Biography / trivia

*    Meryl Streep was born on 22nd June 1949 Summit, U.S.A.

*    Her birth name is Mary Louise Streep but she prefers to use Meryl Streep as her screen name.

*    Her father Harry William Streep was a pharmaceutical executive and her mother Mary Wolf was a commercial artist and art editor.

*    Meryl Streep has 2 brothers namely Dana David & Harry William III.

*    She did her Bachelors’ Degree in Drama, at Vassar College in 1971. She later completed her Master of Fine Arts [M.F.A.] at Yale School of Drama.

*    After her graduation in drama she started her career performing in several theaters in New York & New Jersey, she later made her film debut with Julia in 1977 alongside Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave in a small role.

*    She did an audition for lead role in King Kong 1976 film and the director Dino De Laurentiis rejected her commenting to his son in Italian, “She’s ugly. Why did you bring me this thing?” and he was shocked when she replied to the insult in fluent Italian.

*    Her first breakthrough came with TV show Holocaust in 1978 alongside Joseph Bottoms, Michael Moriarty and Tovah Feldshuh, her first blockbuster hit film was The Deer Hunter in 1978 for which she earned nomination for ‘Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress‘. her subsequent film Kramer vs. Kramer in 1979 was a huge hit and she won ‘Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress’ for her role in the film, her 1979 film Manhattan with Woody Allen and Diane Keaton was also a hit.

*    In 1980 decade she appeared in major successful films like The French Lieutenant’s Woman in 1981 alongside Jeremy Irons and David Warner for which she earned nomination for ‘Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role’ and won BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, her 1982 film Sophie’s Choice opposite Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol earned her Academy Award for Best Actress among others honors, her 1983 film Silkwood with Kurt Russell and Cher earned nomination for ‘Academy Award for Best Actress’, Out of Africa in 1995 earned her nomination for ‘Academy Award for Best Actress’, ‘BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role’ and ‘Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama’, her subsequent films like Heartburn, Ironweed, A Cry in the Dark and She-Devil received positive review from all over the world.

*    In 1990 decade her first film Postcards from the Edge in 1990 with Shirley MacLaine and Dennis Quaid earned her nomination for ‘Academy Award for Best Actress’, her subsequent blockbusters include Death Becomes Her, The River Wild, The Bridges of Madison County with Clint Eastwood, Marvin’s Room, First Do No Harm, One True Thing, Dancing at Lughnasa and Music of the Heart.

*    In 2000 decade Meryl Streep worked for major films like Adaptation in 2002 which earned nomination for ‘Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress’, The Hours, Angels in America, The Manchurian Candidate, The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia!, Doubt, Julie & Julia and It’s Complicated.

*    In 2010 decade she worked for The Iron Lady alongside Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant and Anthony Head, she earned ‘Academy Award for Best Actress’ ‘AACTA International Award for Best Actress’ ‘Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress’ ‘BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role’ and ‘Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama’ for her performance in the film. Her next movie Hope Springs in 2012 also received positive reviews.

*    Meryl Streep dated actor John Cazale and lived with him for three years until his death in Mar 1978, she married sculptor Don Gummer on 30th Sep 1978 the couple have four children namely Henry Wolfe Gummer born in 1979, Mary Willa “Mamie” Gummer born in 1983, Grace Jane Gummer born in 1986 & Louisa Jacobson Gummer born in 199.

Interview excerpts

“Everything that truly makes us happy is quite simple: love, sex, and food! Everything else – power, influence, strength – all those things can overpower what’s important in life. But as long as you have food and shelter over your head, if the necessities are taken care of, what makes us happy on top of that is very simple.”

“I follow no doctrine. I don’t belong to a church or a temple or a synagogue or an ashram.”

“I am not always happy. I am happy in front of the press. I can be extremely grumpy, ask my husband.”

Filmography / all movies list