Meryl Streep is a highly acclaimed American actress celebrated for her versatility and mastery of accents. Often hailed as the "best actress of her generation," she has garnered numerous awards throughout her five-decade career. These include three Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, eight Golden Globe Awards, four Emmy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In addition to her acting achievements, she has also received nominations for seven Grammy Awards and a Tony Award, underscoring her widespread artistic talent.
On June 22, 1949, Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep was born. She is an American actress known for her versatility and accent work.
In 1995, prior to filming The Bridges of Madison County, Meryl Streep viewed Pier Paolo Pasolini's Mamma Roma from 1962 as an influence for her portrayal.
In 1963, Meryl Streep's family moved to Bernardsville, New Jersey, where she attended Bernards High School.
In 1964, the film "Mary Poppins" was originally released. Meryl Streep later appeared in its sequel, "Mary Poppins Returns" in 2018.
The movie "Doubt", released in 2008 and starring Meryl Streep, is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964.
In 1969, Meryl Streep acted in the play Miss Julie at Vassar College, gaining attention across campus for her performance.
In 1970, Meryl Streep enrolled as a visiting student at Dartmouth College.
In 1971, Meryl Streep received her AB in drama cum laude from Vassar College.
In 1971, The Washington Post published the Pentagon Papers, which became the focus of the 2017 film "The Post", starring Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham.
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, where she was cast in Trelawny of the Wells.
In 1975, Meryl Streep made her stage debut in Trelawny of the Wells.
In 1975, Meryl Streep received her MFA in drama from Yale University.
In 1976, Meryl Streep was in the Broadway theatre productions A Memory of Two Mondays and 27 Wagons Full of Cotton.
In 1976, Robert De Niro's performance in Taxi Driver profoundly impacted Meryl Streep. She also appeared in the 1976 double bill of Tennessee Williams' 27 Wagons Full of Cotton and Arthur Miller's A Memory of Two Mondays on Broadway.
In 1977, Meryl Streep had her first feature film role opposite Jane Fonda in Julia, though most of her scenes were edited out.
In 1977, Meryl Streep made her feature film debut in Julia, which helped establish her as a respected actress.
In 1977, Meryl Streep sang onscreen for the first time in the "Great Performances" telecast of the Phoenix Theater production of Secret Service.
In 1977, Meryl Streep starred in the film Julia and made her Broadway debut in A Memory of Two Mondays and The Cherry Orchard.
On March 12, 1978, John Cazale, Meryl Streep's partner, passed away after battling lung cancer. Streep had been nursing him until his death.
In March 1978, actor John Cazale, with whom Meryl Streep lived, died after a lung cancer diagnosis.
In May 1978, Meryl Streep played the supporting role of Leilah in Wendy Wasserstein's Uncommon Women and Others for PBS's Great Performances.
In 1978, Meryl Streep played a role in The Deer Hunter, which exposed her to a wider audience and earned her an Academy Award nomination.
In 1978, Meryl Streep starred in The Deer Hunter and the miniseries Holocaust.
In 1978, Meryl Streep won a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the miniseries Holocaust.
In 1979, Meryl Streep and Don Gummer's first child, musician Henry Wolfe Gummer, was born.
In 1979, Meryl Streep appeared in The Seduction of Joe Tynan and Manhattan, continuing her work in film.
In 1979, Meryl Streep began workshopping Alice in Concert, a musical version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
In 1979, Meryl Streep received her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Kramer vs. Kramer.
In 1979, Meryl Streep starred in Kramer vs. Kramer.
In 1979, Meryl Streep used a southern American accent in The Seduction of Joe Tynan.
In 1979, Meryl Streep won both the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Kramer vs. Kramer.
In December 1980, Meryl Streep performed in Alice in Concert at New York's Public Theater.
In 1981, Meryl Streep played her first leading role in The French Lieutenant's Woman, acting alongside Jeremy Irons. She developed an English accent for the part but felt like a misfit. The role earned her a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
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.
In a 1981 interview, Meryl Streep commented on the limited opportunities for actresses in their mid-forties, especially when balancing a family.
For her role in the film Sophie's Choice in 1982, Meryl Streep spoke both English and German with a Polish accent, as well as Polish itself.
