
In 2008, Meryl Streep received a Gala Tribute from the Film Society of Lincoln Center.
In 2008, Meryl Streep starred in Doubt, a drama about accusations of pedophilia in a Catholic school. The film was a moderate box office success and received five Academy Awards nominations.
In 2008, Meryl Streep's film Dark Matter received a limited release and negative to mixed reviews. She also starred in the political thriller Rendition in 2008, which was less commercially successful and received mixed reviews.
In 2008, Molly Haskell praised Streep's performance in Plenty, calling it one of her "most difficult and ambiguous" films and "most feminist" role.
In 2009, Meryl Streep appeared in Julie & Julia and It's Complicated.
In 2009, Meryl Streep starred in 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', which is among her most acclaimed and highest-grossing films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
In 2009, when asked if religion plays a part in her life, Meryl Streep replied that she follows no doctrine and doesn't belong to any religious institution.
In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded Meryl Streep the National Medal of Arts.
In 2011, Meryl Streep received the Kennedy Center Honor.
In 2011, Meryl Streep starred in The Iron Lady, a biographical film about Margaret Thatcher, earning her Best Actress awards at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and the Academy Awards.
In 2011, Meryl Streep won her third Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.
On October 4, 2012, Meryl Streep donated $1 million to The Public Theater in honor of Joseph Papp and Nora Ephron.
In 2012, Meryl Streep reunited with director David Frankel for the romantic comedy-drama "Hope Springs," co-starring Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell. The film follows a middle-aged couple attending marriage counseling to revive their intimacy. The reviews were mostly positive, praising the actors' performances.
In 2013, Meryl Streep starred in "August: Osage County" alongside Julia Roberts and Ewan McGregor. The black comedy-drama, based on Tracy Letts's play, features Streep as a contentious matriarch battling oral cancer and addiction. Her performance garnered positive reviews and award nominations.
In July 2014, it was announced that Meryl Streep would portray Maria Callas in Master Class, but the project was cancelled after director Mike Nichols's death in November of the same year.
In November 2014, Meryl Streep was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. The citation acknowledged Streep as one of history's most acclaimed actors, praising her ability to portray a wide range of roles.
In 2014, Meryl Streep appeared in "The Giver," playing a community leader in a post-apocalyptic setting. She also had a small role in the period drama "The Homesman," playing a preacher's wife. "The Homesman" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received positive reviews.
In 2014, Meryl Streep established two scholarships at the University of Massachusetts Lowell: the Meryl Streep Endowed Scholarship for English majors and the Joan Hertzberg Endowed Scholarship for math majors.
In 2014, Meryl Streep starred in 'The Homesman', which is among her most acclaimed films.
In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Meryl Streep the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In April 2015, Meryl Streep funded a screenwriters lab for female screenwriters over forty years old, called the Writers Lab.
In 2015, Meryl Streep starred in "Ricki and the Flash" as a rock musician and grocery store worker. She also played Emmeline Pankhurst in "Suffragette", a film about the British suffragette movement. Both films received mixed to positive reviews.
In 2015, Meryl Streep stated that Jane Fonda had a lasting influence on her as an actress.
In 2015, while promoting 'Suffragette', Meryl Streep criticized the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes for disproportionately representing the opinions of male film critics, which she believed adversely affected the performance of female-driven films.
In March 2016, Meryl Streep signed a letter asking for gender equality throughout the world, in observance of International Women's Day, organized by One Campaign.
In 2016, Meryl Streep gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in support of presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
In 2016, Meryl Streep starred in 'Florence Foster Jenkins', which is among her most acclaimed films.
In January 2017, Meryl Streep was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 74th Golden Globe Awards. During the ceremony, she delivered a political speech implicitly criticizing President-elect Donald Trump for mocking a disabled reporter, Serge F. Kovaleski. Trump responded by calling Streep "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood".
In January 2017, Viola Davis presented Meryl Streep with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes. During her acceptance speech, Streep quoted Carrie Fisher, encouraging others to turn heartbreak into art.
On April 25, 2017, Meryl Streep publicly backed the campaign to free Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian filmmaker from Crimea, who was jailed in Siberia.
In 2017, Meryl Streep introduced choreographer Carmen de Lavallade at the Kennedy Center Honors.
In 2017, Meryl Streep received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.
In 2017, Meryl Streep starred in Steven Spielberg's "The Post" as Katharine Graham, the first American female newspaper publisher, alongside Tom Hanks. The film, about The Washington Post's publication of the Pentagon Papers, received positive reviews and earned Streep her 31st Golden Globe nomination and 21st Academy Award nomination.
In 2018, Meryl Streep briefly reprised her role in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" and played a supporting role in "Mary Poppins Returns".
In 2018, Meryl Streep collaborated with 300 women in Hollywood to set up the Time's Up initiative to protect women from harassment and discrimination.
Meryl Streep and Don Gummer were publicly last seen together at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018.
In 2019, Meryl Streep starred in 'Little Women', which is among her most acclaimed films.
In 2019, Meryl Streep starred in the second season of HBO's "Big Little Lies" as Mary Louise Wright, receiving an Emmy nomination for her performance.
In 2020, Meryl Streep starred in 'Let Them All Talk'.
In 2020, Meryl Streep voiced a role in the Apple TV+ animated short film "Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth" and had leading roles in Ryan Murphy's "The Prom" and Steven Soderbergh's "Let Them All Talk," both released by streaming services.
In 2021, Meryl Streep starred in Adam McKay's "Don't Look Up" for Netflix, playing the comical role of the President of the United States.
In June 2023, it was reported that Meryl Streep was one of many A-List members of the SAG-AFTRA who signed a letter threatening to strike.
In 2023, Meryl Streep acted in the Apple TV+ anthology series "Extrapolations" and began playing Loretta Durkin in the third season of the Hulu comedy series "Only Murders in the Building". She received Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won a Critics' Choice Television Award.
In 2023, Meryl Streep took a role in the Hulu comedy-mystery series Only Murders in the Building.
In 2023, it was reported that Meryl Streep and Don Gummer had been separated for more than six years.
In 2024, Meryl Streep received the Honorary Palme d'Or.
On August 18, 2025, it was announced that Meryl Streep will play Joni Mitchell in the present day in a biopic on the life and career of the musician.
In 2025, Meryl Streep attended the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special, her first appearance on the show, in an alien abduction skit.
On March 6, 2026, Meryl Streep will be voicing the Queen Butterfly in the Pixar Animation Studios film Hoppers.
On May 1, 2026, Meryl Streep is set to reprise the role of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2.
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