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{{Short description|American actress (born 1949)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Meryl Streep
| image              = Meryl Streep December 2018 (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Streep in 2018
| birth_name         = Mary Louise Streep
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1949|6|22}}
| birth_place        = [[Summit, New Jersey]], U.S.
| alma_mater         = {{ubl|[[Vassar College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])|[[Yale University]] ([[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]])}}
| occupation         = Actress
| years active       = 1975–present
| works              = [[Meryl Streep on screen and stage|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Don Gummer]]|1978|2017|end=separated}}
| partner            = [[John Cazale]]<br />(1976–1978)
| children           = {{flatlist|
* [[Henry Wolfe|Henry]]
* [[Mamie Gummer|Mamie]]
* [[Grace Gummer|Grace]]
* [[Louisa Jacobson|Louisa]]
}}
| mother             = [[Mary Wilkinson Streep]]
| father             = Harry William Streep Jr.
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Meryl Streep|Full list]]
| signature          = Meryl Streep Signature.svg
}}

'''Mary Louise''' "'''Meryl'''" '''Streep''' (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and accent adaptability, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation".{{sfn|Hollinger|2006|pp=94–95}}<ref>
* {{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qzOXAwAAQBAJ&q=streep+%22best+actress+of+her+generation%22&pg=PA120 | title=In the Limelight and Under the Microscope | author=Negra, Diane | year=2011 | page=120 | author2=Holmes, Su | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506162208/https://books.google.com/books?id=qzOXAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA120&dq=streep%20%22best%20actress%20of%20her%20generation%22&pg=PA120#v=onepage&q=streep%20%22best%20actress%20of%20her%20generation%22&f=false | archive-date=May 6, 2016 | isbn=9781441176929 }}
* {{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3LWlK_5i-O8C&q=%22best+actress+of+her+generation%22 | title=In the Can | author=Harry, Lou | year=2005 | page=138 | author2=Furman, Eric | publisher=Emmis Books | quote=Meryl Streep, widely considered the best actress of her generation | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507063633/https://books.google.com/books?id=3LWlK_5i-O8C&dq=streep+%22best+actress+of+her+generation%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22best+actress+of+her+generation%22 | archive-date=May 7, 2016 | isbn=9781578602384 }}</ref> She has received [[List of awards and nominations received by Meryl Streep|numerous accolades]] throughout her career spanning over four decades, including a record 21 [[Academy Award]] nominations, winning three,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://time.com/5114267/meryl-streep-oscars-most-nominated/|title=How Many Oscars Has Meryl Streep Won In Total?|first=Mahita|last=Gajanan|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=January 23, 2018}}</ref> and a record 33 [[Golden Globe Award]] nominations, winning eight.<ref>{{cite news |last=Petski|first=Denise|title=Meryl Streep Breaks Her Own Golden Globes Record With 'Only Murders In The Building' Nomination|url=https://deadline.com/2023/12/meryl-streep-golden-globes-record-only-murders-in-the-building-nomination-1235659378/|access-date=April 3, 2024|work=Deadline|date=11 December 2023}}</ref>

Streep made her stage debut in 1975 in ''[[Trelawny of the Wells]]'', and the following year she received a nomination for the [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play]] for a double-bill production of ''[[List of one-act plays by Tennessee Williams#27 Wagons Full of Cotton|27 Wagons Full of Cotton]]'' and ''[[A Memory of Two Mondays]]''. She made her feature film debut in ''[[Julia (1977 film)|Julia]]'' (1977) and received her first Oscar nomination for ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'' (1978). She won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]] for playing a troubled wife in ''[[Kramer vs. Kramer]]'' (1979), followed by the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for starring as a Holocaust survivor in ''[[Sophie's Choice (film)|Sophie's Choice]]'' (1982). She continued to gain awards and critical acclaim for her film work throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Commercial success varied, with films ranging from ''[[Out of Africa (film)|Out of Africa]]'' (1985), ''[[Death Becomes Her]]'' (1992), and ''[[The Bridges of Madison County (film)|The Bridges of Madison County]]'' (1995).

Streep reclaimed her stardom in the ensuing decades with leading roles in ''[[Adaptation (film)|Adaptation]]'', ''[[The Hours (film)|The Hours]]'' (both 2002), ''[[The Devil Wears Prada (film)|The Devil Wears Prada]]'' (2006), ''[[Doubt (2008 film)|Doubt]]'', ''[[Mamma Mia! (film)|Mamma Mia!]]'' (both 2008), ''[[Julie & Julia]]'', ''[[It's Complicated (film)|It's Complicated]]'' (both 2009), ''[[Into the Woods (film)|Into the Woods]]'' (2014), ''[[The Post (film)|The Post]]'' (2017) and ''[[Little Women (2019 film)|Little Women]]'' (2019), and won her third Oscar for her portrayal of [[Margaret Thatcher]] in ''[[The Iron Lady (film)|The Iron Lady]]'' (2011). For her work on television she won three [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] for her roles in the miniseries ''[[Holocaust (miniseries)|Holocaust]]'' (1976) and ''[[Angels in America (miniseries)|Angels in America]]'' (2003), and the documentary series ''[[Five Came Back (TV series)|Five Came Back]]'' (2017). She was Emmy-nominated for the [[HBO]] drama series ''[[Big Little Lies (TV series)|Big Little Lies]]'' (2019), and the [[Hulu]] comedy-mystery series ''[[Only Murders in the Building]]'' (2023).

Streep has been the recipient of many honorary awards, including the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]] in 2004, a Gala Tribute from the [[Film Society of Lincoln Center]] in 2008, and the [[Kennedy Center Honors|Kennedy Center Honor]] in 2011. President [[Barack Obama]] awarded her the [[List of recipients of the National Medal of Arts|National Medal of Arts]] in 2010 and the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-03-02/streep-taylor-are-among-20-recipients-of-national-arts-humanities-medals |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150217004627/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2011-03-02/streep-taylor-are-among-20-recipients-of-national-arts-humanities-medals |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 17, 2015 |title=Obama Honors Meryl Streep, James Taylor, Harper Lee at Ceremony |author=Kate Andersen Brower |work=Bloomberg |date=March 2, 2011 |access-date=July 3, 2015 }}<br />- {{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/nov/25/barack-obama-stevie-wonder-meryl-streep-presidential-medal-freedom-video|title=Barack Obama jokes with Stevie Wonder and Meryl Streep at Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony|work=The Guardian|date=November 25, 2014|access-date=July 3, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704121114/http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/nov/25/barack-obama-stevie-wonder-meryl-streep-presidential-medal-freedom-video|archive-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref> In 2003, the [[French government]] made her a Commander of the [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres|Order of Arts and Letters]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Moore wins film award|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/23/1045935267357.html|work=[[The Age]]|date=February 23, 2003|access-date=July 3, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408134533/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/23/1045935267357.html|archive-date=April 8, 2016}}</ref> She was awarded the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.awardsdaily.com/2016/11/03/meryl-streep-will-honored-2017-cecil-b-demille-award-golden-globes/|title=Meryl Streep Will Be Honored With the 2017 Cecil B. DeMille Award At The Golden Globes|work=AwardsDaily.com|date=November 3, 2016|access-date=November 3, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104075852/http://www.awardsdaily.com/2016/11/03/meryl-streep-will-honored-2017-cecil-b-demille-award-golden-globes/|archive-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref> She received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 1998.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://walkoffame.com/meryl-streep/|title=Meryl Streep|website=Hollywood Walk of Fame|access-date=December 13, 2023}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
[[File:Meryl Streep cheerleader 1966 (cropped 2).jpg|thumb|upright|Streep as a senior in high school, 1966]]

Mary Louise Streep was born on June 22, 1949, in [[Summit, New Jersey]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.fr/beauty-tips/article/meryl-streep-73-birthday-beauty-looks|publisher=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]|title=At 73, Meryl Streep is still Queen of fresh beauty looks|last=Coates|first=Hannah|date=June 22, 2022|access-date=June 25, 2022}}</ref> to artist [[Mary Wilkinson Streep]] and pharmaceutical executive Harry William Streep Jr.<ref name="filmr">{{cite web|title=Meryl Streep Biography (1949–)|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/65/Meryl-Streep.html|website=Film Reference|access-date=January 16, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111125616/http://www.filmreference.com/film/65/Meryl-Streep.html|archive-date=January 11, 2009}}</ref> She has two younger brothers, Harry William Streep III and Dana David Streep, both actors.{{Sfn|Probst|2012|p=7}} Her father was of German and Swiss descent; his lineage traced back to [[Loffenau]], from where Streep's great-great-grandfather, Gottfried Streeb, immigrated to the United States and where one of her ancestors served as mayor (the surname was later changed to "Streep").{{Sfn|Louis Gates|2010|p=40}} Another line of her father's family was from [[Giswil]]. Her mother had English, German, and Irish ancestry.{{Sfn|Louis Gates|2010|p=40}} Some of Streep's maternal ancestors lived in [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Rhode Island]], and were descended from 17th-century English immigrants.<ref name=tlgpr>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/baftas/9080244/Baftas-Meryl-Streeps-British-ancestor-helped-start-war-with-Native-Americans.html | newspaper=The Daily Telegraph | first=Nick | last=Britten | title=Baftas: Meryl Streep's British ancestor 'helped start war with Native Americans' | date=February 14, 2012 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016105446/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/baftas/9080244/Baftas-Meryl-Streeps-British-ancestor-helped-start-war-with-Native-Americans.html | archive-date=October 16, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="ref02101">{{cite news|title=Meryl Streep|website=Faces of America|year=2010|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/profiles/meryl-streep/70/|access-date=February 5, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208073553/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/profiles/meryl-streep/70/|archive-date=February 8, 2010}}</ref><ref name=facam1>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/profiles/meryl-streep/70/|title=Meryl Streep|publisher=PBS|access-date=January 20, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230182423/http://www.pbs.org/wnet/facesofamerica/profiles/meryl-streep/70/|archive-date=December 30, 2014|date=January 4, 2010}}</ref> Her maternal<!--- definitely "great-great-", parents of Streep's great-grandmother Mary Agnes McFadden ---> great-great-grandparents, Manus McFadden and Grace Strain, were natives of the Horn Head district of [[Dunfanaghy]] in Ireland.<ref name="ref02101"/><ref name="ref0210">{{cite news|last=McKenzie|first=Joi-Marie|title=Henry Louis Gates Says He Broke Meryl Streep's Heart|website=Niteside|date=February 4, 2010|url=http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/niteside/Henry-Louis-Gates-Explores-Immigrant-Origins-of-Famous-Americans-83509992.html|access-date=February 4, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131034032/http://www.nbcwashington.com/blogs/niteside/Henry-Louis-Gates-Explores-Immigrant-Origins-of-Famous-Americans-83509992.html|archive-date=January 31, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://donegalnews.com/2014/01/meryl-streeps-great-grandparents-from-dunfanaghy/ |title=Meryl Streep's great grandparents from Dunfanaghy |work=[[Donegal News]] |date=January 15, 2014 |access-date=April 20, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223093303/http://donegalnews.com/2014/01/meryl-streeps-great-grandparents-from-dunfanaghy/ |archive-date=February 23, 2014 }}</ref>
[[File:Meryl Streep cheerleader 2.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Streep as a cheerleader at [[Bernards High School]], 1966]]

Streep's mother, whom she has compared in both appearance and manner to [[Dame]] [[Judi Dench]],<ref name="Brockes06"/> strongly encouraged her daughter and instilled confidence in her from a very young age.<ref name="VF"/> Streep said, "She was a mentor because she said to me, 'Meryl, you're capable. You're so great.' She was saying, 'You can do whatever you put your mind to. If you're lazy, you're not going to get it done. But if you put your mind to it, you can do anything.' And I believed her." Although she was naturally more introverted than her mother, when she later needed an injection of confidence in adulthood, she would consult her mother at times for advice.<ref name="VF"/> Streep was raised as a [[Presbyterian]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Joy |last=Horowitz |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/17/movies/that-madcap-meryl-really.html |title=That Madcap Meryl. Really! |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 17, 1991 |access-date=January 13, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111182207/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/17/movies/that-madcap-meryl-really.html |archive-date=November 11, 2012 }}</ref> in [[Basking Ridge, New Jersey]], and attended [[Cedar Hill School, Bernards Township, New Jersey|Cedar Hill Elementary School]] and the Oak Street School, which was a junior high school at that time. In her junior high debut, she starred as Louise Heller in the play ''The Family Upstairs''.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=The Central New Jersey Home News | date=December 10, 2017 | page=A6 | last=Makin | first=Bob | title=Hometown glory: The celebrities of Central Jersey | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-new-jersey-home-news-streep/125562804/}}</ref> In 1963, the family moved to [[Bernardsville, New Jersey]], where she attended [[Bernards High School]].<ref>{{cite news |title=N.J. Teachers Honor 6 Graduates |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=November 12, 1983 |access-date=July 20, 2007 |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB29697FA2C7F62&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |quote=Streep is a graduate of Bernards High School in Bernardsville ...}}</ref> Author [[Karina Longworth]] described her as a "gawky kid with glasses and frizzy hair", yet noted that she liked to show off in front of the camera in family home movies from a young age.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=7}} At age 12, Streep was selected to sing at a school recital, leading to her having opera lessons from [[Estelle Liebling]]. Despite her talent, she later remarked, "I was singing something I didn't feel and understand. That was an important lesson—not to do that. To find the thing that I could feel through."{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=7}} She quit after four years. Streep had many [[Catholicism|Catholic]] school friends, and regularly attended [[Mass (religion)|Mass]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/meryl-streep-movies-marriage-and-turning-sixty-1488485.html|title=Meryl Streep: Movies, marriage, and turning sixty|work=[[The Independent]]|date=January 24, 2009|access-date=November 24, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125081844/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/meryl-streep-movies-marriage-and-turning-sixty-1488485.html|archive-date=November 25, 2011}}</ref> She was a high school cheerleader for the Bernards High School Mountaineers. She was also chosen as the homecoming queen her senior year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/somerset/index.ssf/2015/02/watch_meryl_streeps_alma_mater_bernards_high_featu.html|title=WATCH: Meryl Streep's alma mater Bernards High featured in Oscars 'Good Morning America' segment|website=nj.com|date=February 25, 2015}}</ref> 

Although Streep appeared in numerous school plays during her high school years, she was uninterested in serious theater until acting in the play ''[[Miss Julie]]'' at [[Vassar College]] in 1969, in which she gained attention across the campus.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=8}} Vassar drama professor Clinton J. Atkinson noted, "I don't think anyone ever taught Meryl acting. She really taught herself."{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=8}} Streep demonstrated an early ability to mimic accents and to quickly memorize her lines. She received her [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] in drama<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/s/so-sz/meryl-streep/|title=Meryl Streep &#124; Kennedy Center|website=The Kennedy Center}}</ref> ''[[cum laude]]'' in 1971, before applying for an [[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]] from the [[Yale School of Drama]]. At Yale, she supplemented her course fees by working as a waitress and typist, and appeared in over a dozen stage productions per year; at one point, she became overworked and developed ulcers, so she contemplated quitting acting and switching to study law.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=8}} Streep played a variety of roles on stage,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.library.yale.edu/humanities/theater/Meryl_Streep's_roles.doc |title=Yale library's list of all roles played at Yale by Meryl Streep |access-date=March 7, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727193548/http://www.library.yale.edu/humanities/theater/Meryl_Streep%27s_roles.doc |archive-date=July 27, 2010 }}</ref> from [[Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream)|Helena]] in ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' to an 80-year-old woman in a wheelchair in a comedy written by then-unknown playwrights [[Christopher Durang]] and [[Albert Innaurato]].{{Sfn|Gussow|1998|p=265}}<ref>{{cite news | first = Mel|last=Gussow|author-link=Mel Gussow | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/07/movies/critic-s-notebook-luring-actors-back-to-the-stage-they-left-behind.html?pagewanted=1 | title = Critic's Notebook; Luring Actors Back to the Stage They Left Behind | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = January 7, 1991 | access-date = March 7, 2010 | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130530102640/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/07/movies/critic-s-notebook-luring-actors-back-to-the-stage-they-left-behind.html?pagewanted=1 | archive-date = May 30, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> She was a student of choreographer [[Carmen de Lavallade]], whom she introduced at the 2017 [[Kennedy Center Honors]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mason|first1=Jeff|title=Without Trump, Kennedy Center celebrates Lionel Richie and Gloria Estefan|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-awards-kennedycenterhonors/without-trump-kennedy-center-honors-lionel-richie-and-gloria-estefan-idUSKBN1DX0VY|access-date=December 27, 2017|work=Reuters|date=December 3, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226132056/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-awards-kennedycenterhonors/without-trump-kennedy-center-honors-lionel-richie-and-gloria-estefan-idUSKBN1DX0VY|archive-date=December 26, 2017}}</ref> Another of her teachers was [[Robert Lewis (director)|Robert Lewis]], a co-founder of the [[Actors Studio]]. Streep disapproved of some of the acting exercises she was asked to do, remarking that one professor taught the emotional recall technique by delving into personal lives in a way she found "obnoxious".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=10}}{{sfn|Pfaff|Emerson|1987|p=16|ps=. "Her second year, the rage was "emotional recall" by a teacher who "delved into personal lives in a way that I found obnoxious."}} She received her MFA in drama from Yale in 1975.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-bio-mstreep-pg-photogallery.html|title=Meryl Streep: Life in pictures|website=Los Angeles Times|date=September 16, 2014 }}</ref><ref name=originalprofiles/> She also enrolled as a visiting student at [[Dartmouth College]] in 1970, and received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the college in 1981.<ref name=originalprofiles>{{cite book|title=Contemporary Biography, Women: Original profiles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bnBmAAAAMAAJ|year=1983|publisher=American Biography Service, Inc.|page=290|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506172702/https://books.google.com/books?id=bnBmAAAAMAAJ|archive-date=May 6, 2016}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Career==
===1970s: Early work and breakthrough===
[[File:Public Theatre.jpg|thumb|left|Streep started her career acting in numerous productions with [[The Public Theater]]]]
One of Streep's first professional jobs in 1975 was at the [[Eugene O'Neill Theater Center]]'s National Playwrights Conference, during which she acted in five plays over six weeks. She moved to [[New York City]] in 1975, and was cast by [[Joseph Papp]] in a production of ''[[Trelawny of the Wells]]'' at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, opposite [[Mandy Patinkin]] and [[John Lithgow]].{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=10}} She went on to appear in five more roles in her first year in New York, including in Papp's [[New York Shakespeare Festival]] productions of ''[[Henry V (play)|Henry V]]'', ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' with [[Raul Julia]], and ''[[Measure for Measure]]'' opposite [[Sam Waterston]] and [[John Cazale]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Henry V Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival|url=http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=2928|publisher=[[Lortel Archives]]. Lucille Lortel Foundation|access-date=May 13, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410215814/http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=2928|archive-date=April 10, 2015}}<br />- {{cite web|title=Measure for Measure Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival|url=http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=2929|publisher=[[Lortel Archives]]. Lucille Lortel Foundation|access-date=May 13, 2015|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410193821/http://www.lortel.org/lla_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=2929|archive-date=April 10, 2015}}<br />- {{cite web|title=The Taming of the Shrew Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival|url=http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=2748|publisher=[[Lortel Archives]]. Lucille Lortel Foundation|access-date=May 13, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518094744/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=show&id=2748|archive-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref> She entered into a relationship with Cazale at this time, and resided with him until his death three years later.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=10}} She starred in the musical ''[[Happy End (musical)|Happy End]]'' on Broadway, and won an [[Obie Award|Obie]] for her performance in the [[off-Broadway]] play ''Alice at the Palace''.<ref name=AFI>{{cite web|author1=Levy, Rochelle L.|title=2004 Meryl Streep tribute|url=http://www.afi.com/laa/laa04.aspx|publisher=American Film Institute|access-date=January 20, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221094149/http://www.afi.com/laa/laa04.aspx|archive-date=February 21, 2015}}</ref>