In 1982, Meryl Streep starred in Sophie's Choice.
In 1982, Meryl Streep starred in the psychological thriller Still of the Night, co-starring Roy Scheider and Jessica Tandy, and also in the drama Sophie's Choice. Her performance in Sophie's Choice, portraying a Polish survivor of Auschwitz, drew praise for her emotional depth and Polish accent.
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 and Don Gummer's daughter, actress Mary Willa "Mamie" Gummer, was born.
In 1983, Meryl Streep portrayed the non-fictional character Karen Silkwood in the biographical film Silkwood. She met with people close to Silkwood to prepare for the role. Critics like Jack Kroll considered her characterization to be brilliant.
In 1983, Meryl Streep starred in Silkwood.
In 1984, Meryl Streep starred in Silkwood, which added to her reputation for taking on diverse roles.
In 1984, Meryl Streep starred opposite Robert De Niro in the romance Falling in Love, which was not well-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. Roger Ebert noted her great subtlety in the role.
In 1985, Meryl Streep starred as Karen Blixen in Out of Africa, opposite Robert Redford. The film was a significant commercial success and won a Golden Globe for Best Picture and an Academy Award for Best Picture, with Streep receiving another Academy Award nomination. Stanley Kauffmann praised her performance as being at the highest level of acting in film today.
In 1986, Meryl Streep and Don Gummer's daughter, actress Grace Jane Gummer, was born.
In 1986, Meryl Streep co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the drama Heartburn.
In 1987, Meryl Streep starred in Ironweed, in which she sang onscreen for the first time since 1977.
In 1987, Meryl Streep stated that she has no particular method when it comes to acting, learning from her early studies that she cannot articulate her practice, making it more dangerous and exciting.
In 1987, Meryl Streep used an Upstate New York accent in Ironweed.
In 1988, Meryl Streep developed a hybrid of Australian and New Zealand English for her role in Evil Angels (A Cry in the Dark). She received the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress.
In 1988, Meryl Streep starred in A Cry in the Dark.
In 1988, Meryl Streep starred in Evil Angels, playing Lindy Chamberlain. She won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress, Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.
In 1989, Meryl Streep dropped out of Oliver Stone's adaption of Evita due to a salary dispute. She then starred in the comedy 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 was the keynote speaker at the Screen Actor's Guild National Women's Conference. She emphasized the decline in women's work opportunities, pay parity, and role models within the film industry, criticizing the film industry for downplaying the importance of women both on and off screen.
In 1991, Meryl Streep and Don Gummer's daughter, actress Louisa Jacobson Gummer, was born.
In 1991, Meryl Streep starred in Defending Your Life.
In 1991, Meryl Streep starred in the comedy-fantasy Defending Your Life.
The film "Dark Matter", eventually released in 2008, was inspired by the events of the 1991 University of Iowa shooting.
In 1992, Meryl Streep starred in the black comedy Death Becomes Her with Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis. The filming was long, and Streep disliked 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 received negative reviews.
In 1995, Meryl Streep starred in The Bridges of Madison County, continuing to showcase her dramatic range.
In 1995, Meryl Streep starred in The Bridges of Madison County.
In 1996, Meryl Streep starred as Lee in "Marvin's Room", an adaptation of Scott McPherson's play, portraying the estranged sister of Bessie (Diane Keaton). Streep recommended Keaton for the role, and her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
In 1997, Meryl Streep starred in the television film ...First Do No Harm.
In 1998, Meryl Streep appeared in "Dancing at Lughnasa", an adaptation of a play. Also in 1998, she played a housewife dying of cancer in "One True Thing", receiving positive reviews for her performance.
In 1998, Susan Minot's novel, "Evening" was published. It was later adapted into a film in 2007 starring Meryl Streep.
In 1999, Meryl Streep starred as Roberta Guaspari in "Music of the Heart", receiving nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance.
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 portrayed Susan Orlean in "Adaptation.", winning a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared in "The Hours" alongside Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, earning a Silver Bear for Best Actress with her co-stars.
In 2002, Meryl Streep starred in Adaptation.
In 2003, Lauren Weisberger's novel, "The Devil Wears Prada" was published. It was later adapted into a film in 2006 starring Meryl Streep.
