Biography
Meryl Streep began her acting career with a level of worship typically reserved for seasoned veterans. From her early work in "The Deer Hunter" (1978) and "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979), it quickly became apparent to the sharpest of critics - even the most casual of moviegoers - that the chameleon-like Streep was an unparalleled master of character, accents and genres. The benchmark was set for every working actress with Streep's work as a Polish …
Meryl Streep SlideShow
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Career Milestones
2012 | Co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones as a couple trying to bring some spark back to their marriage in "Hope Springs" | |
2011 | Portrayed former U.K. prime minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady" | |
2011 | Recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors | |
2009 | Nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role ("Julie & Julia") | |
2009 | Nominated for the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role ("Julie & Julia") | |
2009 | Nominated for the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy ("It's Complicated") | |
2009 | Nominated for the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy ("Julie & Julia") | |
2009 | Co-starred with Alec Baldwin in the comedy film "It's Complicated"; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress | |
2009 | Voiced Mr. Fox's (George Clooney) wife in Wes Anderson's animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl book "Fantastic Mr. Fox" | |
2009 | Portrayed famed chef Julia Child in Nora Ephron's "Julie & Julia"; earned SAG and Oscar nominations for Best Actress | |
2008 | Portrayed Sister Aloysius Beauvier in the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's play "Doubt"; earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress | |
2008 | Starred in the film version of the ABBA musical "Mamma Mia!"; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical and a Grammy nomination for the soundtrack | |
2007 | Portrayed a TV journalist in the Robert Redford directed drama "Lions for Lambs" | |
2007 | Cast in Michael Cunningham's film adaptation of Susan Minot's novel "Evening"; also starring her daughter, Mamie Gummer as a younger version of herself | |
2006 | Cast as the all-powerful magazine editor Miranda Priestley in the fashionista comedy "The Devil Wears Prada," based on Lauren Weisberger's best-selling novel; earned SAG and Oscar nominations for Best Actress | |
2006 | Cast in Robert Altman's adaptation of Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" | |
2005 | Played a psychoanalyst who discovers that her client (Uma Thurman) is dating her son in "Prime" | |
2004 | Cast as Aunt Josephine opposite Jim Carrey in "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," based on the books by Daniel Handler | |
2004 | Featured with Denzel Washington in "The Manchurian Candidate" directed by Jonathan Demme; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress | |
2003 | Portrayed Hannah Pitt in the HBO miniseries adaptation of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America"; fourth collaboration with Mike Nichols | |
2002 | Cast as Clarissa Vaughn in the film adaptation of the Pulitzer-winning novel "The Hours"; received a Golden Globe nomination | |
2002 | Starred as author Susan Orlean in the film "Adaptation"; loosely based on Orlean's book The Orchard Thief; received an Academy Award nomination for a supporting role | |
2001 | Returned to the stage to star in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of "The Seagull"; staged by Mike Nichols | |
1999 | Portrayed NYC violin teacher Roberta Guaspari-Tzavaras in "Music of the Heart"; was required her to learn to play the violin; received Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG nominations | |
1998 | Featured in the ensemble drama "Dancing at Lughnasa"; adapted from Brian Friel's award-winning play | |
1998 | Received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (September 16) | |
1998 | Earned eleveth Academy Award nomination for her role in "One True Thing" | |
1997 | Debut as executive producer (also starred) with her first TV-movie in eighteen years, "...First Do No Harm" | |
1996 | Co-starred with Diane Keaton and Leonardo DiCaprio in "Marvin's Room" | |
1995 | Received tenth Academy Award nomination as an Italian-born Midwestern woman who has a brief affair with a photographer (Clint Eastwood) in "The Bridges of Madison County"; also directed by Eastwood | |
1994 | First role as an action heroine, "The River Wild" | |
1992 | Cast as an aging actress who trades her soul for a youthful appearance in the black comedy "Death Becomes Her" | |
1990 | Co-starred with Shirley MacLaine in "Postcards from the Edge," a screen adaptation of Carrie Fisher's semi-autobiographical novel; third collaboration with Mike Nichols | |
1989 | First comedic role in "She-Devil" opposite Roseanne Barr | |
1988 | Portrayed Lindy Chamberlain, a religious Australian woman accused of murdering her own child in "A Cry in the Dark (Evil Angels)"; received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress | |
1987 | Re-teamed with Jack Nicholson for "Ironweed" | |
1986 | Cast opposite Jack Nicholson in "Heartburn"; second collaboration with Nichols | |
1985 | Played author Isak Dinesen in Sydney Pollack's lavish biopic "Out of Africa" | |
1983 | Received strong reviews and an Oscar nomination for "Silkwood"; first film with Mike Nichols | |
1982 | Earned second Academy Award for her portrayal of a Polish concentration camp survivor in "Sophie's Choice" | |
1981 | First starring role, "The French Lieutenant's Woman" | |
1979 | Won first Academy Award for her portrayal of a dissatisfied wife and mother in "Kramer vs. Kramer" | |
1979 | Cast in the Woody Allen film "Manhattan" as Allen's ex-wife and as a politician's mistress in "The Seduction of Joe Tynan" | |
1978 | Earned first Oscar nomination for her supporting role in "The Deer Hunter" | |
1978 | Won an Emmy for her starring role as a Catholic married to a Jewish man in the NBC miniseries "Holocaust" | |
1977 | Made film debut in "Julia" opposite Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave | |
1977 | TV-movie debut as the wife of a professional hockey player accused of manslaughter in "The Deadliest Season" (CBS) | |
1977 | TV acting debut, reprising her stage role in the PBS "Theater in America" production of "Secret Service" | |
1976 | Appeared in the Central Park productions of "Henry V" and "Measure for Measure" | |
1976 | Appeared in the double bill "27 Wagons Full of Cotton" and "A Memory of Two Mondays"; received a Tony nomination as Featured Actress in a Play for the former | |
1975 | Broadway debut, "Trelawny of the Wells" at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater | |
| Appeared with the Yale student repertory company in the Stephen Sondheim-Burt Shevelove musical, "The Frogs" | ||
1971 | Professional acting debut in NYC in "The Playboy of Seville" at the Cubiculo Theatre | |
| Acted with Green Mountain Guild, a traveling theater company in Vermont | ||
1961 | Studied to become an opera singer at age 12 | |
| Raised in New Jersey | ||
Awards
2012 | Berlin International Film Festival for Honorary Golden Bear |
2012 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Hope Springs |
2011 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Iron Lady |
2011 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in The Iron Lady |
2011 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in The Iron Lady |
2011 | Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in The Iron Lady |
2011 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Iron Lady |
2011 | BAFTA Award for Leading Actress in The Iron Lady |
2011 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in The Iron Lady |
2010 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in Julie & Julia |