Although Streep had not aspired to become a film actor, [[Robert De Niro]]'s performance in ''[[Taxi Driver]]'' (1976) had a profound impact on her; she said to herself, 'That's the kind of actor I want to be when I grow up.'{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=10}} Streep began auditioning for film roles, and underwent an unsuccessful audition for the lead role in [[Dino De Laurentiis]]'s remake of the action adventure ''[[King Kong (1976 film)|King Kong]]'' which was released in 1976. De Laurentiis, referring to Streep as she stood before him, said in Italian to his son: "This is so ugly. Why did you bring me this?"{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=7}} Unknown to Laurentiis, Streep understood Italian, and she remarked, "I'm very sorry that I'm not as beautiful as I should be, but, you know – this is it. This is what you get."{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=8}} She continued to work on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], appearing in the 1976 double bill of [[Tennessee Williams]]' ''[[One act plays by Tennessee Williams#27 Wagons Full of Cotton|27 Wagons Full of Cotton]]'' and [[Arthur Miller]]'s ''[[A Memory of Two Mondays]]''. She received a Tony Award nomination for [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play|Best Featured Actress in a Play]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Lowell, Katherine|title=Show Business|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TzymQOKwgYsC&pg=PA2001|publisher=Clinton Gilkie|page=2001|id=GGKEY:XQ5TU8D6L6X}}</ref> Streep's other Broadway credits include [[Anton Chekhov]]'s ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'' and the [[Bertolt Brecht]]-[[Kurt Weill]] musical ''[[Happy End (musical)|Happy End]]'', in which she had originally appeared off-Broadway at the [[Chelsea Theater Center]]. She received [[Drama Desk Award]] nominations for both productions.{{Sfn|Fisher|2011|p=772}}

Streep's first feature film role came opposite [[Jane Fonda]] in the 1977 film ''[[Julia (1977 film)|Julia]]'', in which she had a small role during a flashback sequence. Most of her scenes were edited out, but the brief time on screen horrified the actress, "I had a bad wig and they took the words from the scene I shot with Jane and put them in my mouth in a different scene. I thought, I've made a terrible mistake, no more movies. I hate this business."{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=10}} However, Streep stated in 2015 that Fonda had a lasting influence on her as an actress, and credited her with opening "probably more doors than I probably even know about".<ref name="VF"/> Robert De Niro, who had spotted Streep in her stage production of ''The Cherry Orchard'', suggested that she play the role of his girlfriend in the war film ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'' (1978).{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=21}} Cazale, who had been diagnosed with [[lung cancer]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/article/on-the-anniversary-of-his-death-revisit-john-cazal-93634|title=On the anniversary of his death, revisit John Cazale's tragically short film career in I Knew It Was You|newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=September 22, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923230616/http://www.avclub.com/article/on-the-anniversary-of-his-death-revisit-john-cazal-93634|archive-date=September 23, 2015}}</ref> was also cast in the film, and Streep took on the role of a "vague, stock girlfriend" to remain with Cazale for the duration of filming.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|pp=19–21}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Gray |title=Cinema: A Mother Finds Herself |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,948649-3,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |page=3 |date=December 3, 1979 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121031102/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,948649-3,00.html |archive-date=January 21, 2015 }}</ref>{{sfn|Hollinger|2006|p=81}} Longworth notes that Streep, "Made a case for female empowerment by playing a woman to whom empowerment was a foreign concept{{ndash}}a normal lady from an average American small town, for whom subservience was the only thing she knew".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=19}} [[Pauline Kael]], who later became a strong critic of Streep, remarked that she was a "real beauty" who brought much freshness to the film with her performance.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=32}} The film's success exposed Streep to a wider audience and earned her a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The 51st Academy Awards (1979) Nominees and Winners|date=October 5, 2014 |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1979|publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] (AMPAS)|access-date=July 4, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402004111/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1979|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Meryl_Streep_by_Jack_Mitchell.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Streep in 1977]]
In the 1978 miniseries ''[[Holocaust (miniseries)|Holocaust]]'', Streep played the leading role of a German woman married to a Jewish artist played by [[James Woods]] in [[Nazi era]] Germany. She found the material to be "unrelentingly noble" and professed to have taken on the role for financial gain.<ref name="SimplyStreepHorizonMagazine1978">{{cite web|title=Magazines Archive |website=SimplyStreep |url=http://www.simplystreep.com/articles/197808horizonmagazine/ |access-date=December 10, 2020 }} citing {{cite journal |journal=Horizon Magazine |date=August 1978 |title=Star Treks}}</ref> Streep travelled to Germany and Austria for filming while Cazale remained in New York. Upon her return, Streep found that Cazale's illness had progressed, and she nursed him until his death on March 12, 1978.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=26}}{{Sfn|Hollinger|2006|p=81}} With an estimated audience of 109 million, ''Holocaust'' brought a wider degree of public recognition to Streep, who found herself "on the verge of national visibility". She won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie]] for her performance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/bios/meryl-streep |title=Meryl Streep Emmy Award Winner |publisher=[[Emmy Award]] |access-date=April 20, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905063934/http://www.emmys.com/bios/meryl-streep |archive-date=September 5, 2014 }}</ref> Despite the awards success, Streep was still not enthusiastic towards her film career and preferred acting on stage.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=44}}
She played the supporting role of Leilah in [[Wendy Wasserstein]]'s ''[[Uncommon Women and Others (film)|Uncommon Women and Others]]'' in a May 1978 "Theater in America" television production for [[PBS]]'s [[Great Performances]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Meryl Streep & Others singing in 'Uncommon Women & Others'| date=April 9, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOCs2QW2gJ8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211027/FOCs2QW2gJ8| archive-date=October 27, 2021|language=en|access-date=July 20, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She replaced [[Glenn Close]], who played the role in the [[Off-Broadway]] production at the [[Phoenix Theatre (New York City)|Phoenix Theatre]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Eder|first=Richard|date=November 22, 1977|title=Dramatic Wit and Wisdom Unite In 'Uncommon Women and Others'|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/11/22/archives/dramatic-wit-and-wisdom-unite-in-uncommon-women-and-others.html|access-date=July 20, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Hoping to divert herself from the grief of Cazale's death, Streep accepted a role in ''[[The Seduction of Joe Tynan]]'' (1979) as the chirpy love interest of [[Alan Alda]], later commenting that she played it on "automatic pilot". She performed the role of [[Kate (The Taming of the Shrew)|Katherine]] in ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'' for [[Shakespeare in the Park]]. That same year she played a supporting role as the former girlfriend turned lesbian in ''[[Manhattan (1979 film)|Manhattan]]'' (1979) for [[Woody Allen]]. Streep later said that Allen did not provide her with a complete script, giving her only the six pages of her own scenes,<ref>{{cite web|title=Magazines Archive |website=SimplyStreep|url=http://www.simplystreep.com/magazines/197903lookmagazine.htm |access-date=June 7, 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and did not permit her to improvise a word of her dialogue.{{sfn|Hollinger|2006|p=71}} [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' described her performance as being "beautifully played".<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/25/archives/the-screen-woody-allens-manhattan.html|title= The Screen: Woody Allen's 'Manhattan'|work= The New York Times|date= April 25, 1979|accessdate= July 17, 2024|last1= Canby|first1= Vincent}}</ref> 

In the drama ''[[Kramer vs. Kramer]]'', Streep was cast opposite [[Dustin Hoffman]] as an unhappily married woman who abandons her husband and child. Streep thought that the script portrayed the female character as "too evil" and insisted that it was not representative of real women who faced marriage breakdown and child custody battles. The makers agreed with her, and the script was revised.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=41}} In preparing for the part, Streep spoke to her own mother about her life as a wife with a career,{{Sfn|Hollinger|2006|p=75}} and frequented the [[Upper East Side]] neighborhood in which the film was set, watching the interactions between parents and children.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=41}} The director [[Robert Benton]] allowed Streep to write her own dialogue in two key scenes, despite some objection from Hoffman, who "hated her guts" at first.{{Sfn|Hollinger|2006|p=77}}{{Efn|Streep's initial impression of Hoffman had been a negative one, thinking him to have been an "obnoxious pig" when she had first met him on stage several years earlier, and Hoffman had admitted that he initially "hated her guts", but respected her as an actress.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=41}}}} Hoffman and producer [[Stanley R. Jaffe]] later spoke of Streep's tirelessness, with Hoffman commenting: "She's extraordinarily hard-working, to the extent that she's obsessive. I think that she thinks about nothing else, but what she's doing."<ref>{{cite web|title=The Freshest Face in Hollywood|work=[[Playgirl]]|date=November 1979|author=Dean Cohen|url=http://www.simplystreep.com/articles/197911playgirlmagazine/|via=SimplyStreep.com|access-date=February 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226130630/http://www.simplystreep.com/articles/197911playgirlmagazine/|archive-date=February 26, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref> The film was controversial among feminists, but it was a role which film critic Stephen Farber believed displayed Streep's "own emotional intensity", writing that she was one of the "rare performers who can imbue the most routine moments with a hint of mystery".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=46}} For the film, Streep won both the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture|Golden Globe Award]] and the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]], which she famously left in the ladies' room after giving her speech.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 52nd Academy Awards {{!}} 1980|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1980|publisher= Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|access-date=May 13, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402002939/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1980|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref><ref name="GoldenGlobes">{{cite web|title=Meryl Streep {{!}} 29 Nominations {{!}} 8 Wins|url=http://www.hfpa.org/browse/?param=/member/29717|publisher= Hollywood Foreign Press Association|access-date=May 13, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702091300/http://www.hfpa.org/browse/?param=%2Fmember%2F29717|archive-date=July 2, 2015}}</ref> She received awards from the [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress|Los Angeles Film Critics Association]],{{Sfn|Lenburg|2001|p=167}} [[National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress|National Board of Review]] and [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress|National Society of Film Critics]] for her collective work in her three film releases of 1979.<ref>{{cite book|title=Current Biography Yearbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BAdaAAAAYAAJ|year=1980|publisher=H. W. Wilson Co.|volume=41|page=391|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507064117/https://books.google.com/books?id=BAdaAAAAYAAJ|archive-date=May 7, 2016}}</ref>{{Sfn|Sterling|1997|p=444}} Both ''The Deer Hunter'' and ''Kramer vs. Kramer'' were major commercial successes and were consecutive winners of the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]].{{sfn|Devine|1999|p=171}}<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chivers|first1=Tom|title=Oscars 2010: the 10 worst injustices in Academy Award history|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/oscars/7360378/Oscars-2010-the-10-worst-injustices-in-Academy-Award-history.html|access-date=July 4, 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=March 3, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712104251/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/oscars/7360378/Oscars-2010-the-10-worst-injustices-in-Academy-Award-history.html|archive-date=July 12, 2015}}</ref>

===1980s: Rise to prominence===
In 1979, Streep began workshopping ''Alice in Concert'', a musical version of ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'', with writer and composer [[Elizabeth Swados]] and director [[Joseph Papp]]; the show was put on at New York's Public Theater from December 1980. [[Frank Rich]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' referred to Streep as the production's "one wonder", but questioned why she devoted so much energy to it.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=44}} By 1980, Streep had progressed to leading roles in films. She was featured on the cover of ''[[Newsweek]]'' magazine with the headline "A Star for the 80s"; [[Jack Kroll]] commented, "There's a sense of mystery in her acting; she doesn't simply imitate (although she's a great mimic in private). She transmits a sense of danger, a primal unease lying just below the surface of normal behavior".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=49}}

Streep denounced her fervent media coverage at the time as "excessive hype".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=49}} The [[story within a story]] drama ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman (film)|The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (1981) was Streep's first leading role. The film paired Streep with [[Jeremy Irons]] as contemporary actors, telling their modern story, as well as the [[Victorian era]] drama they were performing. Streep developed an English accent for the part, but considered herself a misfit for the role: "I couldn't help wishing that I was more beautiful".{{sfn|Palmer|Bray|2013|p=227}}{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=49}}{{Efn|Despite Streep's own negative self-body-image, President Obama, while presenting the [[Kennedy Center Honors]], remarked, "Anyone who saw ''The French Lieutenant's Woman'' had a crush on her ..."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/celebrity-news-video/8935130/Barack-Obama-reveals-Meryl-Streep-crush-at-Kennedy-Centre-Honours.html|title=Barack Obama reveals Meryl Streep 'crush' at Kennedy Centre Honours|work=The Telegraph|date=December 5, 2011|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711104408/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/celebrity-news-video/8935130/Barack-Obama-reveals-Meryl-Streep-crush-at-Kennedy-Centre-Honours.html|archive-date=July 11, 2015}}</ref>}} A ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' magazine article commented that, while many female stars of the past had cultivated a singular identity in their films, Streep was a "[[chameleon]]", willing to play any type of role.<ref name="NewYorkMagazineSep1981">{{cite news |last=Denby |first=David |title=Meryl Streep is Madonna and siren in ''The French Lieutenant's Woman'' |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=September 21, 1981 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-OUCAAAAMBAJ&q=Meryl+Streep&pg=PA26 |access-date=June 15, 2009 |page=27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116203656/http://books.google.com/books?id=-OUCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26&dq=Meryl+Streep&lr=#PPA26,M1 |archive-date=January 16, 2013 }}</ref> Streep was awarded a [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]] for her work.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1982/film/actress|title=Film Actress in 1982|publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]|access-date=January 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121015106/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1982/film/actress|archive-date=January 21, 2015}}</ref> The following year, she re-united with Robert Benton for the [[psychological thriller]], ''[[Still of the Night (film)|Still of the Night]]'' (1982), co-starring [[Roy Scheider]] and [[Jessica Tandy]]. [[Vincent Canby]], writing for ''The New York Times'', noted that the film was an homage to the works of [[Alfred Hitchcock]], but that one of its main weaknesses was a lack of chemistry between Streep and Scheider, concluding that Streep "is stunning, but she's not on screen anywhere near long enough".<ref>{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby|title='Still of the Night', in Hitchcock Manner |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 20, 1985 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C02E2D8123BF93AA25752C1A964948260 |access-date=June 6, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815033220/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C02E2D8123BF93AA25752C1A964948260 |archive-date=August 15, 2014 }}</ref>

Greater success came later in the year when Streep starred in the drama ''[[Sophie's Choice (film)|Sophie's Choice]]'' (also 1982), portraying a Polish survivor of [[Auschwitz concentration camp|Auschwitz]] caught in a love triangle between a young naïve writer ([[Peter MacNicol]]) and a Jewish intellectual ([[Kevin Kline]]). Streep's emotional dramatic performance and her apparent mastery of a Polish accent drew praise.<ref>{{cite web|first=Eric D.|last=Snider|title=What's the Big Deal?: Sophie's Choice (1982)|url=http://www.film.com/movies/whats-the-big-deal-sophies-choice-1982|website=[[Film.com]]|publisher=[[MTV|MTV Networks]]|access-date=May 13, 2015|date=October 20, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702022139/http://www.film.com/movies/whats-the-big-deal-sophies-choice-1982|archive-date=July 2, 2015}}<br />- {{cite web|title=Picks and Pans Review: Sophie's Choice|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20084111,00.html|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=May 13, 2015|date=January 24, 1983|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093757/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20084111,00.html|archive-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref> [[William Styron]] wrote the novel with [[Ursula Andress]] in mind for the role of Sophie, but Streep was determined to get the role.{{sfn|Lloyd|Robinson|1988|p=452}} Streep filmed the "choice" scene in one take and refused to do it again, finding it extremely painful and emotionally exhausting.<ref>{{cite news |title=What Makes Meryl Magic |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924815-8,00.html |access-date=June 15, 2009 |date=September 7, 1981 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |first=John |last=Skow |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904040813/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924815-8,00.html |archive-date=September 4, 2009 }}</ref> That scene, in which Streep is ordered by an [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] guard at [[Auschwitz concentration camp|Auschwitz]] to choose which of her two children would be gassed and which would proceed to the labor camp, is her most famous scene, according to [[Emma Brockes]] of ''The Guardian'' who wrote in 2006: "It's classic Streep, the kind of scene that makes your scalp tighten, but defter in a way is her handling of smaller, harder-to-grasp emotions".<ref name="Brockes06"/> 

Among several acting awards, Streep won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for her performance,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/055-3/|title=Meryl Streep Academy Awards Acceptance Speech|publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]|access-date=January 16, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227020555/http://aaspeechesdb.oscars.org/link/055-3|archive-date=February 27, 2015}}</ref> and her characterization was voted the third greatest movie performance of all time by ''[[Premiere (magazine)|Premiere]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/forum/printable.asp?m=371934|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418200137/http://www.empireonline.com/forum/printable.asp?m=371934|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 18, 2015|title=Premiere Magazine's Top 100 Greatest Performances|work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|date=March 20, 2006|access-date=July 2, 2015}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] said of her delivery, "Streep plays the Brooklyn scenes with an enchanting Polish-American accent (she has the first accent I've ever wanted to hug), and she plays the flashbacks in subtitled German and Polish. There is hardly an emotion that Streep doesn't touch in this movie, and yet we're never aware of her straining. This is one of the most astonishing and yet one of the most unaffected and natural performances I can imagine".{{Sfn|Ebert|2010|p=222}} [[Pauline Kael]], on the contrary, called the film an "infuriatingly bad movie", and thought that Streep "decorporealizes" herself, which she believed explained why her movie heroines "don't seem to be full characters, and why there are no incidental joys to be had from watching her".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|pp=62, 53}}

In 1983, Streep played her first non-fictional character, the [[nuclear whistleblowers|nuclear whistleblower]] and labor union activist [[Karen Silkwood]], who died in a suspicious car accident while investigating alleged wrongdoing at the [[Kerr-McGee]] [[plutonium]] plant, in [[Mike Nichols]]' biographical film ''[[Silkwood]]''. Streep felt a personal connection to Silkwood,{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=69}} and in preparation, she met with people close to the woman, and in doing so realized that each person saw a different aspect of her personality.{{sfn|Ebert|Bordwell|2008|p=64}} She said, "I didn't try to turn myself into Karen. I just tried to look at what she did. I put together every piece of information I could find about her ... What I finally did was look at the events in her life, and try to understand her from the inside".{{Sfn|Ebert|Bordwell|2008|p=64}} Jack Kroll of ''[[Newsweek]]'' considered Streep's characterization to have been "brilliant", while Silkwood's boyfriend Drew Stephens expressed approval in that Streep had played Karen as a human being rather than a myth, despite Karen's father Bill thinking that Streep and the film had dumbed his daughter down. Pauline Kael believed that Streep had been miscast.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=78}} 

Streep next played opposite [[Robert De Niro]] in the romance ''[[Falling in Love (1984 film)|Falling in Love]]'' (1984), which was poorly received, and portrayed a fighter for the [[French Resistance]] during [[World War II]] in the British drama ''[[Plenty (film)|Plenty]]'' (1985), adapted from the play by <!-- Not knighted until 1998. -->[[David Hare (playwright)|David Hare]]. For the latter, Roger Ebert wrote that she conveyed "great subtlety; it is hard to play an unbalanced, neurotic, self-destructive woman, and do it with such gentleness and charm ... Streep creates a whole character around a woman who could have simply been a catalogue of symptoms."<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert|title='Plenty' review |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19850920/REVIEWS/509200303/1023 |date=November 19, 1982 |access-date=June 6, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616153759/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19850920%2FREVIEWS%2F509200303%2F1023 |archive-date=June 16, 2010 }}</ref> In 2008, [[Molly Haskell]] praised Streep's performance in ''Plenty'', believing it to be "one of Streep's most difficult and ambiguous" films and "most feminist" role.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=92}}

