Meryl Streep

In The Beginning

In Summit, New Jersey on June 22, 1949 Mary Louise Streep was born to Mary Wilkinson Streep, a commercial artist and Harry William Streep Jr, an art editor. She became sister to brothers Dana David and Harry William the third. The whole family were active members of the Presbyterian church. She attended Bernards High school where, although she was described as a “gawky kid with glasses and frizzy hair” she participated in school recitals, theatre and as a cheerleader. By the time she performed in “Miss Julie” at Vassar College in 1969, her professor Clinton J Atkinson said, “I don’t think anyone ever taught Meryl Acting. She really taught herself.” She received her bachelor of arts there and then moved on to get her master of fine arts from Yale School of Drama. There she performed in dozens of productions of the year which turned out to be a large strain on Meryl as she ended up developing ulcers in her stomach and forced her to switch to law.  She finally received her master of fine arts from Yale in 1975 and later received an honorary doctor of arts degree in 1981 from Dartmouth.

Career Accomplishments

Meryl has won over one hundred fifty separate awards and has been nominated for over four hundred. She has been nominated for an Oscar nineteen times and finally received her first as best supporting actress in The Deer Hunter. When she won an Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady she joined the ranks of Walter Brennan and Katherine Hepburn who have all won three Oscars in a row. She is also the most nominated actor in all of Golden Globe Awards history.

Most Known For

Meryl Streep isn’t known for just one project. She is known for his impeccable career as a whole. Even though she has no specific method or style to attribute to her success as a performer she has been able to transform herself into each of her characters, whether they be imaginary or real human beings. The difference is, she is able to portray a character for who they are as opposed to how they appear to be. This is the difference between doing an impression and becoming a real person. She is known for choosing characters audiences have trouble loving and yet, she makes them so relatable, audiences can’t help but love her.

Where Is She Now?

Now Meryl Streep, who is seventy-two years old, will be portraying a rock star in Ricki and The Flash. Her character, Ricki, is an aging rocker who has chased her dream at the expense of her family. When her daughter announces that she is getting married, this is Ricki’s last chance to make amends.