Meryl Streep

Biography

Trained at Yale School of Drama, Streep built her reputation role by role — Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Out of Africa — mastering accents and registers from Polish survivor to fashion editor. Five decades in, her name remains the benchmark other actors are measured against.

American actress widely regarded as one of the greatest performers of her generation, celebrated for her versatility and mastery of accents.

Known for

Sophie's Choice, The Devil Wears Prada and The Iron Lady.

Notable works & defining projects

• Sophie's Choice
• The Devil Wears Prada
• Kramer vs. Kramer

Notable achievements

• Holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations of any actor (21)
• Won three Academy Awards, including for Sophie's Choice and The Iron Lady
• Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2014)

Timeline

1. 1978First Oscar nomination for The Deer Hunter
2. 1982Won the Best Actress Oscar for Sophie's Choice
3. 2011Won her third Oscar playing Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady

Did you know?

• She learned to play the violin for Music of the Heart (1999), practising for months to perform her own scenes
• She holds a record 21 Academy Award nominations — more than any actor in history