Longworth considers Streep's next release, ''[[Out of Africa (film)|Out of Africa]]'' (1985), to have established her as a Hollywood superstar. In the film, Streep starred as the Danish writer [[Karen Blixen]], opposite [[Robert Redford]]'s [[Denys Finch Hatton]]. Director [[Sydney Pollack]] was initially dubious about Streep in the role, as he did not think she was sexy enough, and had considered [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]] for the part. Pollack recalls that Streep impressed him in a different way: "She was so direct, so honest, so without bullshit. There was no shielding between her and me."{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=81}} Streep and Pollack often clashed during the 101-day shoot in Kenya, particularly over Blixen's voice. Streep had spent much time listening to tapes of Blixen, and began speaking in an old-fashioned and aristocratic fashion, which Pollack thought excessive.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=88}} A significant commercial success, the film won a Golden Globe for Best Picture.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.nme.com/news/bohemian-rhapsody-worst-reviewed-golden-globes-winner-since-80s-2429215 | title= 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is the worst-reviewed Golden Globes winner in 33 years| work=[[NME]] | date=January 10, 2019 | access-date=January 11, 2019 | first=John | last=Earls}}</ref> It also earned Streep another Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and the film ultimately won Best Picture. Film critic [[Stanley Kauffmann]] praised her performance, writing "Meryl Streep is back in top form. This means her performance in ''Out of Africa'' is at the highest level of acting in film today."{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=93}}

[[File:Meryl Streep (2071470089) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Streep in 1989]]

Longworth notes that the dramatic success of ''Out of Africa'' led to a backlash of critical opinion against Streep in the years that followed, especially as she was now demanding $4 million a picture. Unlike other stars at the time, such as [[Sylvester Stallone]] and [[Tom Cruise]], Streep "never seemed to play herself", and certain critics felt her technical finesse led people to literally see her acting.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=97}} Her next films did not appeal to a wide audience; she co-starred with [[Jack Nicholson]] in the dramas ''[[Heartburn (film)|Heartburn]]'' (1986) and ''[[Ironweed (film)|Ironweed]]'' (1987), in which she sang onscreen for the first time since the "Great Performances" telecast of the Phoenix Theater production of ''Secret Service'' (1977). In ''[[Evil Angels (film)|Evil Angels]]''{{Efn|The film was released outside Australia and New Zealand as ''A Cry in the Dark''.}} (1988), she played [[Lindy Chamberlain]], an Australian woman who had been convicted of the [[Death of Azaria Chamberlain|murder of her infant daughter]] despite claiming that the baby had been taken by a [[dingo]]. Filmed in Australia, Streep won the [[Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]],{{sfn|Waldo|2006|p=209}}{{sfn|Speed|Wilson|1989|p=38|ps=. "Meryl Streep, with black hair and a convincing Aussie accent, is outstanding as Mrs Chamberlain."}}{{sfn|Eberwein|2010|p=217}} a [[Prix d'interprétation féminine|Best Actress]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]], and the [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress]].{{Sfn|Eberwein|2010|p=221}} Streep has said of developing the Australian accent in the film: "I had to study a little bit for Australian because it's not dissimilar [to<!-- not "from" (UK usage) --> American], so it's like coming from Italian to Spanish. You get a little mixed up."<ref name="Brockes06"/> Vincent Canby of ''The New York Times'' referred to her performance as "another stunning performance", played with "the kind of virtuosity that seems to re-define the possibilities of screen acting".<ref>{{cite news|author=Canby, Vincent|author-link=Vincent Canby|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DE1DF1039F932A25752C1A96E948260|title=A Cry in the Dark|work=The New York Times|date=November 11, 1988|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704073433/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DE1DF1039F932A25752C1A96E948260|archive-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref>

In 1989, Streep lobbied to play the lead role in [[Oliver Stone]]'s adaption of the play ''Evita'', but two months before filming was due to commence, she dropped out, citing "exhaustion" initially, although it was later revealed that there was a dispute over her salary.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=99}} By the end of the decade, Streep actively looked to star in a comedy. She found the role in ''[[She-Devil (1989 film)|She-Devil]]'' (1989), a satire that parodied societal obsession with beauty and cosmetic surgery, in which she played a glamorous writer.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=106}} Though the film was not a success, [[Richard Corliss]] of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' wrote that Streep was the "one reason" to see it, and observed that it marked a departure from the dramatic roles she was known to play.<ref>{{cite news |last=Corliss |first=Richard |title=Warty Worm, "She-Devil" review |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959340,00.html |magazine=Time |date=December 11, 1989 |access-date=June 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906045113/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959340,00.html |archive-date=September 6, 2009 }}</ref> Reacting to her string of poorly received films, Streep said: "Audiences are shrinking; as the marketing strategy defines more and more narrowly who they want to reach males from 16 to 25 – it's become a chicken-and-egg syndrome. Which came first? First, they release all these summer movies, then do a demographic survey of who's going to see them."{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=99}}

===1990s: Commercial fluctuations===
Biographer Karen Hollinger described the early 1990s as a downturn in the popularity of Streep's films, attributing this partly to a critical perception that her comedies had been an attempt to convey a lighter image following several serious, but commercially unsuccessful, dramas, and, more significantly, to the lack of options available to an actress in her forties.{{Sfn|Hollinger|2006|p=78}} Streep commented that she had limited her options by her preference to work in Los Angeles, close to her family,{{Sfn|Hollinger|2006|p=78}} a situation that she had anticipated in a 1981 interview when she commented, "By the time an actress hits her mid-forties, no one's interested in her anymore. And if you want to fit a couple of babies into that schedule as well, you've got to pick your parts with great care."<ref name="NewYorkMagazineSep1981" /> At the [[Screen Actor's Guild]] National Women's Conference in 1990, Streep keynoted the first national event, emphasizing the decline in women's work opportunities, pay parity, and role models within the film industry.<ref name="SAG timeline">{{cite web |title=SAG History – SAG Timeline |url=http://www.sag.org/content/womens-committee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125115603/http://www.sag.org/content/womens-committee |archive-date=January 25, 2012 |access-date=July 15, 2013}}</ref> She criticized the film industry for downplaying the importance of women both on screen and off.{{sfn|Eberwein|2010|p=221}}

[[File:Meryl in 1990.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Streep at the [[32nd Grammy Awards]] in 1990]]

After roles in the comedy-drama ''[[Postcards from the Edge (film)|Postcards from the Edge]]'' (1990), and the comedy-fantasy ''[[Defending Your Life]]'' (1991), Streep starred with [[Goldie Hawn]] in the farcical black comedy, ''[[Death Becomes Her]]'' (1992), with [[Bruce Willis]] as their co-star. Streep persuaded writer [[David Koepp]] to re-write several of the scenes, particularly the one in which her character has an affair with a younger man, which she believed was "unrealistically male" in its conception. The seven-month shoot was the longest of Streep's career, during which she got into character by "thinking about being slightly pissed off all of the time".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|pp=100, 103}} Due to Streep's allergies to numerous cosmetics, special prosthetics had to be designed to age her by ten years to look 54, although Streep believed that they made her look nearer 70.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=103}} Longworth considers ''Death Becomes Her'' to have been "the most physical performance Streep had yet committed to screen, all broad weeping, smirking, and eye-rolling".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=100}} Although it was a commercial success, earning $15.1 million in just five days, Streep's contribution to comedy was generally not taken well by critics.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=107}} ''Time''{{'}}s Richard Corliss wrote approvingly of Streep's "wicked-witch routine" but dismissed the film as "''She-Devil'' with a make-over" and one which "hates women".<ref>{{cite news |last=Corliss |first=Richard |title=Beverly Hills Corpse, "Death Becomes Her" review |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,976129,00.html |magazine=Time |date=August 3, 1992 |access-date=June 7, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090904022133/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,976129,00.html |archive-date=September 4, 2009 }}</ref>{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=107}} Streep later admitted to having disliked filming the scenes involving heavy special effects, and vowed never to work again on a film with heavy special effects.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2000/03/24/meryl-streep-meryl-streep/ |date=March 24, 2000 |title=Depth Becomes Her |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=January 25, 2007 |archive-date=October 14, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014083616/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,275733_4,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Streep appeared with [[Jeremy Irons]], [[Glenn Close]] and [[Winona Ryder]] in ''[[The House of the Spirits (film)|The House of the Spirits]]'' (1993), set in Chile during [[Augusto Pinochet]]'s dictatorship. The film was not well received by critics.<ref name="the_house_of_the_spirits">{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_house_of_the_spirits/|title=''The House of the Spirits''|publisher=[[Flixster]]|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=September 20, 2011 |access-date=April 9, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330215521/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_house_of_the_spirits/|archive-date=March 30, 2015}}</ref> [[Anthony Lane]] of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' wrote: "This is really quite an achievement. It brings together Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Winona Ryder, [[Antonio Banderas]], and [[Vanessa Redgrave]] and insures that, without exception, they all give their worst performances ever".<ref name="the_house_of_the_spirits"/> The following year, Streep starred in ''[[The River Wild]]'', as the mother of children on a whitewater rafting trip who encounter two violent criminals ([[Kevin Bacon]] and [[John C. Reilly]]) in the wilderness. Though critical reaction was generally mixed, [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' found her to be "strong, sassy and looser than she has ever been onscreen".<ref>{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Travers|title=The River Wild|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-river-wild-19940930|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|publisher=Wenner Media LLC|location=New York City|date=September 20, 1994|access-date=May 5, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505072025/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/the-river-wild-19940930|archive-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref>

Streep's most successful film of the decade was the romantic drama ''[[The Bridges of Madison County (film)|The Bridges of Madison County]]'' (1995) directed by [[Clint Eastwood]], who adapted the film from [[Robert James Waller]]'s [[The Bridges of Madison County|novel of the same name]].{{Sfn|McGilligan|1999|p=492}} It relates the story of Robert Kincaid (Eastwood), a photographer working for ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]'', who has a love affair with a middle-aged Italian farm wife Francesca (Streep). Though Streep disliked the novel it was based on, she found the script to be a special opportunity for an actress her age.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|pp=111–112}} She gained weight for the part and dressed differently from the character in the book to emulate voluptuous Italian film stars such as [[Sophia Loren]]. Both Loren and [[Anna Magnani]] were an influence in her portrayal, and Streep viewed [[Pier Paolo Pasolini]]'s ''[[Mamma Roma]]'' (1962) prior to filming.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=115}} The film was a box office hit and grossed over $70 million in the United States.{{Sfn|McGilligan|1999|p=503}} The film, unlike the novel, was warmly received by critics. [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that Eastwood had managed to create "a moving, elegiac love story at the heart of Mr. Waller's self-congratulatory overkill", while [[Joe Morgenstern]] of ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' described it as "one of the most pleasurable films in recent memory".{{Sfn|McGilligan|1999|p=503}} Longworth believes that Streep's performance was "crucial to transforming what could have been a weak soap opera into a vibrant work of historical fiction implicitly critiquing postwar America's stifling culture of domesticity".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=16}} She considers it to have been the role in which Streep became "arguably the first middle-aged actress to be taken seriously by Hollywood as a romantic heroine".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=117}}

Streep played the estranged sister of Bessie ([[Diane Keaton]]), a woman battling [[leukemia]], in ''[[Marvin's Room (film)|Marvin's Room]]'' (1996), an adaptation of [[Marvin's Room (play)|the play]] by [[Scott McPherson]]. Streep recommended Keaton for the role.{{Sfn|Mitchell|2001|p=139}} [[Roger Ebert]] stated that, "Streep and Keaton, in their different styles, find ways to make Lee and Bessie into much more than the expression of their problems."<ref>{{cite web|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19970110/REVIEWS/701100302/1023|title=Review- Marvin's Room|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|publisher=[[Sun-Times Media Group]]|location=Chicago, Illinois|date=January 10, 1997|access-date=March 25, 2006|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060110152119/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19970110%2FREVIEWS%2F701100302%2F1023|archive-date=January 10, 2006}}</ref> The film was well received, and Streep earned another Golden Globe nomination for her performance.<ref name=GoldenGlobes />

Streep's performance in ''[[...First Do No Harm]]'' (1997) garnered her a second [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] nomination for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie]]. In 1998, Streep first appeared opposite [[Michael Gambon]] and [[Catherine McCormack]] in [[Pat O'Connor (director)|Pat O'Connor]]'s ''[[Dancing at Lughnasa (film)|Dancing at Lughnasa]]'', another [[Dancing at Lughnasa|Broadway adaptation]], which was entered into the [[Venice Film Festival]] in its year of release.{{sfn|Allon|Cullen|Patterson|2001|p=255}} [[Janet Maslin]] of ''The New York Times'' remarked that "Meryl Streep has made many a grand acting gesture in her career, but the way she simply peers out a window in ''Dancing at Lughnasa'' ranks with the best. Everything the viewer need know about Kate Mundy, the woman she plays here, is written on that prim, lonely face and its flabbergasted gaze."<ref>{{cite news|first=Janet|last=Maslin|author-link=Janet Maslin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B04E3DA1431F930A25752C1A96E958260|title=Dancing at Lughnasa (1998)|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|location=New York City|date=November 13, 1998|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704073438/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B04E3DA1431F930A25752C1A96E958260|archive-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref> Later that year, she played a housewife dying of cancer in ''[[One True Thing]]''. The film met with positive reviews. [[Mick LaSalle]] in the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' declared, "After ''One True Thing'', critics who persist in the fiction that Streep is a cold and technical actress will need to get their heads examined. She is so instinctive and natural – so thoroughly in the moment and operating on flights of inspiration – that she's able to give us a woman who's at once wildly idiosyncratic and utterly believable."<ref>{{cite news|first=Mick|last=LaSalle|author-link=Mick LaSalle|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1998/09/18/DD59798.DTL|title=Home Is a Beautiful 'Thing' / Streep shines in drama about ailing mother|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|publisher=[[Hearst Corporation]]|location=San Francisco, California|date=September 18, 1998|access-date=May 1, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413162840/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F1998%2F09%2F18%2FDD59798.DTL|archive-date=April 13, 2009}}</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' film critic [[Kenneth Turan]] noted that her role "is one of the least self-consciously dramatic and surface showy of her career," but she "adds a level of honesty and reality that makes [her performance] one of her most moving".<ref>{{cite news|first=Kenneth|last=Turan|author-link=Kenneth Turan|title=One True Thing|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=September 18, 1998}}</ref>

Streep portrayed [[Roberta Guaspari]], a real-life New Yorker who found passion and enlightenment teaching violin to the inner-city kids of [[East Harlem]], in the music drama ''[[Music of the Heart]]'' (1999). Streep replaced [[Madonna]], who dropped out of the project before filming began due to creative differences with director [[Wes Craven]].<ref name="New York Post"/>{{Sfn|Caparrós Lera|2001|p=91}} Required to play the violin, Streep underwent two months of intense training, five to six hours a day.<ref name="New York Post">{{cite news|first=Barbara|last=Hoffman|title=MAKING 'MUSIC' : WES CRAVEN MOVES FROM VIOLENCE TO VIOLINS|url=https://nypost.com/1999/10/24/making-music-wes-craven-moves-from-violence-to-violins/|newspaper=[[New York Post]]|publisher=[[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corp.]]|location=New York City|date=October 24, 1999|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116030848/https://nypost.com/1999/10/24/making-music-wes-craven-moves-from-violence-to-violins/|archive-date=November 16, 2017}}</ref> Streep received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] for her performance. Roger Ebert wrote that "Meryl Streep is known for her mastery of accents; she may be the most versatile speaker in the movies. Here you might think she has no accent, unless you've heard her real speaking voice; then you realize that Guaspari's speaking style is no less a particular achievement than Streep's other accents. This is not Streep's voice, but someone else's – with a certain flat quality, as if later education and refinement came after a somewhat unsophisticated childhood."<ref>{{cite web|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19991029/REVIEWS/910290302/1023|title=Music of the Heart Movie Review|newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|publisher=[[Sun-Times Media Group]]|location=Chicago, Illinois|date=October 29, 1999|access-date=May 1, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928090907/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19991029%2FREVIEWS%2F910290302%2F1023|archive-date=September 28, 2012}}</ref>

===2000s: Career resurgence and stage work===
{{main|Meryl Streep in the 2000s}}

[[File:Meryl Streep 2004-01.jpg|thumb|Streep in [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia, in 2004]]

Streep entered the 2000s with a voice cameo in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[A.I. Artificial Intelligence]]'' (2001), a [[science fiction film]] about a childlike [[Android (robot)|android]], played by [[Haley Joel Osment]].<ref>{{cite web|title=''A.I. Artificial Intelligence'' (2001)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ai.htm|access-date=February 7, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215175554/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ai.htm|archive-date=February 15, 2009}}</ref> The same year, Streep co-hosted the annual [[Nobel Peace Prize Concert]] with [[Liam Neeson]] which was held in [[Oslo, Norway]], on December 11, 2001, in honour of the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] laureate, the United Nations and [[Kofi Annan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Previous Concerts (2001) |url=http://nobelpeaceprize.org/concert/history/2001.php |publisher=The Norwegian Nobel Institute  |access-date=July 3, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725022742/http://nobelpeaceprize.org/concert/history/2001.php |archive-date=July 25, 2013 }}</ref><ref name=PRN>{{cite news|title=Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson Host The Nobel Peace Prize 100th Anniversary Concert|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meryl-streep-and-liam-neeson-host-the-nobel-peace-prize-100th-anniversary-concert-74400667.html|agency=PR Newswire|access-date=July 3, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704071711/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meryl-streep-and-liam-neeson-host-the-nobel-peace-prize-100th-anniversary-concert-74400667.html|archive-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref> In 2001, Streep returned to the stage for the first time in more than twenty years, playing Arkadina in [[The Public Theater]]'s revival of [[Anton Chekhov]]'s ''[[The Seagull]]'', directed by [[Mike Nichols]] and co-starring [[Kevin Kline]], [[Natalie Portman]], [[John Goodman]], [[Marcia Gay Harden]], [[Stephen Spinella]], [[Debra Monk]], [[Larry Pine]] and [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]].<ref>{{Cite news|first=Ben|last=Brantley|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/13/theater/theater-review-streep-meets-chekhov-up-in-central-park.html|title=Theater Review: Streep Meets Chekhov, Up in Central Park|work=The New York Times|date=August 31, 2001|access-date=February 13, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212011246/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/13/theater/theater-review-streep-meets-chekhov-up-in-central-park.html|archive-date=February 12, 2011}}</ref> Streep's son, Henry Gummer, later to be known as musician [[Henry Wolfe]], was also featured in the play in the role of Yakov, a hired workman.

