Mary Louise Streep began her artistic studies at the age of twelve with singing and acting classes. A graduate of Vassar College (1971) and the Yale School of Drama (1975), Streep began her career in the New York theatre, and in several Broadway productions.
Trying to narrow down Streep’s career to a handful of performances is nearly impossible, but one thing that can sum it up is the great ability Streep has to play a wide variety of roles and to master a wide range of accents and dialects.
In The Deer Hunter, she plays Linda, a woman loved by two men, Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken, who go to fight in Vietnam. This was the role that got her the first Academy Award nomination. Her first Academy Award win came a bit after with her role in Kramer vs. Kramer
Her second Oscar win was for her role in Sophie’s Choice, and the third for The Iron Lady which she won in 2011.
Fast forward to Mamma Mia! Streep plays a woman whose daughter wants to know the identity of her father. This movie marks the start of the ‘fun phase’ of Streep’s career.
Nominated for a record 21 Academy Awards, winning three Oscars, eight Golden Globes and many honorary awards.
Streep’s life stayed largely private. She met her first husband John Cazale while performing at the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1976, and they stayed together until he died in 1978. After his death, Streep got married to sculptor Don Gummer that same year, and they later had four children.
Throughout her career, Streep’s supported many humanitarian causes such as pay equality and environmental issues. She co-founded her own organization, “Mothers & Others For A Liveable Planet”, and she supports many other organizations like The Charlie Foundation, Foundation for AIDS and HIV research, amFAR.
She once said, “For young men, and women, too, what makes you different or weird, that’s your strength. Everyone tries to look a cookie-cutter kind of way and actually the people who look different are the ones who get picked up. I used to hate my nose. Now I don’t. It’s OK.”
Happiest of Birthdays Meryl Streep!
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