In 2003, Meryl Streep received an Honorary César award.
In 2003, Meryl Streep starred in HBO's adaptation of "Angels in America", winning her second Emmy Award and fifth Golden Globe for her performance in multiple roles.
In 2003, Meryl Streep won another Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the miniseries Angels in America.
In 2003, Mike Nichols was a Kennedy Center Honoree.
In 2004, Meryl Streep co-starred in "The Manchurian Candidate" remake and played Aunt Josephine in "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events", which won an Academy Award for Best Makeup. Streep also narrated the film "Monet's Palate" in 2004.
In 2004, Meryl Streep was awarded the AFI Life Achievement Award by the American Film Institute.
In 2005, Meryl Streep starred in the comedy "Prime" as 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 Public Theater production featured a new translation by playwright Tony Kushner, with songs in the Weill/Brecht style written by composer Jeanine Tesori; veteran director George C. Wolfe was at the helm. Also in 2006, Streep starred in A Prairie Home Companion.
In 2006, Emma Brockes of The Guardian noted that Streep's most famous scene is from Sophie's Choice, where her character is forced to choose which of her two children will be gassed at Auschwitz.
In 2006, Meryl Streep starred in "The Devil Wears Prada" as Miranda Priestly, earning critical acclaim and a record-setting 14th Oscar nomination and another Golden Globe nomination. The film became her biggest commercial success, grossing over US$326.5 million worldwide.
In 2006, Meryl Streep starred in the comedic film The Devil Wears Prada, showcasing her versatility in different genres.
In 2006, Meryl Streep used a Minnesota accent in A Prairie Home Companion.
In April 2007, producers decided to shelve the film "Dark Matter", in which Meryl Streep played a wealthy university patron, out of respect for the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting.
In 2007, Meryl Streep appeared in "Evening" alongside her daughter Mamie Gummer and in "Lions for Lambs" with Robert Redford. Both films received lukewarm reviews.
In 2007, Meryl Streep starred in The Devil Wears Prada.
In October 2008, after Meryl Streep starred in Mamma Mia!, her rendition of the titular song rose to popularity on the Portuguese music charts, where it peaked at number eight.
In December 2008, Meryl Streep alluded to her lack of religious belief in an interview.
In 2008, "Dark Matter", starring Meryl Streep, received a limited release and garnered negative to mixed reviews after being shelved in 2007.
In 2008, Meryl Streep received a Gala Tribute from the Film Society of Lincoln Center.
In 2008, Meryl Streep starred in "Doubt", a drama set in 1964, receiving critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination.
In 2008, Meryl Streep starred in both the dramatic film Doubt and the comedic musical Mamma Mia!
In 2008, Meryl Streep used a heavy Bronx accent in Doubt.
In 2008, Molly Haskell praised Meryl Streep's performance in Plenty, believing it to be one of her most difficult, ambiguous, and feminist roles.
In 2009, Meryl Streep starred as Julia Child in "Julie & Julia" and in "It's Complicated". She won a Golden Globe for "Julie & Julia" and received her 16th Oscar nomination for it. She also lent her voice to Mrs. Felicity Fox in Fantastic Mr. Fox.
In 2009, Meryl Streep starred in Fantastic Mr. Fox.
In 2009, Meryl Streep starred in both Julie & Julia and It's Complicated, further demonstrating her comedic skills.
In 2009, Meryl Streep stated that she does not follow any doctrine and does not belong to a church, temple, synagogue, or ashram.
In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded Meryl Streep the National Medal of Arts.
In 2011, Meryl Streep received Kennedy Center Honors, with an introduction by Tracey Ullman and speeches by Robert De Niro and Mike Nichols. Kevin Kline, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, and Anne Hathaway honored Streep. The tribute concluded with a performance of "She's My Pal".
In 2011, Meryl Streep starred in "The Iron Lady", a British biographical film about Margaret Thatcher, directed by Phyllida Lloyd. The film focuses on Thatcher during the Falklands War and her retirement years. Streep's portrayal of Thatcher earned her several awards, including her third Academy Award. However, the film and Streep's performance also faced criticism from Thatcher's associates for being "inaccurate" and "biased".