The same year, Streep began work on [[Spike Jonze]]'s comedy-drama ''[[Adaptation (film)|Adaptation.]]'' (2002), in which she portrayed real-life journalist [[Susan Orlean]]. Lauded by critics and viewers alike,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/adaptation/|title=''Adaptation'' (2002)|publisher=Flixster|website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=April 8, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411020816/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/adaptation/|archive-date=April 11, 2008}}</ref> the film won Streep her fourth [[Golden Globe]] in the Best Supporting Actress category.<ref name=GoldenGlobes /> [[A. O. Scott]] in ''The New York Times'' considered Streep's portrayal of Orlean to have been "played with impish composure", noting the contrast in her "wittily realized" character with love interest [[Chris Cooper]]'s "lank-haired, toothless charisma" as the autodidact arrested for poaching rare orchids.<ref>{{cite news|author=A. O. Scott|author-link=A. O. Scott|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9903EEDC123BF935A35751C1A9649C8B63|title=Adaptation|work=The New York Times|date=December 6, 2002|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630005146/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9903EEDC123BF935A35751C1A9649C8B63|archive-date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> Streep appeared alongside [[Nicole Kidman]] and [[Julianne Moore]] in [[Stephen Daldry]]'s ''[[The Hours (film)|The Hours]]'' (2002), based on the 1999 [[The Hours (novel)|novel]] by [[Michael Cunningham]]. Focusing on three women of different generations whose lives are interconnected by the novel ''[[Mrs. Dalloway]]'' by [[Virginia Woolf]], the film was generally well received and won all three leading actresses a [[Silver Bear for Best Actress]].<ref>{{cite news|title=The Hours (2002) Details|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/272631/The-Hours/details|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026034705/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/272631/The-Hours/details|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2013|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2013|access-date=May 13, 2015}}</ref>

In 2003, Streep re-united with [[Mike Nichols]] to star with [[Al Pacino]] and [[Emma Thompson]] in the [[HBO]]'s [[Angels in America (miniseries)|adaptation]] of [[Tony Kushner]]'s six-hour play ''[[Angels in America]]'', the story of two couples whose relationships dissolve amidst the backdrop of [[Reagan era]] politics. Streep, who was cast in four roles in the miniseries, received her second [[Emmy Award]] and fifth Golden Globe for her performance.<ref name=GoldenGlobes /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/meryl-streep/bio/165859 |title=Meryl Streep: Biography |access-date=January 23, 2009 |work=TV Guide |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131071019/http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/meryl-streep/bio/165859 |archive-date=January 31, 2009 }}</ref> She appeared in [[Jonathan Demme]]'s moderately successful [[The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)|remake]] of ''[[The Manchurian Candidate (1962 film)|The Manchurian Candidate]]'' in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Manchurian Candidate'' (2003)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=manchuriancandidate.htm|access-date=February 7, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100205145330/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=manchuriancandidate.htm|archive-date=February 5, 2010}}</ref> co-starring [[Denzel Washington]], playing the role of a woman who is both a [[United States Senate|U.S. senator]] and the manipulative, ruthless mother of a vice-presidential candidate.<ref>{{cite news |title=Terrorist attacks, corporate control, election controversy: Sound familiar? 'The Manchurian Candidate' has it all. |first=Mick |last=LaSalle |author-link=Mick LaSalle |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/07/30/DDGFD7V6NG1.DTL |newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=July 30, 2004 |access-date=May 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623061413/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2004%2F07%2F30%2FDDGFD7V6NG1.DTL |archive-date=June 23, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The same year, she played the supporting role of Aunt Josephine in ''[[Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events]]'' alongside [[Jim Carrey]], based on the first three novels in [[Lemony Snicket|Snicket]]'s book [[A Series of Unfortunate Events|series]]. The [[black comedy]] received generally favorable reviews from critics,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lemony_snicket/|title=''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events''|website=Rotten Tomatoes |publisher= Flixster|access-date=April 8, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228095729/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lemony_snicket/|archive-date=February 28, 2009}}</ref> and won the [[Academy Award for Best Makeup]].<ref>{{cite web|title=''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' (2004)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lemonysnicket.htm|access-date=February 10, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221004732/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lemonysnicket.htm|archive-date=February 21, 2010}}</ref> Streep also narrated the film ''Monet's Palate''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/02/prweb342320.htm|title="Monet's Palate – A Gastronomic View From the Gardens of Giverny" with Meryl Streep Is a Film About Claude Monet|publisher=PRWeb|date=February 6, 2006|access-date=November 19, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116165426/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/02/prweb342320.htm|archive-date=January 16, 2013}}</ref> Streep was next cast in the comedy film ''[[Prime (film)|Prime]]'' (2005), directed by [[Ben Younger]]. In the film, she played Lisa Metzger, the Jewish psychoanalyst of a divorced and lonesome business-woman, played by [[Uma Thurman]], who enters a relationship with Metzger's 23-year-old son ([[Bryan Greenberg]]). A modest mainstream success, it eventually grossed US$67.9 million internationally.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Prime'' (2004)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=prime.htm|access-date=February 10, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203175857/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=prime.htm|archive-date=February 3, 2010}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] noted how Streep had "that ability to cut through the solemnity of a scene with a zinger that reveals how all human effort is, after all, comic at some level".<ref>{{cite web|author=Ebert, Roger|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/prime-2005|title=Prime (2005)|work=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=July 2, 2005|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603040308/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/prime-2005|archive-date=June 3, 2013}}</ref>

In August and September 2006, Streep starred onstage at [[The Public Theater]]'s production of ''[[Mother Courage and Her Children]]'' at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/08/22/theater/reviews/22moth.html |title=Mother Courage and Her Children |work=The New York Times |date=August 22, 2006 |access-date=January 15, 2009 |author=Brantley, Ben |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213130533/http://theater2.nytimes.com/2006/08/22/theater/reviews/22moth.html |archive-date=February 13, 2009 |author-link=Ben Brantley }}</ref> The Public Theater production was a new translation by playwright Tony Kushner, with songs in the Weill/Brecht style written by composer [[Jeanine Tesori]]; veteran director [[George C. Wolfe]] was at the helm. Streep starred alongside Kevin Kline and [[Austin Pendleton]] in this three-and-a-half-hour play.{{Sfn|Ebert|Bordwell|2008|p=562}}{{Sfn|Fisher|2011|p=772}} Around the same time, Streep, along with [[Lily Tomlin]], portrayed the last two members of what was once a popular family [[country music]] act in [[Robert Altman]]'s final film ''[[A Prairie Home Companion (film)|A Prairie Home Companion]]'' (2006). A comedic [[ensemble cast|ensemble piece]] featuring [[Lindsay Lohan]], [[Tommy Lee Jones]], [[Kevin Kline]] and [[Woody Harrelson]], the film revolves around the behind-the-scenes activities at the long-running [[A Prairie Home Companion|public radio show of the same name]]. The film grossed more than US$26 million, the majority of which came from domestic markets.<ref>{{cite web|title=''A Prairie Home Companion'' (2006)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=prairiehomecompanion.htm|access-date=February 10, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828050022/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=prairiehomecompanion.htm|archive-date=August 28, 2009}}</ref>

[[File:The devil wears Prada.jpg|thumb|Streep (right) at the [[Venice]] premiere of ''[[The Devil Wears Prada (film)|The Devil Wears Prada]]'' in 2006]]

Commercially, Streep fared better with a role in ''[[The Devil Wears Prada (film)|The Devil Wears Prada]]'' (also 2006), a loose [[film adaptation|screen adaptation]] of [[Lauren Weisberger]]'s 2003 [[The Devil Wears Prada (novel)|novel of the same name]]. Streep portrayed the powerful and demanding [[Miranda Priestly]], [[Fashion journalism|fashion magazine editor]] (and boss of a recent college graduate played by [[Anne Hathaway]]). Though the overall film received mixed reviews, her portrayal, of what Ebert calls the "poised and imperious Miranda",<ref>{{cite web|author=Ebert, Roger|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-devil-wears-prada-2006|title=The Devil Wears Prada|work=Chicago Sun-Times|date=June 29, 2006|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703115945/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-devil-wears-prada-2006|archive-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> drew rave reviews from critics, and earned her many award nominations, including her record-setting 14th Oscar bid, as well as another Golden Globe.{{sfn|Kidder|Oppenheim|2008|p=347}}{{sfn|Diller|2010|p=41}} On its commercial release, the film became Streep's biggest commercial success to this point,<!-- Surpassed by "Mamma Mia" below. --> grossing more than US$326.5 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Devil Wears Prada'' (2006)|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/people/MSTRE.php|access-date=February 10, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918103136/http://www.the-numbers.com/people/MSTRE.php|archive-date=September 18, 2009}}</ref>

She portrayed a wealthy university patron in [[Chen Shi-zheng]]'s much-delayed feature drama ''[[Dark Matter (film)|Dark Matter]]'', a film about a Chinese science graduate student who becomes violent after dealing with academic politics at a U.S. university. Inspired by the events of the 1991 [[University of Iowa shooting]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23189744/ns/today-entertainment/|title=Streep Film Delayed Because of Campus Shooting|agency=Associated Press|publisher=[[MSN]]|access-date=February 17, 2011|date=February 15, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623063112/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23189744/ns/today-entertainment/|archive-date=June 23, 2011}}</ref> and initially scheduled for a 2007 release, producers and investors decided to shelve ''Dark Matter'' out of respect for the victims of the [[Virginia Tech shooting]] in April 2007.<ref>{{cite news|first=Dalya|last=Alberge|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article1706612.ece/|title=Campus Massacre Films Face A Ban|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=February 17, 2011|date=April 26, 2007|location=London|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516211434/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article1706612.ece|archive-date=May 16, 2008}}</ref> The drama received negative to mixed reviews upon its limited 2008 release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark_matter/|title=''Dark Matter'' (2007)|access-date=April 11, 2008|publisher=Flixster|website=Rotten Tomatoes |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080419085706/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dark_matter/|archive-date=April 19, 2008}}</ref> Streep played a U.S. government official who investigates an Egyptian [[foreign national]] suspected of terrorism in the political thriller ''[[Rendition (film)|Rendition]]'' (2007), directed by [[Gavin Hood]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Markon|first=Jerry|title=Lawsuit Against CIA Is Dismissed|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/18/AR2006051802107.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=May 19, 2006|access-date=October 11, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110204181049/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/18/AR2006051802107.html|archive-date=February 4, 2011}}</ref> Keen to get involved in a thriller film, Streep welcomed the opportunity to star in a film genre for which she was not usually offered scripts, and immediately signed on to the project.<ref>{{cite web|title=Meryl Streep Plays With Politics|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nerer1qI-zQ|publisher=Artisan News Service|via=YouTube|date=November 12, 2007|access-date=February 19, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727031213/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nerer1qI-zQ|archive-date=July 27, 2013}}</ref> Upon its release, ''Rendition'' was less commercially successful,<ref>{{cite web|title=''Rendition'' (2007)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rendition.htm|access-date=February 10, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208195241/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rendition.htm|archive-date=February 8, 2010}}</ref> and received mixed reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rendition/|title=''Rendition'' (2007)|access-date=February 11, 2011|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher= Flixster|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522022721/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rendition/|archive-date=May 22, 2011}}</ref>

[[File:Streep san sebastian 2008 2.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Streep at the 2008 [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]]]]

In this period, Streep had a short role alongside [[Vanessa Redgrave]], [[Glenn Close]], and her eldest daughter [[Mamie Gummer]] in [[Lajos Koltai]]'s drama film ''[[Evening (film)|Evening]]'' (2007), based on the 1998 novel of the same name by [[Susan Minot]]. Switching between the present and the past, it tells the story of a bedridden woman, who remembers her tumultuous life in the mid-1950s.<ref name="pe">{{cite web|first=Jay S.|last=Jacobs|url=http://www.popentertainment.com/danesdancygummer.htm|title=Some Enchanted Evening|work=Pop Entertainment|access-date=February 17, 2011|date=June 27, 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128014828/http://popentertainment.com/danesdancygummer.htm|archive-date=November 28, 2010}}</ref> The film was released to a lukewarm reaction from critics, who called it "beautifully filmed, but decidedly dull [and] a colossal waste of a talented cast".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/evening/|title=''Evening'' (2007)|access-date=February 11, 2011|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher= Flixster|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212075509/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/evening/|archive-date=December 12, 2010}}<br />- {{cite web|title=''Evening'' (2007)|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evening.htm|access-date=February 10, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231232827/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=evening.htm|archive-date=December 31, 2009}}</ref> She had a role in [[Robert Redford]]'s ''[[Lions for Lambs]]'' (also 2007), a film about the connection between a platoon of United States soldiers in Afghanistan, a U.S. senator, a reporter, and a California college professor. Like ''Evening'', critics felt that the talent of the cast was wasted, and that it suffered from slow pacing, although one critic announced that Streep positively stood out, being "natural, unforced, quietly powerful", in comparison to Redford's forced performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://themoviereport.com/fest/afi2007reviews.html#lions|title=Lions for Lambs|website=The Movie Report|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413220031/http://themoviereport.com/fest/afi2007reviews.html#lions|archive-date=April 13, 2015}}</ref>

Streep found major commercial success when she starred in [[Phyllida Lloyd]]'s ''[[Mamma Mia! (film)|Mamma Mia!]]'' (2008), a film adaptation of the [[Mamma Mia! (musical)|musical of the same name]], based on the songs of Swedish pop group [[ABBA]]. Co-starring [[Amanda Seyfried]], [[Pierce Brosnan]], [[Stellan Skarsgård]], [[Colin Firth]], [[Julie Walters]], and [[Christine Baranski]], Streep played a single mother and a former girl-group singer, whose daughter (Seyfried), a bride-to-be who never met her father, invites three likely paternal candidates to her wedding on the idyllic Greek island of [[Skopelos]] known in the film as Kalokairi.<ref>{{cite news|title=''Mamma Mia!'' Unfazed by the Fuss in Skopelos|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=July 15, 2008|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/artsandculture/2229868/Mamma-Mia---Unfazed-by-the-fuss-in-Skopelos.html|first=Paul|last=Mansfield|access-date=May 12, 2010|location=London|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210055539/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/artsandculture/2229868/Mamma-Mia---Unfazed-by-the-fuss-in-Skopelos.html|archive-date=February 10, 2010}}</ref> An instant box office success, ''Mamma Mia!'' became Streep's highest-grossing film to date, with box office receipts of US$602.6 million,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mammamia.htm|title=''Mamma Mia!'' (2008)|access-date=February 5, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102050129/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mammamia.htm|archive-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref> also ranking it first among the highest-grossing musical films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=musical.htm|title=Genres: Musical|access-date=February 5, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523155712/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=musical.htm|archive-date=May 23, 2017}}</ref> Nominated for another Golden Globe, Streep's performance was generally well received by critics, with [[Wesley Morris]] of ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' commenting: "The greatest actor in American movies has finally become a movie star."<ref>{{cite news|title=Abba-cadabra|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=July 18, 2008|url=https://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=10190|first=Wesley|last=Morris|access-date=February 20, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525221157/http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=10190|archive-date=May 25, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, Josh Wood 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards 2.jpg|thumb|Streep with [[Alec Baldwin]] and Josh Wood at the [[15th Screen Actors Guild Awards|2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards]]]]

''[[Doubt (2008 film)|Doubt]]'' (also 2008) features Streep with [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]], [[Amy Adams]], and [[Viola Davis]]. A drama revolving around the stern principal nun (Streep) of a [[Bronx]] [[Catholic school]] in 1964 who brings accusations of [[pedophilia]] against a popular priest (Hoffman), the film became a moderate box office success,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=doubt.htm|title=''Doubt'' (2008)|access-date=February 5, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201013640/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=doubt.htm|archive-date=February 1, 2009}}</ref> and was hailed by many critics as one of the best films of 2008. The film received five Academy Awards nominations, for its four lead actors and for [[John Patrick Shanley]]'s script.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 81st Academy Awards {{!}} 2009|date=October 7, 2014 |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2009|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|access-date=May 13, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110111206/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2009|archive-date=November 10, 2014}}</ref> Ebert, who awarded the film the full four stars, highlighted Streep's caricature of a nun, who "hates all inroads of the modern world",<ref>{{cite web|author=Ebert, Roger|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/doubt-2008|title=Doubt|work=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326075113/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/doubt-2008|archive-date=March 26, 2015}}</ref> while Kelly Vance of ''[[East Bay Express|The East Bay Express]]'' remarked: "It's thrilling to see a pro like Streep step into an already wildly exaggerated role, and then ramp it up a few notches just for the sheer hell of it. Grim, red-eyed, deathly pale Sister Aloysius may be the scariest nun of all time."<ref>{{cite news|author=Vance, Kelly|url=http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/she-wolves-of-hollywood/Content?oid=1093019|title=She-Wolves of Hollywood|newspaper=The East Bay Express|date=December 10, 2008|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703042053/http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/she-wolves-of-hollywood/Content?oid=1093019|archive-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref>

In 2009, Streep played chef [[Julia Child]] in [[Nora Ephron]]'s ''[[Julie & Julia]]'', co-starring with [[Stanley Tucci]], and again with [[Amy Adams]]. (Tucci and Streep had worked together earlier in ''Devil Wears Prada''.) The first major motion picture based on a blog, ''Julie and Julia'' contrasts the life of Child in the early years of her culinary career with the life of young New Yorker [[Julie Powell]] (Adams), who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child's cookbook ''[[Mastering the Art of French Cooking]]''.{{Sfn|Morency|2012|p=131}} Longworth believes her caricature of Julia Child was "quite possibly the biggest performance of her career, while also drawing on her own experience to bring lived-in truth to the story of a late bloomer".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=16}} In [[Nancy Meyers]]' romantic comedy ''[[It's Complicated (film)|It's Complicated]]'' (also 2009), Streep starred with [[Alec Baldwin]] and [[Steve Martin]]. She received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for both ''Julie & Julia'' and ''It's Complicated''; she won the award for ''Julie & Julia'', and later received her 16th Oscar nomination for it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gans |first=Andrew |title=Academy Award Nominations Announced Feb. 2; "Nine" Receives Four Noms |work=Playbill |date=February 2, 2010 |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/136504-Academy-Award-Nominations-Announced-Feb-2-Nine-Receives-Four-Noms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204154227/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/136504-Academy-Award-Nominations-Announced-Feb-2-Nine-Receives-Four-Noms |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 4, 2010 |access-date=January 17, 2012 }}</ref> She also lent her voice to Mrs. Felicity Fox in [[Wes Anderson]]'s stop-motion film ''[[Fantastic Mr. Fox (film)|Fantastic Mr. Fox]]''.{{sfn|Potts|2011|p=180}}

===2010s: Further critical and commercial success===
Streep re-teamed with ''Mamma Mia'' director [[Phyllida Lloyd]] on ''[[The Iron Lady (film)|The Iron Lady]]'' (2011), a British biographical film about [[Margaret Thatcher]], which takes a look at the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] during the [[Falklands War]] and her years in retirement.<ref>{{cite news|first=Tom |last=Peck |title=Meryl Streep takes on her toughest role: the Iron Lady |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/meryl-streep-takes-on-her-toughest-role-the-iron-lady-2016400.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=July 2, 2010 |access-date=January 26, 2011 |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624104303/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/meryl-streep-takes-on-her-toughest-role-the-iron-lady-2016400.html |archive-date=June 24, 2011 }}</ref> Streep, who attended a session of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] to see British [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs) in action in preparation for her role as Thatcher,<ref>{{cite news|title=Meryl Streep attends parliament for Thatcher research |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/meryl-streep-attends-parliament-for-thatcher-research-2189672.html |work=The Independent |location=UK |date=January 12, 2011 |access-date=February 29, 2012 |first=Bang |last=Showbiz |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327141932/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/meryl-streep-attends-parliament-for-thatcher-research-2189672.html |archive-date=March 27, 2012 }}</ref> called her casting "a daunting and exciting challenge".<ref>{{cite news |title=Image of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher unveiled |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12393674 |work=BBC News |date=February 8, 2011 |access-date=February 8, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209050448/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12393674 |archive-date=February 9, 2011 }}</ref> While the film had a mixed reception, Streep's performance gained rave reviews, earning her Best Actress awards at the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama|Golden Globes]] and the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTAs]], as well as her third win at the [[84th Academy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/2012-GOLDEN-GLOBES-Are-Tonight-BroadwayWorld-to-Update-Winners-LIVE-20120115 |title=2012 GOLDEN GLOBES Nominees and Winners – Complete List! |website=Broadway World |date=April 13, 2014 |access-date=April 20, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014221919/http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/2012-GOLDEN-GLOBES-Are-Tonight-BroadwayWorld-to-Update-Winners-LIVE-20120115 |archive-date=October 14, 2013 }}<br />- {{cite magazine |last=Perlman |first=Jake |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/02/12/bafta-winners-announced-2/ |title=BAFTA winners announced |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=February 12, 2012 |access-date=April 20, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108211510/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/02/12/bafta-winners-announced-2/ |archive-date=January 8, 2014 }}<br />- {{cite magazine |last=Perlman |first=Jake |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/02/26/2012-oscar-winners/ |title=Oscars winners list: 'The Artist', Jean Dujardin, and Meryl Streep take home top awards |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=February 26, 2012 |access-date=April 20, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140216081922/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2012/02/26/2012-oscar-winners/ |archive-date=February 16, 2014 }}</ref> Former advisers, friends, and family of Thatcher criticized Streep's portrayal of her as "inaccurate" and "biased".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/8889476/The-Iron-Lady-Meryl-Streep-is-cashing-in-on-Thatcher-say-friends-of-former-PM.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Christopher | last=Hope | title=The Iron Lady: Meryl Streep is 'cashing in' on Thatcher, say friends of former PM | date=November 14, 2011 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309135433/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/8889476/The-Iron-Lady-Meryl-Streep-is-cashing-in-on-Thatcher-say-friends-of-former-PM.html | archive-date=March 9, 2014 }}</ref> The following year, after [[Death and funeral of Margaret Thatcher|Thatcher's death]], Streep issued a formal statement describing Thatcher's "hard-nosed fiscal measures" and "hands-off approach to financial regulation", while praising her "personal strength and grit".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/04/08/meryl-streep-on-margaret-thatcher/ |title=Meryl Streep on Margaret Thatcher |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=April 8, 2013 |access-date=April 20, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119052334/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/04/08/meryl-streep-on-margaret-thatcher/ |archive-date=January 19, 2014 }}</ref>

