Portrait · Republic of Korea / Korea.net / CC BY-SA 4.0

Meryl Streep

Actor

Born 1949

Meryl Streep is an American actor born Mary Louise Streep in Summit, New Jersey. She studied at Vassar College and Yale School of Drama before beginning her professional career in New York theatre. Her early Broadway work included Trelawny of the “Wells”, 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, The Cherry Orchard and the musical Happy End. The Deer Hunter established her screen presence and brought her first Academy Award nomination. In Kramer vs. Kramer she played Joanna, a mother whose departure and return set a custody dispute in motion. Sophie’s Choice placed her at the centre of a drama about a Polish survivor of the Holocaust. Out of Africa gave her the role of writer Karen Blixen opposite Robert Redford. The Bridges of Madison County paired her with Clint Eastwood as Francesca Johnson, a woman confronting the possibilities and obligations of an unexpected romance. The Hours connected her contemporary Clarissa Vaughan with women in different periods, played by Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. Mamma Mia! brought her singing to a popular musical as Donna Sheridan. For Julie & Julia, she linked Julia Child’s optimism to the spirit of her own mother, Mary Streep. Her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady brought another Academy Award. Television work includes the multiple characters of Angels in America, Mary Louise Wright in Big Little Lies and Loretta Durkin in Only Murders in the Building. Career recognition includes an honorary Palme d’Or from Cannes. She returned as editor Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2, reuniting with Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. Netflix also names her among the cast of Greta Gerwig’s forthcoming Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.

Verified identityCore facts checked against named sources.

Keep exploring

Connected people

ConnectionAnne HathawayCo-star in The Devil Wears Prada 2.

ConnectionRobert De NiroCo-star in The Deer Hunter.

ConnectionNicole KidmanCo-star in The Hours.

Lifestyle index · sourced and contextualised

Trivia & tastes

Environmental issues

In her archived interview, Streep described reading factual material about global warming and thermal inversions.

Recorded with an attributable source

Cover source

Jonathan Livingston SeagullRichard Bach

Streep recalled being absorbed by this book while in school. Displayed edition is a later bibliographic reference.

Named item linked to an attributable source

Cover source

Joy of CookingIrma S. Rombauer; Marion Rombauer Becker; Ethan Becker; John Becker; Megan Scott

Described having to trudge over to Joy of Cooking when preparing meals; edition unspecified.

Named item linked to an attributable source

Barbra Streisand

Her father collected Streisand records; Streep sang along and connected with the emotional expression.

Recorded with an attributable source

Repeated listening

She described repeatedly listening to a piece of music when preparing a character, while using Graham’s recorded voice for The Post.

Recorded with an attributable source

Blanquette de veau

Streep recalled preparing the dish for Stanley Tucci; he took over in the kitchen. A cooking anecdote, not a daily menu.

Recorded with an attributable source

Coaching with Arthur Levy

For Florence Foster Jenkins, she began by singing as well as she could before exploring the character’s mistakes.

Recorded with an attributable source

Not located in the reviewed sources

Meryl Streep, reviewed 2026-10-05: archival food sourcing and cooking discussions do not establish an everyday diet.

Evidence review current to 2026-10-05Not verified

Not located in the reviewed sources

Meryl Streep, reviewed 2026-10-05: shoot makeup, beauty retrospective and a commercial routine article establish no personal skincare routine.

Evidence review current to 2026-10-05Not verified

Not located in the reviewed sources

Meryl Streep, reviewed 2026-10-05: perfume articles repeat preference claims without an attributable interview or demonstrated use.

Evidence review current to 2026-10-05Not verified

Not located in the reviewed sources

Meryl Streep, reviewed 2026-10-05: Ginger belongs to interviewer Wendy Wasserstein; film titles in Fresh Air identify no animal companion.

Evidence review current to 2026-10-05Not verified

Trivia & tastes

Books

Music

Food

Training

Diet

Skincare

Fragrances

Pets