In 2011, Meryl Streep won her third Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of 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 starred in "Hope Springs", a romantic comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel, alongside Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell. Streep and Jones played a middle-aged couple attending marriage counseling. The film received mostly positive reviews, especially for the actors' performances.
In 2013, Meryl Streep starred in "August: Osage County", a black comedy drama alongside Julia Roberts and Ewan McGregor. Based on Tracy Letts's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Streep played the family's matriarch and received positive reviews, along with Golden Globe, SAG, and Academy Award nominations.
In July 2014, it was announced that Meryl Streep would portray Maria Callas in "Master Class", but the project was later pulled 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.
In 2014, Meryl Streep appeared in "The Giver", a film adaptation of the young adult novel, playing a community leader. Also in 2014, she had a role in the period drama film "The Homesman", playing a preacher's wife.
In 2014, Meryl Streep established two scholarships for students 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 Into the Woods, expanding her repertoire with a role in a musical fantasy film.
In 2014, Meryl Streep starred in The Homesman.
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, run by New York Women in Film & Television and the collective IRIS.
In August 2015, Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov was subjected to a sham trial by Russia and jailed in Siberia for 20 years.
In 2015, Meryl Streep starred in Jonathan Demme's "Ricki and the Flash", playing a rock musician, and in Sarah Gavron's "Suffragette" as Emmeline Pankhurst. Streep learned to play the guitar for her role in "Ricki and the Flash".
In 2015, Meryl Streep stated that Jane Fonda had a lasting influence on her as an actress, crediting Fonda with opening doors for her.
In 2015, while promoting Suffragette, Meryl Streep accused Rotten Tomatoes of disproportionately representing male film critics, affecting female-driven films.
In a 2015 interview with Time Out, Meryl Streep stated she was a humanist for nice easy balance.
In March 2016, Meryl Streep, along with others, signed a letter asking for gender equality throughout the world, in observance of International Women's Day; this was 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", a Stephen Frears-directed biopic about an opera singer with no sense of tone. Streep received the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in a Comedy for this role, and also received Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA nominations.
In 2016, Meryl Streep starred in Florence Foster Jenkins.
In January 2017, Meryl Streep received the Cecil B. DeMille Award and delivered a political speech criticizing Donald Trump at the 74th Golden Globe Awards.
In January 2017, Viola Davis presented Meryl Streep with the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes. Streep quoted Carrie Fisher in her acceptance speech.
On April 25, 2017, Meryl Streep publicly supported the campaign to free Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian filmmaker, who was jailed in Siberia. She was photographed with Mustafa Nayyem holding a "Free Sentsov" sign at the PEN America Annual Literary Gala on April 25, where Sentsov was honored.
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 as Katharine Graham in Steven Spielberg's political drama "The Post", about The Washington Post's publication of the Pentagon Papers. Streep received her 31st Golden Globe nomination and 21st Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
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.
In 2018, Meryl Streep reprised her role in "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" and played a supporting role in "Mary Poppins Returns".
Meryl Streep and Don Gummer were last publicly seen together at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018.
In 2019, Meryl Streep starred in Little Women and Big Little Lies.
In 2019, Meryl Streep starred in the second season of the HBO drama series "Big Little Lies" and in "The Laundromat", distributed by Netflix. She also played Aunt March in Greta Gerwig's "Little Women".
In 2019, Meryl Streep took a role in the HBO drama series Big Little Lies.
In 2020, Meryl Streep starred in Let Them All Talk.
In 2021, Meryl Streep starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in Adam McKay's "Don't Look Up" for Netflix, playing the fictional President of the United States.
In 2022, Meryl Streep served as an executive producer on Sarah Jones's "Sell/Buy/Date".
In June 2023, Meryl Streep was reported as 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 Hulu comedy series "Only Murders in the Building". She received a Golden Globe, and Primetime Emmy Award nomination and won a Critics' Choice Television Award for her performance.
In 2023, Meryl Streep appeared 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 2025, Meryl Streep attended the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special, marking her first SNL appearance in which she acted in an alien abduction skit.
The social science fiction film "The Giver", in which Meryl Streep starred, is set in the year 2048. The film recounts the story of a post-apocalyptic community without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice, where a young boy is chosen to learn the real world.
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