Streep re-united with ''Prada'' director [[David Frankel]] on the set of the romantic comedy-drama film ''[[Hope Springs (2012 film)|Hope Springs]]'' (2012), co-starring [[Tommy Lee Jones]] and [[Steve Carell]]. Streep and Jones play a middle-aged couple, who attend a week of intensive marriage counseling to try to bring back the intimacy missing in their relationship. Reviews for the film were mostly positive, with critics praising the "mesmerizing performances ... which offer filmgoers some grown-up laughs – and a thoughtful look at mature relationships".<ref>{{cite web|title=''Hope Springs'' (2012)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hope_springs_2012/|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Flixster|access-date=October 22, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030000126/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hope_springs_2012/|archive-date=October 30, 2012}}</ref> In 2013, Streep starred alongside [[Julia Roberts]] and [[Ewan McGregor]] in the [[black comedy]] drama ''[[August: Osage County (film)|August: Osage County]]'' (2013) about a [[dysfunctional family]] that re-unites into the familial house when their patriarch suddenly disappears. Based on [[Tracy Letts]]'s Pulitzer Prize-winning [[August: Osage County|eponymous play]], Streep received positive reviews for her portrayal of the family's strong-willed and contentious matriarch, who is suffering from [[oral cancer]] and an addiction to narcotics. She was subsequently nominated for another Golden Globe, SAG, and Academy Award.<ref>{{cite magazine|title='12 Years a Slave' and 'American Hustle' lead Golden Globe nominees|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/12/12/golden-globe-nominations-2013/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=December 12, 2013|access-date=January 17, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212144444/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/12/12/golden-globe-nominations-2013/|archive-date=December 12, 2013}}<br />- {{cite magazine|last=Johnson|first=Zack|title=Screen Actors Guild Awards 2014: Complete List of Nominations|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/12/12/golden-globe-nominations-2013/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=December 11, 2013|access-date=January 17, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212144444/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/12/12/golden-globe-nominations-2013/|archive-date=December 12, 2013}}<br />- {{cite magazine|title=Oscars 2014: And the nominees are...|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/01/16/oscars-nominations-academy-awards-2014/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=January 16, 2014|access-date=January 16, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116192425/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/01/16/oscars-nominations-academy-awards-2014/|archive-date=January 16, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Meryl Streep At The 2014 SAG Awards (12024455556) (cropped 2).jpg|thumb|upright|Streep at the [[20th Screen Actors Guild Awards|2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards]]]]

In 2014's ''[[The Giver (film)|The Giver]]'', a motion picture adaptation of [[The Giver|the young adult novel]], Streep played a community leader.<ref>{{cite news|first=Kevin|last=Jagernauth|title=Meryl Streep Joins YA Adaptation 'The Giver' With Jeff Bridges|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/meryl-strip-joins-ya-adaptation-the-giver-with-jeff-bridges-20130806|work=[[Indiewire]]|date=August 6, 2013|access-date=August 22, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821065406/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/meryl-strip-joins-ya-adaptation-the-giver-with-jeff-bridges-20130806|archive-date=August 21, 2013}}</ref> Set in 2048, the social science fiction film recounts the story of a post-apocalyptic community without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice, where a young boy is chosen to learn the real world. Streep was aware of the book before being offered the role by co-star and producer [[Jeff Bridges]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Josh|last=Lasser|title=Meryl Streep talks 'The Giver' and says 'I like to be boss'|url=http://www.hitfix.com/news/meryl-streep-talks-the-giver-and-says-i-like-to-be-boss|website=Hitflix |date=August 12, 2014|access-date=December 30, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230224031/http://www.hitfix.com/news/meryl-streep-talks-the-giver-and-says-i-like-to-be-boss|archive-date=December 30, 2014}}</ref> Upon its release, ''The Giver'' was met with generally mixed to negative reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-giver|title=''The Giver''|website=[[Metacritic]]/[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=September 9, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907112335/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-giver|archive-date=September 7, 2014}}</ref> Streep also had a small role in the period drama film ''[[The Homesman]]'' (2014). Set in the [[History of the United States (1849–65)|1850s midwest]], the film stars [[Hilary Swank]] and [[Tommy Lee Jones]] as an unusual pair who help three women driven to madness by the frontier to get back East. Streep does not appear until near the end of the film, playing a preacher's wife, who takes the women into care.<ref>{{cite news|title=Meryl Streep & Hilary Swank Team For 'The Homesman'|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/meryl-streep-hilary-swank-team-for-the-homesman-while-streep-tina-fey-pic-mommy-me-falls-apart-20120927/|work=[[Indiewire]]|date=September 27, 2012|access-date=October 22, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025142522/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/meryl-streep-hilary-swank-team-for-the-homesman-while-streep-tina-fey-pic-mommy-me-falls-apart-20120927|archive-date=October 25, 2012}}</ref> ''The Homesman'' premiered at the [[2014 Cannes Film Festival]] where it garnered largely positive reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_homesman/?search=the%20homesman|title=''The Homesman''|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Flixster|access-date=January 20, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228082212/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_homesman/?search=The%20Homesman|archive-date=December 28, 2014}}</ref>

Directed by [[Rob Marshall]], ''[[Into the Woods (film)|Into the Woods]]'' (also 2014) is a Disney film adaptation of [[Into the Woods|the Broadway musical]] with music and lyrics by [[Stephen Sondheim]] in which Streep plays a witch.<ref>{{cite web|title=SCOOP: Meryl Streep to Play the Witch in INTO THE WOODS Film; Arranger David Krane Confirms!|url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/SCOOP-Meryl-Streep-to-Play-the-Witch-in-INTO-THE-WOODS-Film-Arranger-David-Krane-Confirms-20130131|website=BroadwayWorld.com|access-date=January 31, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130204024644/http://broadwayworld.com/article/SCOOP-Meryl-Streep-to-Play-the-Witch-in-INTO-THE-WOODS-Film-Arranger-David-Krane-Confirms-20130131|archive-date=February 4, 2013}}</ref> A fantasy genre crossover inspired by the [[Brothers Grimm|Grimm Brothers]]' fairy tales, it centers on a childless couple who set out to end a curse placed on them by Streep's vengeful witch.<ref>{{cite web|title=Roxbury Composer's Future: New Town, Working with Meryl Streep as a Witch |url=http://www.countytimes.com/articles/2013/01/31/entertainment/doc510959d3e6ffa160222903.txt |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130215182723/http://www.countytimes.com/articles/2013/01/31/entertainment/doc510959d3e6ffa160222903.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 15, 2013 |work=Litchfield Country Times |access-date=January 31, 2013 }}<br />- {{cite web|title=Meryl Streep Will Head into The Woods With Rob Marshall|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Meryl-Streep-Head-Woods-With-Rob-Marshall-35460.html|website=Cinema Blend|access-date=February 1, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205082617/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Meryl-Streep-Head-Woods-With-Rob-Marshall-35460.html|archive-date=February 5, 2013|date=February 2013}}</ref><ref name=Disney>{{cite web|url=http://www.hypable.com/meryl-streep-to-play-the-witch-in-into-the-woods-film-adaptation/|title=Meryl Streep to play the Witch in 'Into the Woods' film adaptation|work=Hypable|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20151205160717/http://www.hypable.com/meryl-streep-to-play-the-witch-in-into-the-woods-film-adaptation/|archive-date=December 5, 2015|date=February 2013|access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref> Though the film was dismissed by some critics such as [[Mark Kermode]] as "irritating naffness",<ref>{{cite news|author=Kermode, Mark|author-link=Mark Kermode|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/11/into-the-woods-review-meryl-streep|title=Into the Wood review|newspaper=The Guardian|date=January 11, 2015|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703035633/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/11/into-the-woods-review-meryl-streep|archive-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> Streep's performance earned her Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG, and Critic's Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Labrecque|first1=Jeff|title=Oscars 2015: Full list of nominations|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2015/01/15/oscars-2015-nominations/|access-date=January 15, 2015|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=January 15, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115214139/http://insidemovies.ew.com/2015/01/15/oscars-2015-nominations/|archive-date=January 15, 2015}}<br /> -{{cite news|last1=Gray|first1=Tim|title=Golden Globes: 'Birdman', 'Fargo' Top Nominations|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/golden-globe-nominations-announced-updated-1201376916/|access-date=January 15, 2015|work=Variety|date=December 11, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106055547/http://variety.com/2014/film/news/golden-globe-nominations-announced-updated-1201376916/|archive-date=January 6, 2015}}<br />- {{cite web|title=Nominees Announced for the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®|url=http://www.sagawards.org/media-pr/press-releases/nominees-announced-21st-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards%C2%AE|publisher=[[SAG-AFTRA]]|access-date=January 15, 2015|date=December 10, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214034146/http://www.sagawards.org/media-pr/press-releases/nominees-announced-21st-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards%C2%AE|archive-date=December 14, 2014}}<br />- {{cite web | last=Douglas | first=Edward | url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/400273-the-winners-of-the-20th-annual-critics-choice-movie-awards | title=The Winners of the 20th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards | website=Coming Soon | date=January 16, 2015 | access-date=January 17, 2015 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119223230/http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/400273-the-winners-of-the-20th-annual-critics-choice-movie-awards | archive-date=January 19, 2015 }}</ref> In July 2014, it was announced that Streep would portray [[Maria Callas]] in ''[[Master Class]]'', but the project was pulled after director [[Mike Nichols]]'s death in November of the same year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.movienewsguide.com/meryl-streep-to-star-in-hbos-master-class/22509|title=Meryl Streep to Star in HBO's Master Class|work=Movie News Guide|access-date=November 29, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102031256/http://movienewsguide.com/meryl-streep-to-star-in-hbos-master-class/22509|archive-date=January 2, 2015|date=July 14, 2014}}</ref>

In 2015, Streep starred in [[Jonathan Demme]]'s ''[[Ricki and the Flash]]'', playing a grocery store checkout worker by day who is a rock musician at night, and who has one last chance to reconnect with her estranged family.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://articles.latimes.com/2014/apr/01/entertainment/la-et-mn-tristar-acquires-meryl-streep-diablo-cody-ricki-and-the-flash-20140401|title=TriStar lands Meryl Streep rocker movie 'Ricki and the Flash'|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=November 11, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118062336/http://articles.latimes.com/2014/apr/01/entertainment/la-et-mn-tristar-acquires-meryl-streep-diablo-cody-ricki-and-the-flash-20140401|archive-date=November 18, 2014|date=April 2014|last1=Gettell|first1=Oliver}}</ref> Streep learned to play the guitar for the semi-autobiographical drama-comedy film,<ref name="LearningGuitar">{{cite news |last1=Abramovitch |first1=Seth |title=Meryl Streep Learning Guitar for Diablo Cody Movie |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/meryl-streep-learning-guitar-diablo-721337 |access-date=October 17, 2014 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=August 1, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003232607/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/meryl-streep-learning-guitar-diablo-721337 |archive-date=October 3, 2014 }}</ref> which again featured Streep with her eldest daughter Mamie Gummer.<ref name="LearningGuitar"/> Reviews of the film were generally mixed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ricki_and_the_flash/|title=''Ricki and the Flash''|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Flixster|access-date=November 29, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128143333/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ricki_and_the_flash|archive-date=November 28, 2015}}</ref> Streep's other film of this time was director [[Sarah Gavron]]'s period drama [[Suffragette (film)|''Suffragette'']] (also 2015), co-starring [[Carey Mulligan]] and [[Helena Bonham Carter]]. In the film, she played the small, but pivotal, role of [[Emmeline Pankhurst]], a British political activist and leader of the British [[suffragette]] movement who helped women win the right to vote.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-meryl-streep-to-play-british-suffragette-emmeline-pankhurst-20140220,0,1712555.story | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Oliver | last=Gettell | title=Meryl Streep to play British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst | date=February 20, 2014 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429220400/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-meryl-streep-to-play-british-suffragette-emmeline-pankhurst-20140220,0,1712555.story | archive-date=April 29, 2014 }}</ref> The film received mostly positive reviews, particularly for the performances of the cast, though its distributor earned criticism that Streep's prominent position within the marketing was misleading.<ref>{{cite web|first=Brian|last=Formo|url=https://collider.com/suffragette-movie-review-carey-mulligan-telluride-2015/|title=Suffragette' Review: Fighting the Good Fight – Telluride 2015|website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]|access-date=February 21, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202135658/http://collider.com/suffragette-movie-review-carey-mulligan-telluride-2015/|archive-date=February 2, 2016|date=September 6, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Meryl Streep with the Emersons February 2016 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|left|Streep at the [[Embassy of the United States, Berlin]], in 2016]]

Following the duties of the president at the [[66th Berlin International Film Festival]] in 2016,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/14/meryl-streep-berlinale-berlin-film-festival-jury-president-2016 |title=Meryl Streep gets Berlin's vote as president of film festival jury |access-date=December 20, 2015 |newspaper=The Guardian |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222144952/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/oct/14/meryl-streep-berlinale-berlin-film-festival-jury-president-2016 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |date=October 14, 2015 |last1=Pulver |first1=Andrew }}</ref> Streep starred in the [[Stephen Frears]]-directed comedy ''[[Florence Foster Jenkins (film)|Florence Foster Jenkins]]'' (2016), an eponymous biopic about a blithely unaware tone-deaf [[Florence Foster Jenkins|opera singer]] who insists upon public performance.<ref>{{cite news|author=Child, Ben|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/22/meryl-streep-hugh-grant-opera-singer-florence-foster-jenkins-biopic|title=Meryl Streep on for biopic of off-key opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=November 11, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141203122247/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/22/meryl-streep-hugh-grant-opera-singer-florence-foster-jenkins-biopic|archive-date=December 3, 2014 |date=October 22, 2014}}</ref> Other cast members were [[Hugh Grant]] and [[Simon Helberg]].<ref>{{cite web|title = Meryl Streep in 'Florence Foster Jenkins' Biopic Debuts May 6 in U.K.|url = http://www.classicalite.com/articles/37713/20160216/meryl-streep-florence-foster-jenkins-biopic-debuts-6-u-k.htm|website = Classicalite|date = February 16, 2016|access-date = February 17, 2016|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160217093135/http://www.classicalite.com/articles/37713/20160216/meryl-streep-florence-foster-jenkins-biopic-debuts-6-u-k.htm|archive-date = February 17, 2016|df = mdy-all}}</ref> [[Robbie Collin]] considered it to be one of her most "human performance" and felt that it was "full of warmth that gives way to heart-pinching pathos".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/05/05/florence-foster-jenkins-is-the-perfect-antidote-for-sobering-tim/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/05/05/florence-foster-jenkins-is-the-perfect-antidote-for-sobering-tim/ |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Florence Foster Jenkins is the perfect antidote for sobering times – review|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=May 6, 2016|access-date=July 18, 2018|first=Collin|last=Robbie}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She won the [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in a Comedy]],<ref>{{cite magazine |title=2016 Critics' Choice Awards: 'La La Land' Leads With 8 Wins Including Best Picture; Donald Glover Unveils Lando Calrissian 'Stache |url=https://deadline.com/2016/12/tj-miller-la-la-land-hbo-2016-critics-choice-awards-the-complete-winners-list-live-1201868363/ |magazine=Deadline |date=December 11, 2016 |access-date=January 8, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118110330/http://deadline.com/2016/12/tj-miller-la-la-land-hbo-2016-critics-choice-awards-the-complete-winners-list-live-1201868363/ |archive-date=January 18, 2017 }}</ref> and received Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA nominations.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/2017-oscar-nominations-academy-awards-nominees-1201968107/ |title=Oscar Nominations: Complete List |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 24, 2017 |access-date=January 24, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170124150844/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/2017-oscar-nominations-academy-awards-nominees-1201968107/ |archive-date=January 24, 2017 }}<br />- {{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/golden-globes-nominees-2017-list-955075 |title=Golden Globes 2017: The Complete List of Nominations |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=December 12, 2016 |access-date=January 8, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213020558/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/golden-globes-nominees-2017-list-955075 |archive-date=December 13, 2016 }}<br />- {{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sag-awards-2017-complete-list-nominations-956034 |title=SAG Awards 2017: The Complete List of Nominations |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=December 14, 2016|access-date=January 8, 2017}}<br />- {{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/awards/2017/01/10/bafta-nominations-2017-full-list/ |title=La La Land dominates BAFTA nominations with 11 nods |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=January 10, 2017 |access-date=January 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111100601/http://ew.com/awards/2017/01/10/bafta-nominations-2017-full-list/ |archive-date=January 11, 2017 }}</ref>

Streep next starred as the first American female newspaper publisher, [[Katharine Graham]], to [[Tom Hanks]]' [[Ben Bradlee]], in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s political drama ''[[The Post (film)|The Post]]'' (2017), which centers on ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'}}s publication of the 1971 [[Pentagon Papers]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kroll|first1=Justin|title=Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Meryl Streep Team Up for Pentagon Papers Movie|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/steven-spielberg-tom-hanks-meryl-streep-pentagon-papers-movie-1202002762/|access-date=March 6, 2017|work=Variety|date=March 6, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307103311/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/steven-spielberg-tom-hanks-meryl-streep-pentagon-papers-movie-1202002762/|archive-date=March 7, 2017}}</ref> The film received positive reviews with praise directed to the performances of the two leads.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shepard |first1=Jack |title=The Post review round-up: Steven Spielberg's Oscar 2018 frontrunner wins glowing reception |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/the-post-review-steven-spielberg-tom-hanks-meryl-streep-bob-odenkirk-oscars-2018-a8095456.html |access-date=December 6, 2017 |work=[[The Independent]] |date=December 6, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206192916/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/the-post-review-steven-spielberg-tom-hanks-meryl-streep-bob-odenkirk-oscars-2018-a8095456.html |archive-date=December 6, 2017 }}<br />- {{cite web|last1=Han|first1=Angie|title=The reviews are in and critics absolutely adore Steven Spielberg's 'The Post'|url=http://mashable.com/2017/12/06/the-post-movie-review-roundup/|access-date=December 6, 2017|work=[[Mashable]]|date=December 6, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206181624/http://mashable.com/2017/12/06/the-post-movie-review-roundup/|archive-date=December 6, 2017}}</ref> [[Manohla Dargis]] wrote that "Streep creates an acutely moving portrait of a woman who in liberating herself helps instigate a revolution".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/21/movies/the-post-review-steven-spielberg-tom-hanks-meryl-streep.html|title=Review: In 'The Post,' Democracy Survives the Darkness|work=The New York Times|date=December 21, 2017|access-date=July 18, 2018|first=Dargis|last=Manohla}}</ref> It earned over $177 million against a budget of $50 million.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=untitledstevenspielberg.htm|title=The Post (2017)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=July 18, 2018}}</ref> Streep received her 31st Golden Globe nomination and 21st Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/golden-globe-nominations-2018-nominees-full-list-1202634435/|title=Golden Globe Nominations: Complete List|work=Variety|date=December 11, 2017|access-date=December 11, 2017|first=Rebecca|last=Rubin|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214021531/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/golden-globe-nominations-2018-nominees-full-list-1202634435/|archive-date=December 14, 2017}}</ref><ref name="AA18">{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/oscar-nominations-2018-complete-list-nominees-1067893 |title=Oscars: 'Shape of Water' Leads With 13 Noms |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=January 23, 2018 |access-date=January 23, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180123192110/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/oscar-nominations-2018-complete-list-nominees-1067893 |archive-date=January 23, 2018 }}</ref>