2010 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in Julie & Julia |
2010 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in The Fantastic Mr. Fox |
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Doubt |
2009 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in Doubt |
2009 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in It's Complicated |
2009 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Julie & Julia |
2009 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in Julie & Julia |
2009 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in Julie & Julia |
2009 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in Julie & Julia |
2009 | San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in Julie & Julia |
2009 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Julie & Julia |
2009 | BAFTA Award for Leading Actress in Julie & Julia |
2008 | San Sebastian International Film Festival for Donostia Award |
2008 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Doubt |
2008 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in Doubt |
2008 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Doubt |
2008 | BAFTA Award for Leading Actress in Doubt |
2008 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Mamma Mia! |
2007 | MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in The Devil Wears Prada |
2007 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in The Devil Wears Prada |
2006 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in A Prairie Home Companion |
2006 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Devil Wears Prada |
2006 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Devil Wears Prada |
2006 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in The Devil Wears Prada |
2006 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in The Devil Wears Prada |
2006 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Devil Wears Prada |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in Angels in America |
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Angels in America |
2004 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in The Manchurian Candidate |
2004 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in The Manchurian Candidate |
2003 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Adaptation |
2003 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Angels in America |
2003 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in The Hours |
2003 | Berlin International Film Festival for Silver Bear for Best Actress in The Hours |
2002 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Adaptation |
2002 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Adaptation |
2002 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Adaptation |
2002 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in Adaptation |
2002 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Hours |
2002 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Hours |
2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in Music of the Heart |
1999 | Berlin International Film Festival for Berlinale Camera |
1999 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Music of the Heart |
1999 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Music of the Heart |
1999 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in One True Thing |
1998 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in One True Thing |
1998 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in One True Thing |
1997 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in ... First Do No Harm |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in ... First Do No Harm |
1997 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in Marvin's Room |
1996 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Marvin's Room |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in The Bridges of Madison County |
1995 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The Bridges of Madison County |
1995 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in The Bridges of Madison County |
1995 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in The River Wild |
1994 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in The River Wild |
1992 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Death Becomes Her |
1990 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Postcards From the Edge |
1990 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Postcards From the Edge |
1989 | Cannes Film Festival for Best Actress in A Cry in the Dark |
1989 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in She-Devil |
1988 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in A Cry in the Dark |
1988 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in A Cry in the Dark |
1988 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in A Cry in the Dark |
1987 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Ironweed |
1986 | BAFTA Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Out of Africa |
1985 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Out of Africa |
1985 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in Out of Africa |
1985 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Out of Africa |
1984 | BAFTA Award for Actress in Silkwood |
1983 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Silkwood |
1983 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Silkwood |
1983 | BAFTA Award for Actress in Sophie's Choice |
1982 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Sophie's Choice |
1982 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in Sophie's Choice |
1982 | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in Sophie's Choice |
1982 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in Sophie's Choice |
1982 | National Board of Review Award for Best Actress in Sophie's Choice |
1982 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in Sophie's Choice |
1982 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Sophie's Choice |
1981 | BAFTA Award for Actress in The French Lieutenant's Woman |
1981 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in The French Lieutenant's Woman |
1981 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in The French Lieutenant's Woman |
1981 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in The French Lieutenant's Woman |
1980 | BAFTA Award for Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer |
1979 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Kramer vs. Kramer |
1979 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Kramer vs. Kramer |
1979 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer |
1979 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer |
1979 | National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer |
1979 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer |
1979 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in Manhattan |
1979 | National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress in Manhattan |
1979 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in Manhattan |
1979 | BAFTA Award for Supporting Actress in Manhattan |
1979 | BAFTA Award for Actress in The Deer Hunter |
1979 | National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Seduction of Joe Tynan |
1979 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Seduction of Joe Tynan |
1979 | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Seduction of Joe Tynan |
1979 | New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Seduction of Joe Tynan |
1978 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Limited Series in Holocaust -- The Story of the Family Weiss |
1978 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in The Deer Hunter |
1978 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in The Deer Hunter |
1978 | National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Deer Hunter |