In 2018, Streep briefly reprised her role in the musical sequel ''[[Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-review-1202874501/|title=Film Review: 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again'|work=Variety|date=July 17, 2018|access-date=July 18, 2018|first=Owen|last=Gleiberman}}</ref> She also played a supporting part in Rob Marshall's ''[[Mary Poppins Returns]]'', a musical sequel to the 1964 film ''[[Mary Poppins (film)|Mary Poppins]]'' starring [[Emily Blunt]] in the titular role.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kroll|first1=Justin|title=Meryl Streep Joins Emily Blunt in 'Mary Poppins' Sequel|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/meryl-streep-joins-emily-blunt-in-mary-poppins-sequel-exclusive-1201825001/|access-date=August 2, 2016|work=Variety|date=July 28, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801072558/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/meryl-streep-joins-emily-blunt-in-mary-poppins-sequel-exclusive-1201825001/|archive-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref> Streep next featured in her first main role in a television series by starring in the second season of the HBO drama series ''[[Big Little Lies (TV series)|Big Little Lies]]'' in 2019. She took on the part of Mary Louise Wright, the mother-in-law of [[Nicole Kidman]]'s character.<ref name="Business Insider">{{cite news|author1=Carrie Wittmer|title=Everything we know so far about HBO's 'Big Little Lies' season 2, including details about Meryl Streep's pivotal role|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/big-little-lies-on-hbo-season-2-details-release-date-casting-meryl-streep-2018-1|date=January 25, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206002543/http://www.businessinsider.com/big-little-lies-on-hbo-season-2-details-release-date-casting-meryl-streep-2018-1|archive-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> [[Liane Moriarty]], author of the [[Big Little Lies (novel)|novel of the same name]], on which the first season is based, wrote a 200-page novella that served as the basis for the second season. Moriarty decided to name the new character Mary Louise, after Streep's legal name. Streep subsequently agreed to the part without reading a script for the first time in her career.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/3015504/big-little-lies-why-meryl-streep-didnt-even-need|title=Big Little Lies: Why Meryl Streep didn't even need a script|date=June 22, 2019|website=South China Morning Post |access-date=July 15, 2019}}</ref> Writing for the [[BBC]], [[Caryn James]] labeled her performance "delicious and wily" and found her to be the "embodiment of a passive-aggressive granny".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20190607-big-little-lies-series-2-review|title=Big Little Lies series 2 review|work=BBC|date=June 10, 2019|access-date=June 11, 2019|first=Caryn|last=James}}</ref> She received an [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series|Emmy]] nomination for the show. The same year, Streep then starred in the [[Steven Soderbergh]]-directed biographical comedy ''[[The Laundromat (2019 film)|The Laundromat]]'', about the [[Panama Papers]], opposite [[Gary Oldman]] and [[Antonio Banderas]]. It was the first movie distributed by [[Netflix]] in which Streep starred.<ref>{{cite web|title=''The Laundromat'' (2019)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Flixster|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_laundromat |access-date=October 18, 2019}}<br />- {{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2019/10/16/netflix-the-laundromat-defamation-panama-papers/|title=The Panama Papers lawyers want to stop Netflix's 'The Laundromat'|website=Engadget |date=October 16, 2019 |access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref> She also played Aunt March in [[Greta Gerwig]]'s ''[[Little Women (2019 film)|Little Women]]'', co-starring with [[Saoirse Ronan]], [[Emma Watson]], [[Florence Pugh]], [[Timothée Chalamet]], and [[Laura Dern]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Whipp|first1=Glenn|title=Exclusive: Meryl Streep will play Aunt March, not Marmee, in Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-little-women-meryl-streep-greta-gerwig-20180703-story.html#|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=July 5, 2018|date=July 3, 2018}}<br />- {{cite news|last1=Melas|first1=Chloe|title=Meryl Streep joins cast of 'Little Women'|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/04/entertainment/meryl-streep-little-women-aunt-march/index.html|website=[[CNN]]|access-date=July 5, 2018|date=July 4, 2018}}</ref> 
David Rooney of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' praised Streep's performance writing, "Streep is clearly having a ball as the imperious snob who snorts with disapproval...[and] does her best to hide her affection for her nieces behind her narrowed gaze and all-purpose disdain".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/little-women-1257699/|title= 'Little Women': Film Review|website= The Hollywood Reporter|date= November 25, 2019|accessdate= August 8, 2023}}</ref> The film received critical acclaim and grossed over $218 million against its $40 million budget.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Carras|first1=Christi|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-02-09/oscars-2020-little-women-greta-gerwig-costume-design|title=The only Oscar 'Little Women' won was for costume design|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 9, 2020|access-date=July 5, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210090147/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-02-09/oscars-2020-little-women-greta-gerwig-costume-design|archive-date=February 10, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Moreau|first1=Jordan|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/little-women-100-million-box-office-international-1234643991/|title='Little Women' Crosses $100 Million at the International Box Office|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=June 21, 2020|access-date=July 5, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622013238/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/little-women-100-million-box-office-international-1234643991/|archive-date=June 22, 2020}}</ref>

===2020s: Streaming projects===
[[File:Meryl Streep interview at Festival de Cannes 2024 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Streep at the [[2024 Cannes Film Festival]]]]
In 2020, she voiced a role in the [[Apple TV+]] animated short film ''Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apple-tv-plus-press.apple.com/en-US/news/2020/01/meryl-streep-joins-apple-to-celebrate-earth-day-with-animated-short-film-here-we-are-notes-for-living-on-planet-earth-premiering-april-17-exclusively-on-apple-tv/|title=Meryl Streep joins Apple to celebrate Earth Day with animated short film "Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth," premiering April 17 exclusively on Apple TV+ – Apple|website=apple-tv-plus-press.apple.com|access-date=March 11, 2020|archive-date=January 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121163937/https://apple-tv-plus-press.apple.com/en-US/news/2020/01/meryl-streep-joins-apple-to-celebrate-earth-day-with-animated-short-film-here-we-are-notes-for-living-on-planet-earth-premiering-april-17-exclusively-on-apple-tv/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Streep had leading roles in two films, both released by [[streaming services]]. She reunited with Nicole Kidman for [[List of original films distributed by Netflix|Netflix]], in [[Ryan Murphy (writer)|Ryan Murphy]]'s ''[[The Prom (film)|The Prom]]'' (2020), a film adaptation of the Broadway [[The Prom (musical)|musical of the same name]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/06/ryan-murphy-meryl-streep-prom-netflix-movie-musical-nicole-kidman-james-corden-ariana-grande-awkwafina-keegan-michael-key-andrew-rannells-star-1202637550/|title=Ryan Murphy Sets Netflix 'Prom' Musical: Streep, Corden, Kidman, Ariana Grande, Awkwafina, Key, Rannels To Star|date=June 25, 2019|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=June 25, 2019}}<br />- {{cite web|last1=Kit|first1=Borys|title=Meryl Streep to Star in Panama Papers Thriller for Steven Soderbergh (Exclusive)|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/meryl-streep-star-panama-papers-thriller-steve-soderbergh-1111590|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=May 15, 2018|date=May 14, 2018}}</ref> That same year she also reunited with director Steven Soderbergh for his [[HBO Max]] comedy film ''[[Let Them All Talk (film)|Let Them All Talk]]'' (2020).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/meryl-streep-steven-soderbergh-hbo-max-1203306305/|title=HBO Max Lands Steven Soderbergh's Next Film Starring Meryl Streep|work=Variety|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=August 19, 2019|access-date=August 20, 2019}}</ref> Streep starred alongside [[Dianne Wiest]], [[Candice Bergen]], [[Lucas Hedges]], and [[Gemma Chan]]. Richard Lawson of ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' noted, "Streep could, in some senses, be approaching the film as a meta commentary on her own ivied stature as the world's greatest living actor (in some people's estimation, anyway). If that is what's happening, she never betrays her motivations with a wink. It's all played pretty earnestly".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/12/review-meryl-streep-takes-a-dream-of-a-cruise-in-let-them-all-talk|title= Meryl Streep Takes a Dream of a Cruise in Let Them All Talk|website= [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date= December 9, 2020|accessdate= August 8, 2023}}</ref>

The following year, Streep starred opposite [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] and [[Jennifer Lawrence]] in ''[[Don't Look Up]]'' (2021), directed by [[Adam McKay]] for [[Netflix]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leonardo-dicaprio-meryl-streep-join-jennifer-lawrence-in-adam-mckays-dont-look-up|title=Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep Join Jennifer Lawrence in Adam McKay's 'Don't Look Up'|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Borys|last=Kit|date=October 14, 2020|access-date=November 18, 2020}}</ref>  Streep played a comical role as the fictional President of the United States who waves off the fears of [[climate change]]. In his mixed review, Peter DeBruge of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' compared her performance of that of [[Donald Trump]], adding she was "clearly having more fun than we are".<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Peter|last=DeBruge|url= https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/dont-look-up-review-leonardo-dicaprio-jennifer-lawrence-1235127627/|title= 'Don't Look Up' Review: The Sky Is Falling in Adam McKay's Crank Comet Comedy|magazine= Variety|accessdate= August 8, 2023}}</ref> Streep served as an executive producer on ''[[Sell/Buy/Date]]'' (2022), directed by [[Sarah Jones (stage actress)|Sarah Jones]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Watch-the-Trailer-For-Sarah-Jones-SELLBUYDATE-Film-Adaption-20220921|title=Watch the Trailer For Sarah Jones' SELL/BUY/DATE Film Adaption|publisher=[[BroadwayWorld]]|first=Michael|last=Major|date=September 21, 2022|access-date=September 24, 2022}}</ref> She acted in the [[Apple TV+]] anthology series ''[[Extrapolations (TV series)|Extrapolations]]'' (2023).<ref>{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Peter |title=Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller & Kit Harington Among Stars Set For Scott Z. Burns' Climate Change Anthology Series 'Extrapolations' For Apple |url=https://deadline.com/2021/10/meryl-streep-sienna-miller-kit-harington-among-stars-set-for-scott-z-burns-climate-change-anthology-series-extrapolations-for-apple-1234858254/ |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=October 19, 2021 |date=October 19, 2021}}</ref> Later that year, she played Loretta Durkin, a struggling actress, in the third season of the [[Hulu]] comedy series ''[[Only Murders in the Building]]'', starring [[Steve Martin]], [[Martin Short]] and [[Selena Gomez]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/meryl-streep-only-murders-in-the-building-season-3-hulu-1235489810/ |title=Meryl Streep Cast in 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 3 |magazine=Variety |first=Selome |last=Hailu |date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=January 17, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=The Cast of 'Only Murders in the Building': Everything to Know |url=https://people.com/tv/only-murders-in-the-building-cast-everything-to-know/ |access-date=March 26, 2023 |magazine=People}}</ref> Leila Latif of ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote, "Streep, unsurprisingly, plays Loretta beautifully, truly tapping into the agony of a woman who's faced a lifetime of rejection but somehow kept her dream alive".<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/aug/08/only-murders-in-the-building-season-three-review-meryl-streep-helps-make-the-best-season-ever|title= Only Murders In the Building season three review – Meryl Streep helps make the best season ever|newspaper= The Guardian|accessdate= August 8, 2023}}</ref> She received a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film|Golden Globe]], and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series|Primetime Emmy Award]] nomination and won a [[Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series|Critics’ Choice Television Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/emmys-nominations-2024-nominees-list-1235950616/|title= Emmys 2024: List of Nominees|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|accessdate= July 17, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://variety.com/2024/film/news/critics-choice-awards-2024-winners-list-1235870581/|title= 'Oppenheimer' Leads Critics Choice Awards With 8 Wins, 'Barbie' Scores 6 — Full Winners List|website= Variety|date= January 15, 2024|accessdate= July 17, 2024}}</ref> In 2024, it was announced Streep would reprise the role of Loretta in the show's fourth season.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cordero |first=Rosy |date=2024-02-15 |title=Meryl Streep Sets 'Only Murders In The Building' Season 4 Return |url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/meryl-streep-only-in-the-murders-season-4-return-1235827010/ |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Other ventures==
After Streep starred in ''Mamma Mia!'', her rendition of the [[Mamma Mia (ABBA song)|titular song]] rose to popularity on the Portuguese music charts, where it peaked at number eight in October 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Portuguese Music Charts|website=αCharts|url=http://acharts.us/portugal_singles_top_50/2008/43|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201062316/http://acharts.us/portugal_singles_top_50/2008/43|archive-date=December 1, 2011}}</ref> At the [[35th People's Choice Awards]], her version of "Mamma Mia" won an award for "Favorite Song From A Soundtrack".<ref>{{cite web|title=People Choice Awards Results |url=http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/index.jsp?year=2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027004716/http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/index.jsp?year=2009 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 27, 2009 |publisher=[[People's Choice Awards]] }}</ref> In 2008, Streep was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] (her fifth nomination) for her work on the ''Mamma Mia!'' soundtrack.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Martin, Sami K.|title=Meryl Streep Lands First 'Vogue' Cover|url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/meryl-streep-lands-first-vogue-cover-64645/|work=The Christian Post|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150118222207/http://www.christianpost.com/news/meryl-streep-lands-first-vogue-cover-64645/|archive-date=January 18, 2015}}<br />- {{cite news|author=Braun, Liz|title=Meryl Streep gets her groove on for 'Into the Woods'|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2014/12/16/meryl-streep-gets-her-groove-on-for-into-the-woods|newspaper=Toronto Sun|date=December 20, 2014|quote=The Grammy-nominated singer (for Mamma Mia!) talks about a Broadway gig in the past.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122023945/http://www.torontosun.com/2014/12/16/meryl-streep-gets-her-groove-on-for-into-the-woods|archive-date=January 22, 2015}}</ref> Streep has narrated numerous audio books, including three by children's book author [[William Steig]]: ''Brae Irene'', ''Spinky Sulks'', and ''The One and Only [[Shrek!]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.macmillan.com/theoneandonlyshrek/williamsteig|title=The One and Only Shrek|publisher=Macmillan Publishers|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016105446/http://us.macmillan.com/theoneandonlyshrek/williamsteig|archive-date=October 16, 2015}}</ref>

Streep is the spokesperson for the National Women's History Museum, to which she has made significant donations (including her fee for ''The Iron Lady, ''which was $1 million), and hosted numerous events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwhm.org/about-nwhm/press/featured-press/meryl-streep/|title=About|publisher=National Women's History Museum|access-date=January 11, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105202706/http://www.nwhm.org/about-nwhm/press/featured-press/meryl-streep/|archive-date=November 5, 2011}}</ref> On October 4, 2012, Streep donated $1 million to The Public Theater in honor of both its late founder, [[Joseph Papp]], and her friend, the author [[Nora Ephron]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Meryl Streep donates $1M to The Public Theatre|url=https://news.yahoo.com/meryl-streep-donates-1m-public-theatre-163830911.html|website=Yahoo News|access-date=October 6, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008083524/http://news.yahoo.com/meryl-streep-donates-1m-public-theatre-163830911.html|archive-date=October 8, 2012}}</ref> She also supports [[Gucci]]'s "[[Gucci#Chime for Change|Chime for Change]]" campaign that aims to spread female empowerment.<ref>{{cite web|last=Karmali|first=Sarah|title=Beyoncé Leads New Gucci Empowerment Campaign|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/beyonce-knowles-salma-hayek-gucci-chime-for-change-campaign-frida-giannini|work=[[Vogue (magazine)|Vogue]]|date=February 28, 2013|access-date=April 22, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816152207/http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/beyonce-knowles-salma-hayek-gucci-chime-for-change-campaign-frida-giannini|archive-date=August 16, 2017}}</ref>

In 2014, Streep established two scholarships for students at the [[University of Massachusetts Lowell]] – the Meryl Streep Endowed Scholarship for English majors, and the Joan Hertzberg Endowed Scholarship (named for Streep's former classmate at [[Vassar College]]) for math majors.<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = https://www.uml.edu/Chancellor/Speaker-Series/Meryl-Streep/default.aspx
 |title        = Meryl Streep at UMass Lowell Chancellor's Speaker Series
 |date         = April 1, 2014
|publisher    = UMass Lowell
 |access-date  = April 7, 2017
|url-status   = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20170408171344/https://www.uml.edu/Chancellor/Speaker-Series/Meryl-Streep/default.aspx
 |archive-date = April 8, 2017
|df           = mdy-all
}}</ref>

In April 2015, it was announced that Streep had funded a screenwriters lab for female screenwriters over forty years old, called the Writers Lab, to be run by [[New York Women in Film & Television]] and the collective IRIS.<ref>{{cite web |author=Gordon Cox |url=https://variety.com/2015/film/news/meryl-streep-women-screenwriters-lab-1201475337/ |title=Meryl Streep Funds Lab for Women Screenwriters Over 40 |work=Variety |date=April 19, 2015 |access-date=April 28, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428231007/http://variety.com/2015/film/news/meryl-streep-women-screenwriters-lab-1201475337/ |archive-date=April 28, 2015 }}</ref><ref name="writers lab">{{cite web |author=Inkoo Kang |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/meryl-streep-launches-fund-for-women-screenwriters-over-40-20150420 |title=Meryl Streep Launches Fund for Women Screenwriters Over 40 |website=Blogs.indiewire.com |date=April 20, 2015 |access-date=April 28, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424014055/http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/meryl-streep-launches-fund-for-women-screenwriters-over-40-20150420 |archive-date=April 24, 2015 }}</ref> The Lab was the only one of its kind in the world for female screenwriters over forty years old.<ref name="writers lab"/> In 2015, Streep signed an open letter for which [[ONE Campaign|One Campaign]] had been collecting signatures; the letter was addressed to [[Angela Merkel]] and [[Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma]], urging them to focus on women as they served as heads of the G7 in Germany and the AU in South Africa, respectively, in setting development funding priorities.<ref>{{cite news |author=Tracy McVeigh |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/07/povert-sexist-letter-women-equality-gaga-sandberg-beyonce |title=Poverty is sexist: leading women sign up for global equality &#124; Life and style |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=May 8, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518082544/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/07/povert-sexist-letter-women-equality-gaga-sandberg-beyonce |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |date=March 7, 2015 }}</ref> Also in 2015, Streep sent each member of the U.S. Congress a letter supporting the [[Equal Rights Amendment]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Inae Oh |url=https://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2015/06/meryl-streep-congress-equal-rights-amendment |title=Meryl Streep Is Pushing Congress to Finally Revive the Equal Rights Amendment |work=Mother Jones |access-date=June 25, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626092830/https://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2015/06/meryl-streep-congress-equal-rights-amendment |archive-date=June 26, 2015 }}</ref> Each of her letters was sent with a copy of the book ''Equal Means Equal: Why the Time for the ERA is Now'' by [[Jessica Neuwirth]], president of the ERA Coalition.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Derschowitz |first=Jessica |url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/23/meryl-streep-congress-equal-rights-amendment |title=Meryl Streep to Congress: Revive the Equal Rights Amendment |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=February 23, 2015 |access-date=June 25, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625234813/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/23/meryl-streep-congress-equal-rights-amendment |archive-date=June 25, 2015}}</ref>

When asked in a 2015 interview with ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' if she was a [[Feminism|feminist]], Streep replied, "I am a [[Humanism|humanist]], I am for nice easy balance."<ref>{{cite news|last=Clarke|first=Cath|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/meryl-streep-on-feminism-family-and-playing-pankhurst-in-suffragette|title=Meryl Streep on feminism, family and playing Pankhurst in 'Suffragette'|work=Time Out|date=September 28, 2015|access-date=October 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017053422/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/meryl-streep-on-feminism-family-and-playing-pankhurst-in-suffragette|archive-date=October 17, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> In March 2016, Streep, among others, signed a letter asking for gender equality throughout the world, in observance of [[International Women's Day]]; this was also organized by One Campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/meryl-streep-amy-poehler-and-elton-john-pen-letter-to-world-lead/|title=Meryl Streep, Amy Poehler and Elton John pen letter to world leaders to 'end gender inequality'|author=Telegraph Reporters|date=March 8, 2016|newspaper=The Telegraph|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311211032/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/meryl-streep-amy-poehler-and-elton-john-pen-letter-to-world-lead/|archive-date=March 11, 2016}}<br />- {{cite news|url=http://gulfnews.com/life-style/celebrity/hollywood/oprah-charlize-theron-meryl-streep-sign-open-letter-1.1685466|title=Oprah, Charlize Theron, Meryl Streep sign open letter|agency=Associated Press|work=GulfNews|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321161239/http://gulfnews.com/life-style/celebrity/hollywood/oprah-charlize-theron-meryl-streep-sign-open-letter-1.1685466|archive-date=March 21, 2016}}</ref> In 2018, she collaborated with 300 women in Hollywood to set up the [[Time's Up (organization)|Time's Up]] initiative to protect women from harassment and discrimination.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Littleton|first1=Cynthia|title=Hollywood A-Listers Launch Time's Up Initiative to Fight Sexual Harassment Across the U.S. Workforce|url=https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/times-up-sexual-harassment-shonda-rhimes-reese-witherspoon-1202650552/|access-date=January 4, 2018|magazine=Variety|date=January 1, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104013740/http://variety.com/2018/biz/news/times-up-sexual-harassment-shonda-rhimes-reese-witherspoon-1202650552/|archive-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref>

On April 25, 2017, Streep publicly backed the campaign to free [[Oleg Sentsov]], a Ukrainian filmmaker from Crimea who was subjected to a sham trial by Russia and jailed in Siberia for 20 years in August 2015. She was pictured alongside Ukrainian lawmaker [[Mustafa Nayyem]] with a "Free Sentsov" sign in a photograph taken during the PEN America Annual Literary Gala on April 25, at which Sentsov was honoured with a 2017 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write award.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/merryl-streep-backs-campaign-free-ukrainian-filmmaker-oleg-sentsov.html|title=Meryl Streep backs campaign to free Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov |work=Kyiv Post|date=April 30, 2017|access-date=March 5, 2018}}</ref>

==Reception and legacy==
[[File:Meryl streep harvard commencement 2010 crop.JPG|thumb|upright|Streep receiving an honorary degree from [[Harvard University]] in 2010]]

In 2004, Streep was awarded the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]] by the [[American Film Institute|board of directors of the American Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2004 Meryl Streep Tribute|url=http://afi.com/LAA/laa04.aspx|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=May 13, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706101637/http://afi.com/LAA/laa04.aspx|archive-date=July 6, 2015}}</ref> In 2011, she received a [[Kennedy Center Honors]], introduced by [[Tracey Ullman]], and speeches by 2009 Kennedy Center Honoree [[Robert De Niro]] and 2003 Kennedy Center Honoree [[Mike Nichols]]. Those also to honor Streep included, [[Kevin Kline]], [[Emily Blunt]], [[Stanley Tucci]], and [[Anne Hathaway]]. The tribute ended with the whole cast who sang "She's My Pal", a play on "He's My Pal" from ''[[Ironweed (film)|Ironweed]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/meryl-streep-kennedy-center-honors-robert-de-niro-269545|title= 'Iron Lady' Star Meryl Streep Celebrated By Past Co-Stars at Kennedy Center Honors|website= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date= December 5, 2011|access-date= May 11, 2020}}</ref>

In November 2014, [[President Barack Obama]] bestowed upon Streep the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]], the nation's highest civilian honor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/11/meryl-streep-president-obama-medal-of-freedom|title= President Obama Presents Meryl Streep with Medal of Freedom|website= [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date= November 24, 2014|access-date= May 11, 2020}}</ref> The citation reads as follows, "Meryl Streep is one of the most widely known and acclaimed actors in history. Ms. Streep has captured our imaginations with her unparalleled ability to portray a wide range of roles and attract an audience that has only grown over time, portraying characters who embody the full range of the human experience."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2014/11/presidential-medal-of-freedom-meryl-streep-tom-brokaw-1201280792/|title= Presidential Medal Of Freedom Honorees Include Meryl Streep, Tom Brokaw & Stephen Sondheim|website= [[Deadline Hollywood]]|date= November 10, 2014|access-date= May 11, 2020}}</ref> In January 2017, [[Viola Davis]] presented Streep with the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award|Cecil B. DeMille]] at the [[Golden Globes]]. Davis stated to Streep "You make me proud to be an artist".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2017/01/golden-globes-meryl-streep-cecil-b-demille-lifetime-achievement-1201764358/|title= Golden Globes: Meryl Streep Calls Out Donald Trump in Cecile B. DeMille Award Acceptance Speech|website= [[IndieWire]]|date= January 9, 2017|access-date= May 11, 2020}}</ref> In her acceptance speech, Streep quoted the recently departed [[Carrie Fisher]], saying, "Take your broken heart and make it into art."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/the-carrie-fisher-quote-meryl-streep-spoke-at-the-golden-globes-is-the-inspiration-all-creative-people-need-28919|title= The Carrie Fisher Quote Meryl Streep Spoke At The Golden Globes Is The Inspiration All Creative People Need|website= [[Bustle (magazine)|Bustle]]|date= January 9, 2017|access-date= May 11, 2020}}</ref>

''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' commented that "it's hard to imagine that there was a time before Meryl Streep was the greatest-living actress".<ref name="VF">{{cite magazine|first=Julie|last=Miller|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/meryl-streep-confidence|title=Here's Where Meryl Streep Found the Confidence to Become an Actress|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=June 19, 2015|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622204546/http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/meryl-streep-confidence|archive-date=June 22, 2015}}</ref> Emma Brockes of ''The Guardian'' notes that despite Streep's being "one of the most famous actresses in the world", it is "strangely hard to pin an image on Streep", in a career where she has "laboured to establish herself as an actor whose roots lie in ordinary life".<ref name="Brockes06">{{cite news|author=Brockes, Emma|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/sep/23/awardsandprizes|title=The devil in Ms Streep|newspaper=The Guardian|date=September 23, 2006|access-date=July 2, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703034438/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/sep/23/awardsandprizes|archive-date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> Despite her success, Streep has always been modest about her own acting and achievements in cinema. She has stated that she has no particular method when it comes to acting, learning from the days of her early studies that she cannot articulate her practice. She said in 1987, "I have a smattering of things I've learned from different teachers, but nothing I can put into a valise and open it up and say 'Now, which one would you like?' Nothing I can count on, and that makes it more dangerous. But then, the danger makes it more exciting." She has stated that her ideal director is one who gives her complete artistic control, allowing her to have a degree of improvisation and to learn from her mistakes.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=12}}

{{quote box|width=25em|align=left|bgcolor=#E0E6F8|quote=Women are better at acting than men. Why? Because we have to be. If successfully convincing somebody bigger than you of something he doesn't know is a survival skill, this is how women have survived through the millennia. Pretending is not just play. Pretending is imagined possibility. Pretending or acting is a very valuable life skill, and we all do it. All the time.|source={{mdash}} Streep on acting{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=7}}}}

Karina Longworth notes how "external" Streep's performances are, "chameleonic" in her impersonation of characters, "subsuming herself into them, rather than personifying them". In her early roles such as ''Manhattan'' and ''Kramer vs. Kramer'', she was compared to both [[Diane Keaton]] and [[Jill Clayburgh]], in that her characters were unsympathetic, which Streep has attributed to the tendency to be drawn to playing women who are difficult to like and lack empathy.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=12}} Streep has stated that many consider her to be a technical actor, but she professed that it comes down to her love of reading the initial script, adding, "I come ready and I don't want to screw around and waste the first 10 takes on adjusting lighting and everybody else getting comfortable".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=16}}

Mike Nichols, who directed Streep in ''Silkwood'', ''Heartburn'', ''Postcards from the Edge'', and ''Angels in America'', praised Streep's ability to transform herself into her characters, remarking that, "In every role, she becomes a totally new human being. As she becomes the person she is portraying, the other performers begin to react to her as if she were that person."{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=70}} He said that directing her is "so much like falling in love that it has the characteristics of a time which you remember as magical, but which is shrouded in mystery".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=73}} He also noted that Streep's acting ability had a profound impact on her co-stars, and that "one could improve by 1000% purely by watching her".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=70}} Longworth believes that in nearly every film, Streep has "sly infused" a feminist point of view in her portrayals.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=15}} However, film critic [[Molly Haskell]] has stated, "None of her heroines are feminist, strictly speaking. Yet, they uncannily embody various crosscurrents of experience in the last twenty years, as women have re-defined themselves against the background of the women's movement".{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=16}}

[[File:Meryl Streep - Walk of Fame.jpg|thumb|Streep's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]]]

Streep is well known for her ability to imitate a wide range of accents<ref>{{cite web|author=Halliday, Ayun|title=Watch Meryl Streep Have Fun with Accents: southern American, Bronx, Polish, Irish, Australian, Yiddish & More|url=http://www.openculture.com/2015/03/meryl-streep-has-fun-with-accents.html|website=Open Culture|access-date=May 13, 2015|date=March 18, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513030332/http://www.openculture.com/2015/03/meryl-streep-has-fun-with-accents.html|archive-date=May 13, 2015}}</ref> – from Danish in ''[[Out of Africa (film)|Out of Africa]]'' (1985) to British [[Received Pronunciation]] in ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman (film)|The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (1981), ''[[Plenty (film)|Plenty]]'' (1985), and ''[[The Iron Lady (film)|The Iron Lady]]'' (2011); Italian in ''[[The Bridges of Madison County (film)|The Bridges of Madison County]]'' (1995); a southern American accent in ''[[The Seduction of Joe Tynan]]'' (1979); a [[North-Central American English|Minnesota accent]] in ''[[A Prairie Home Companion (film)|A Prairie Home Companion]]'' (2006); [[Western New England English|Upstate New York]] in ''[[Ironweed (film)|Ironweed]]'' (1987); and a heavy [[Bronx]] accent in ''[[Doubt (2008 film)|Doubt]]'' (2008). Streep has stated that she grew up listening to artists such as [[Barbra Streisand]], [[the Beatles]], and [[Bob Dylan]], and she learned a lot about how to use her voice, her "instrument", by listening to Barbra Streisand's albums.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146362798/meryl-streep-the-fresh-air-interview?ft=1&f=13|title=Meryl Streep: The Fresh Air Interview : NPR|date=February 6, 2012|work=NPR|access-date=February 7, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206175451/http://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146362798/meryl-streep-the-fresh-air-interview?ft=1&f=13|archive-date=February 6, 2012}}<br />- {{cite news|title=Meryl Streep: The Fresh Air Interview|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146362798/meryl-streep-the-fresh-air-interview?ft=1&f=13|publisher=[[NPR]]|access-date=February 6, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402085920/http://www.npr.org/2012/02/06/146362798/meryl-streep-the-fresh-air-interview?ft=1&f=13|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}<br />- {{cite news |title=How Barbra Streisand music inspired Meryl Streep|url=https://www.npr.org/2014/12/19/371657834/meryl-streep-the-fresh-air-intervie | publisher = [[NPR]]| access-date=February 7, 2012}}</ref> In the film ''[[Evil Angels (film)|Evil Angels]]'' (1988, released in the U.S. as ''A Cry in the Dark''), in which she portrays a New Zealand transplant to Australia, Streep developed a hybrid of Australian and New Zealand English. Her performance received the [[Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role]],{{sfn|Waldo|2006|p=209}}{{sfn|Speed|Wilson|1989|p=38|ps=. "Meryl Streep, with black hair and a convincing Aussie accent, is outstanding as Mrs Chamberlain."}} as well as [[Prix d'interprétation féminine|Best Actress]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]], and the [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress]].{{Sfn|Eberwein|2010|p=221}}

For her role in the film ''[[Sophie's Choice (film)|Sophie's Choice]]'' (1982), Streep spoke both English and German with a Polish accent, as well as Polish itself.{{sfn|Allison|Goethals|2013|p=3}} In ''The Iron Lady'', she reproduced the vocal style of [[Margaret Thatcher]] from the time before Thatcher became Britain's Prime Minister, and after she had taken elocution lessons to change her pitch, pronunciation, and delivery.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sawer, Patrick|title=How Maggie Thatcher was remade|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/8999746/How-Maggie-Thatcher-was-remade.html|work=The Telegraph|date=January 8, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121005244/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/8999746/How-Maggie-Thatcher-was-remade.html|archive-date=January 21, 2015}}</ref>{{sfn|Allison|Goethals|2013|p=3}} Streep has commented that using accents as part of her acting is a technique she views as an obvious requirement in her portrayal of a character.{{Sfn|Elliott|Manning|Saltau|Surbey|2011|p=180}}
When questioned in [[Belfast]] as to how she reproduces different accents, Streep replied in a reportedly "perfect" Belfast accent: "I listen."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78GaH2P0rnE| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211027/78GaH2P0rnE| archive-date=October 27, 2021|title=Best of Meryl Streep – Interviews – Part 6| date=November 17, 2009|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>[http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/oscar_winner_boosts_new_arts_centre_plan_1_1857735 Oscar winner boosts new arts centre plan] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605203635/http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/oscar_winner_boosts_new_arts_centre_plan_1_1857735 |date=June 5, 2012 }}. Johnston Publishing. Retrieved December 6, 2011.</ref>{{Sfn|Elliott|Manning|Saltau|Surbey|2011|p=180}}

==Activism and advocacy==
[[File:President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to actress Meryl Streep during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Streep receiving the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] from [[Barack Obama]] in 2014]]

Politically, Streep has described herself as part of the [[American Left]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Alexandra | last=Topping|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/27/meryl-streep-admires-thatcher-iron-lady | title=Meryl Streep develops admiration for Margaret Thatcher after starring role | newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=New York City|date=December 27, 2011 | access-date=November 15, 2016 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116022959/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/dec/27/meryl-streep-admires-thatcher-iron-lady | archive-date=November 16, 2016 }}</ref> She gave a speech at the [[2016 Democratic National Convention]] in support of presidential nominee [[Hillary Clinton]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Kevin|last=Fallon |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/27/meryl-streep-s-ecstatic-hillary-speech-at-the-dnc-it-takes-grit-and-it-takes-grace.html |title=Meryl Streep's Ecstatic Hillary Speech at the DNC: 'It Takes Grit, and It Takes Grace' |newspaper=[[The Daily Beast]] |publisher=[[IAC (company)|IAC]]|location=New York City|date=July 27, 2016 |access-date=July 27, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728164108/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/27/meryl-streep-s-ecstatic-hillary-speech-at-the-dnc-it-takes-grit-and-it-takes-grace.html |archive-date=July 28, 2016}}</ref> In January 2017, Streep was honored with the [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award|Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement]] at the [[74th Golden Globe Awards]], during which she delivered a predominantly political speech that implicitly criticized President-elect [[Donald Trump]]. She argued that Trump had a very strong platform and used it inappropriately to mock a disabled reporter, [[Serge F. Kovaleski]], whom, in her words, Trump "outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back".<ref>{{cite news|first=Ashley|last=Lee|title=Golden Globes: Meryl Streep Talks Immigration, Takes Aim at Donald Trump in Passionate Speech|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/watch-meryl-streep-accept-cecil-b-demille-award-golden-globes-2017-961510|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|publisher=[[Eldridge Industries]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=January 8, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109191310/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/watch-meryl-streep-accept-cecil-b-demille-award-golden-globes-2017-961510|archive-date=January 9, 2017}}<br />- {{Cite news|first=Owen|last=Gleiberman|author-link=Owen Gleiberman|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/columns/academy-awards-meryl-streep-asghar-farhadi-donald-trump-politics-1201973551/|title=Why It's Okay for the Oscars to Get Political|newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=January 31, 2017|access-date=February 7, 2017 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208133115/http://variety.com/2017/film/columns/academy-awards-meryl-streep-asghar-farhadi-donald-trump-politics-1201973551/|archive-date=February 8, 2017}}</ref> Trump responded by calling Streep "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood," and "a Hillary flunky who lost big."<ref>{{cite news|first1=Leo|last1=Barraclough|title=Donald Trump Lashes Back at Meryl Streep, Calls Her an 'Overrated' Actress|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/awards/donald-trump-calls-meryl-streep-overrated-actress-1201955800/|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Penske Media Corporation]]|location=Los Angeles, California|date=January 9, 2017|quote=Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a Hillary flunky who lost big.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013021451/http://variety.com/2017/film/awards/donald-trump-calls-meryl-streep-overrated-actress-1201955800/|archive-date=October 13, 2017}}</ref>

While promoting ''Suffragette'' in 2015, Streep accused the review-aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] of disproportionately representing the opinions of male film critics, resulting in a skewed ratio that adversely affected the commercial performances of female-driven films.<ref>{{cite news|first=Catherine|last=Shoard|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jun/15/oceans-8-dominance-men-film-reviews|title=Ocean's 8 stars blame dominance of male critics for film's mixed reviews|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=London, England|date=June 15, 2018|access-date=June 16, 2018}}</ref> In June 2023, Streep was reported as one of many A-List members of the [[SAG-AFTRA]] who signed a letter threatening to strike.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anonymous Strike Diary: The 'Eastside Warrior' Cheers Meryl Streep and the A-Lister Outcry |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/wga-writers-strike-diary-meryl-streep-sag-aftra-actor-outcry-1235525660/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=June 28, 2023 |access-date=June 29, 2023}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Author Karina Longworth notes that despite her stardom, for decades Streep has managed to maintain a relatively normal personal life.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=7}} Streep lived with actor [[John Cazale]] in the 1970s, caring for him after his [[lung cancer]] diagnosis until he died in March 1978.<ref>{{cite web | last=Feinberg | first=Hugh  | title=Meryl Streep and John Cazale: A Love Story | website=Cinema Scholars | date=June 28, 2021 | url=https://cinemascholars.com/meryl-streep-and-john-cazale-a-love-story/ | access-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> Streep said of his death:

{{blockquote|I didn't get over it. I don't want to get over it. No matter what you do, the pain is always there in some recess of your mind, and it affects everything that happens afterwards. I think you can assimilate the pain and go on without making an obsession of it.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|p=46}}}}

Streep married sculptor [[Don Gummer]] six months after Cazale's death.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Hw4gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pmUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1223,438388&dq=meryl+streep+don+gummer&hl=en The Lewiston Daily Sun, October 3, 1978] "People - What They Are Saying...Doing". p.15. Google News scan p. 26. Retrieved November 24, 2011.</ref> They have four children: musician [[Henry Wolfe|Henry Wolfe Gummer]] (born 1979), and actresses [[Mamie Gummer|Mary Willa "Mamie" Gummer]] (born 1983), [[Grace Gummer|Grace Jane Gummer]] (born 1986), and [[Louisa Gummer|Louisa Jacobson Gummer]] (born 1991).<ref name="filmr"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Osterhout|first=Jacob E.|title=Almost famous: His mom may be an icon, but musician Henry Wolfe is making a name of his own|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/famous-mom-icon-musician-henry-wolfe-making-article-1.144059|work=[[New York Daily News]]|access-date=March 27, 2014|date=May 15, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224205647/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/famous-mom-icon-musician-henry-wolfe-making-article-1.144059|archive-date=December 24, 2013}}</ref> In 1985, the family moved into a $1.8-million private estate in Connecticut and lived there until they bought a $3-million mansion in [[Brentwood, Los Angeles]], in 1990.{{sfn|Longworth|2013|pp=94, 99, 175}} They later moved back to Connecticut.{{sfn|Abramowitz|2002|p=414}}<ref>{{cite book|title=The Hollywood Reporter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=edMqAQAAIAAJ|year=2008|publisher=The Hollywood Reporter Incorporated|volume=404|page=cxxxvii|quote=and her husband, sculptor Don Gummer, found a house in Brentwood (they eventually moved back to Connecticut). ...|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507063745/https://books.google.com/books?id=edMqAQAAIAAJ|archive-date=May 7, 2016}}</ref> In 2023, it was reported that Streep and Gummer had been separated for more than six years. They were publicly last seen together at the [[90th Academy Awards]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/meryl-streep-and-husband-don-gummer-separate-8364883|title=Meryl Streep and Husband Don Gummer Have Been Separated for 6 Years|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|first=Angel|last=Saunders|date=October 21, 2023|access-date=October 21, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231021145239/https://people.com/meryl-streep-and-husband-don-gummer-separate-8364883|archive-date=October 21, 2023}}</ref>

Streep is the godmother of [[Billie Lourd]], daughter of fellow actress and close friend [[Carrie Fisher]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nylon.com/articles/billie-lourd-nylon-may-2016/page-2|title=Billie Lourd Is The Best Friend We Wish We Had|work=[[Nylon (magazine)|magazine]]|first=Marissa G.|last=Muller|date=May 12, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104164339/http://www.nylon.com/articles/billie-lourd-nylon-may-2016/page-2|archive-date=January 4, 2017}}</ref> Fisher wrote the screenplay for Streep's 1990 film ''Postcards from the Edge,'' based on [[Postcards from the Edge|Fisher's book]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Postcards from the Edge |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58653-POSTCARDS-FROMTHEEDGE |access-date=October 14, 2022 |website=AFI Catalog}}</ref>

When asked if religion plays a part in her life in 2009, Streep replied: "I follow no doctrine. I don't belong to a church or a temple or a synagogue or an [[ashram]]."<ref>"Movies, Marriage, and Turning Sixty'. ''[[The Independent]]''. January 24, 2009.</ref> In an interview in December 2008, she alluded to her lack of religious belief when she said: <blockquote>So, I've always been really, deeply interested because I think I can understand the solace that's available in the whole construct of religion. But I really don't believe in the power of prayer, or things would have been avoided that have happened, that are awful. So, it's a horrible position as an intelligent, emotional, yearning human being to sit outside of the available comfort there. But I just can't go there.<ref name="The Telegraph 356396" /></blockquote>

When asked where she draws consolation in the face of aging and death, Streep responded: <blockquote>Consolation? I'm not sure I have it. I have a belief, I guess, in the power of the aggregate human attempt – the best of ourselves. In love and hope and optimism – you know, the magic things that seem inexplicable. Why we are the way we are. I do have a sense of trying to make things better. Where does that come from?<ref name="The Telegraph 356396">{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Mick|title=Meryl Streep: mother superior|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3563965/Meryl-Streep-mother-superior.html|work=The Week|access-date=December 4, 2008|location=London|date=December 4, 2008|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210074454/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3563965/Meryl-Streep-mother-superior.html|archive-date=December 10, 2008}}</ref></blockquote>

==Acting credits and awards==
{{main|Meryl Streep on screen and stage|List of awards and nominations received by Meryl Streep}}

One of the most prolific actresses of [[Meryl Streep on screen and stage|screen and stage]] since her career's inception in the late 1970s, Streep's most acclaimed and highest-grossing films, according to the review aggregator site [[Rotten Tomatoes]], include ''[[Julia (1977 film)|Julia]]'' (1977), ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'' (1978), ''[[Kramer vs. Kramer]]'' (1979), ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman (film)|The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (1981), ''[[Sophie's Choice (film)|Sophie's Choice]]'' (1982), ''[[Silkwood]]'' (1983), ''[[Evil Angels (film)|A Cry in the Dark]]'' (1988),{{efn|name="evil"|The film was released worldwide as ''A Cry in the Dark'', except in Australia and New Zealand, where it was released under the title ''Evil Angels''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.html?isPreview=&id=1288866%7C1068622&name=A-Cry-in-the-Dark |title=A Cry in the Dark |last=Landazuri |first=Margarita |website=Turner Classic Movies |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417064301/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.html?isPreview=&id=1288866%7C1068622&name=A-Cry-in-the-Dark |archive-date=April 17, 2018 |access-date=July 22, 2018}}</ref>}} ''[[Postcards from the Edge (film)|Postcards from the Edge]]'' (1990), ''[[Defending Your Life]]'' (1991), ''[[The Bridges of Madison County (film)|The Bridges of Madison County]]'' (1995), ''[[Marvin's Room (film)|Marvin's Room]]'' (1996), ''[[Adaptation (film)|Adaptation.]]'' (2002), ''[[The Devil Wears Prada (film)|The Devil Wears Prada]]'' (2007), ''[[Mamma Mia! (film)|Mamma Mia]]'' (2008), ''[[Fantastic Mr. Fox (film)|Fantastic Mr. Fox]]'' (2009), ''[[The Homesman]]'' (2014), ''[[Florence Foster Jenkins (film)|Florence Foster Jenkins]]'' (2016), ''[[Little Women (2019 film)|Little Women]]'' (2019), and ''[[Let Them All Talk (film)|Let Them All Talk]]'' (2020). Her television projects include the miniseries ''[[Holocaust (miniseries)|Holocaust]]'' (1978), the television film ''[[...First Do No Harm]]'' (1997), the miniseries ''[[Angels in America (miniseries)|Angels in America]]'' (2003), and the drama series ''[[Big Little Lies (TV series)|Big Little Lies]]'' (2019).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/meryl_streep|title=Meryl Streep|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|accessdate=March 11, 2022}}</ref> Her stage roles include the [[Broadway theatre]] productions ''[[A Memory of Two Mondays]]'', ''[[27 Wagons Full of Cotton]]'' (both 1976) and ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'' (1977), as well as multiple plays at the [[Delacorte Theater]].

Streep has been recognised by the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] (AMPAS) for the following performances:
* [[51st Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]], nomination, for ''[[The Deer Hunter]]'' (1978)
* [[52nd Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, '''win''', for ''[[Kramer vs. Kramer]]'' (1979)
* [[54th Academy Awards]]: [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress in a Leading Role]], nomination, for ''[[The French Lieutenant's Woman (film)|The French Lieutenant's Woman]]'' (1981)
* [[55th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, '''win''', for ''[[Sophie's Choice (film)|Sophie's Choice]]'' (1982)
* [[56th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Silkwood]]'' (1983)
* [[58th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Out of Africa (film)|Out of Africa]]'' (1985)
* [[60th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Ironweed (film)|Ironweed]]'' (1987)
* [[61st Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Evil Angels (film)|A Cry in the Dark]]'' (1988){{efn|name="evil"}}
* [[63rd Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Postcards from the Edge (film)|Postcards from the Edge]]'' (1990)
* [[68th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[The Bridges of Madison County (film)|The Bridges of Madison County]]'' (1995)
* [[71st Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[One True Thing]]'' (1998)
* [[72nd Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Music of the Heart]]'' (1999)
* [[75th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, nomination, for ''[[Adaptation (film)|Adaptation.]]'' (2002)
* [[79th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[The Devil Wears Prada (film)|The Devil Wears Prada]]'' (2006)
* [[81st Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Doubt (2008 film)|Doubt]]'' (2008)
* [[82nd Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Julie & Julia]]'' (2009)
* [[84th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, '''win''', for ''[[The Iron Lady (film)|The Iron Lady]]'' (2011) <ref>{{Cite web |date=February 27, 2012 |title=Meryl Streep wins third Oscar for Iron Lady |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/the-artist-takes-best-picture-at-the-oscars |access-date=April 19, 2023 |website=Channel4}}</ref>
* [[86th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[August: Osage County (film)|August: Osage County]]'' (2013)
* [[87th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Supporting Role, nomination, for ''[[Into the Woods (film)|Into the Woods]]'' (2014)
* [[89th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[Florence Foster Jenkins (film)|Florence Foster Jenkins]]'' (2016)
* [[90th Academy Awards]]: Best Actress in a Leading Role, nomination, for ''[[The Post (film)|The Post]]'' (2017)

These nominations make Streep the [[List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories|most Academy Award-nominated performer in history]], with 21 in total (17 for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] and four for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]), as well as [[List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories|one of only 13 performers to win an Oscar in both acting categories]] and one of only three performers to win three Academy Awards across the two acting categories (with [[Ingrid Bergman]] and [[Jack Nicholson]] being the only others to achieve this feat).

She has also received  six [[Grammy Award]] nominations, five [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nominations (with three wins), and one [[Tony Award]] nomination. Streep is one of few performers to be nominated for the [[Triple Crown of Acting#Missing a Tony Award|Triple Crown of Acting]] and [[List of EGOT winners#Four nominations|EGOT]]. Her [[List of awards and nominations received by Meryl Streep|other accolades]] include two [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role]] (for ''The French Lieutenant's Woman'' and ''The Iron Lady''), eight [[Golden Globe Awards]] (as well as the honorary [[Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award|Cecil B. DeMille Award]]) and two [[Screen Actors Guild Awards]].

==Discography==
*''[[The Velveteen Rabbit (album)|The Velveteen Rabbit]]'' (1984)<ref name="allmusic">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/meryl-streep-mn0000855529/credits|title=Meryl Streep Credits|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=January 4, 2021}}</ref>
*''[[A Prairie Home Companion (soundtrack)|A Prairie Home Companion]]'' (2006)<ref name="allmusic"/>
*''[[Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack]]'' (2008)<ref name="allmusic"/>
*''[[Into the Woods (soundtrack)|Into the Woods]]'' (2014)<ref name="allmusic"/>
*''[[Florence Foster Jenkins (film)|Florence Foster Jenkins]]'' (2016)<ref name="allmusic"/>
*''[[Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: The Movie Soundtrack]]'' (2018)<ref name="allmusic"/>
*''[[Mary Poppins Returns (soundtrack)|Mary Poppins Returns]]'' (2018)<ref name="allmusic"/>
*''[[The Prom (film)#Soundtrack|The Prom]]'' (2020)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-prom-music-from-the-netflix-film/1539020266|title=The Prom (Music from the Netflix Film) by The Cast of Netflix's Film The Prom on Apple Music|date=December 4, 2020|publisher=[[Apple Music]]|access-date=January 4, 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Academy Award records]]
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]
* [[List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories]]
* [[List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories]]
* [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees]]
* [[List of actors with Hollywood Walk of Fame motion picture stars]]
* [[List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
* [[List of wax figures displayed at Madame Tussauds museums]]
* [[List of Yale University people]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*{{cite book|last1=Abramowitz|first1=Rachel|title=Is That a Gun in Your Pocket?: The Truth about Female Power in Hollywood|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AgvRyVoLzYUC|year=2002|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-375-75869-0|page=414|quote=Streep ultimately moved back to Connecticut.}}
*{{cite book|last1=Allison|first1=Scott T.|last2=Goethals|first2=George R.|title=True Heroes: An Influence Taxonomy of 100 Exceptional Individuals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uWnRs5wCpJsC&pg=PA3|date=July 4, 2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-23273-2|page=414}}
*{{cite book| last1=Allon|first1=Yoram|last2=Cullen|first2=Del|last3=Patterson|first3=Hannah|title=Contemporary British and Irish film directors: a wallflower critical guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ip8YAQAAIAAJ&q=Dancing+at+Lughnasa.+Venice+Film+Festival+of+1998|year=2001|publisher=Wallflower|page=255|isbn=9781903364222}}
*{{cite book|last1=Caparrós Lera|first1=José María|title=El cine de fin de milenio (1999–2000)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eLiObdfiKOsC&pg=PA91|year=2001|publisher=Ediciones Rialp|isbn=978-84-321-3344-2|language=es}}
*{{cite book|last1=Devine|first1=Jeremy M.|title=Vietnam at 24 Frames a Second: A Critical and Thematic Analysis of Over 400 Films about the Vietnam War|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RIgkkakqBYoC&pg=PA171|year=1999|publisher=[[University of Texas Press]]|isbn=978-0-292-71601-8}}
*{{cite book|last=Diller|first=Vivian|title=Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q9OfPDF5H7IC&pg=PA41|date=February 15, 2010|publisher=Hay House, Inc|isbn=978-1-4019-2781-3}}
*{{cite book |last1=Ebert|first1=Roger|last2=Bordwell|first2=David|title=Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YIU1jlgPjr8C&q=Meryl+Streep&pg=PA64|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-226-18200-1}}
*{{cite book|last1=Ebert|first1=Roger|title=Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert – Forty Years of Reviews, Essays, and Interviews|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1X3LXeDLKwoC&pg=PA222|date=October 2010|publisher=ReadHowYouWant.com|isbn=978-1-4596-0597-8}}
*{{cite book|last1=Eberwein|first1=Robert|title=Acting for America: Movie Stars of the 1980s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8-83-sDqPDgC&pg=PA221|date=May 17, 2010|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=978-0-8135-5113-5}}
*{{cite book|last1=Elliott|first1=Peter|last2=Manning|first2=Ned|last3=Saltau|first3=Margaret|last4=Surbey|first4=Elizabeth|title=Drama Reloaded|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P4Rd42PaydYC&pg=PA180|date=December 19, 2011|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-18312-3}}
*{{cite book|last1=Fisher|first1=James|title=Historical Dictionary of Contemporary American Theater: 1930–2010|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m6O5-spILIUC&pg=PA772|date=June 1, 2011|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-7950-8}}
*{{cite book|last=Gussow|first=Mel|title=Theatre on the Edge: New Visions, New Voices|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bkNrqBbGfTgC&pg=PA365|year=1998|publisher=Applause|isbn=978-1-55783-311-2}}
*{{Cite journal |url=http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/mj08/streep.htm |title=Finding Herself: The Prime of Meryl Streep |first=Molly |last=Haskell |author-link=Molly Haskell |journal=[[Film Comment]] |date=May–June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309070509/http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/mj08/streep.htm |archive-date=March 9, 2009 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite book |last=Hollinger |first=Karen|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=89W0QMDjA7gC&pg=PA71 |chapter=Chapter 4: 'Magic Meryl': Meryl Streep |title=The Actress: Hollywood Acting and the Female Star |location=New York |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-415-97792-0 |oclc=62281405 }}
*{{cite book|last1=Kidder|first1=David S.|last2=Oppenheim|first2=Noah D.|title=The Intellectual Devotional Modern Culture: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently with the Culturati|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9KOHEPbBBbIC&pg=PA347|date=October 14, 2008|publisher=Rodale|isbn=978-1-60529-793-4}}
*{{cite book|last1=Lenburg|first1=Jeff|title=Dustin Hoffman: Hollywood's Antihero|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUhOCLKECyQC&pg=PA167|date=May 1, 2001|publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-0-595-18270-1}}
*{{cite book|last1=Lloyd|first1=Ann|last2=Robinson|first2=David|title=Seventy years at the movies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CNJWAAAAYAAJ&q=Alan+J.+Pakula++begging+him+streep|date=October 28, 1988|publisher=Crescent Books|isbn=978-0-517-66213-7|page=452}}
*{{cite book|last=Longworth|first=Karina|title=Meryl Streep: Anatomy of an Actor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dJv1mwEACAAJ|date=2013|publisher=Phaidon Press|isbn=978-0-7148-6669-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Louis Gates|first=Henry Jr.|title=Faces of America: How 12 Extraordinary People Discovered their Pasts|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=meYbj1E6Ki8C&pg=PA40|date=July 6, 2010|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=978-0-8147-3265-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Magill|first=Frank Northen|title=Great lives from history: American women series|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FW0YAAAAIAAJ|year=1995|publisher=Salem Press|isbn=978-0-89356-897-9}}
*{{cite book |last=McGilligan |first=Patrick |title=Clint: The Life and Legend |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-00-638354-3 |location=London}}
*{{cite book|last1=Mitchell|first1=Deborah C.
|title=Diane Keaton: Artist and Icon|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nxdY5abnM64C&pg=PA139|date=July 26, 2001|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-1082-8}}
*{{cite book|last=Morency|first=Philip|title=On the Aisle, Volume 2: Film Reviews by Philip Morency|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AGyM0Bhsr-QC&pg=PA131|publisher=Dorrance Publishing|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4349-7709-0}}
* {{Cite book |author-link=Davi Napoleon |last=Napoleon |first=Davi |date=1991 |title=Chelsea on the Edge: The Adventures of an American Theater |location=Ames, Iowa |publisher=Iowa State University Press |isbn=978-0-8138-1713-2 |oclc=23211514|title-link=Chelsea on the Edge: The Adventures of an American Theater }} Includes discussion of Streep's performance in [[Robert Kalfin]]'s production of ''Happy End'' at the Chelsea Theater and on Broadway
*{{cite book|last1=Palmer|first1=R. Barton|last2=Bray|first2=William Robert|title=Modern British Drama on Screen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rdgaAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA227|date=December 5, 2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-00101-5}}
*{{cite book|last1=Potts|first1=Kimberly|title=George Clooney: The Last Great Movie Star Revised and Updated Edition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q6EHHXqbXpQC&pg=PA180|date=September 1, 2011|publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books|isbn=978-1-55783-915-2}}
*{{cite book|last1= Pfaff|first1=Eugene E.|last2=Emerson|first2=Mark|title=Meryl Streep: a critical biography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hX9ZAAAAMAAJ|date=December 1, 1987|publisher=McFarland & Co.|isbn=978-0-89950-287-8}}
*{{cite book|last1=Probst|first1=Ernst|title=Meryl Streep – Der Star auf der Bühne, der Leinwand und dem Bildschirm|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m3lxDFmm7J0C&pg=PA7|year=2012|publisher=GRIN Verlag|isbn=978-3-656-19423-1}}
*{{cite book|last1=Sterling|first1=Mary E.|title=The 20th Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-bs0DaHiCRYC&pg=PA444|date=June 1, 1997|publisher=Teacher Created Resources|isbn=978-1-57690-100-7}}
*{{cite book|last1=Waldo|first1=Theo|title=Celebrities and Their Culinary Creations: Autographed Photos, Biographies, Trivia, and Recipes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pjOVp9Z_-jUC&pg=PA209|date=July 2006|publisher=iUniverse|isbn=978-0-595-39753-2}}
*{{cite book|last1=Speed|first1=F. Maurice |last2=Wilson|first2=James Cameron|title=Film Review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lg0IAQAAMAAJ|year=1989|publisher=W. H. Allen|isbn=9781852271664 }}
{{div col end}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last1=Ebert|first1=Roger|title=Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fPA0Uik2mesC&pg=PA562|date=December 6, 2011|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing|isbn=978-1-4494-2150-2}}
*{{cite book |last=Santas |first=Constantine |title=Responding to Film |year=2002 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-8304-1580-9}}

==External links==
{{sisterlinks|commons=category:Meryl Streep|n=no|v=no|voy=no|b=no|q=Meryl Streep|species=no|wikt=no|mw=no|d=Q873|s=no}}
* {{AllMovie name|68676}}
* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000855529|label=Meryl Streep}}
* {{IMDb name|658}}
* {{Playbill person|meryl-streep-vault-0000092937}}
* {{IBDB name|61324}}
* {{IOBDB name|465}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
*{{Charlie Rose guest|44}} 

{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Meryl Streep|Awards for Meryl Streep]]
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Actress}}
{{Academy Award Best Supporting Actress}}
{{AACTA Award Best Actress in a Leading Role}}
{{AACTA International Award for Best Actress}}
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Actress}}
{{AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story}}
{{AFI Life Achievement Award}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress}}
{{BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards}}
{{Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award}}
{{Cecil B. DeMille Award}}
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress}}
{{Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in a Comedy}}
{{Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series}}
{{David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress}}
{{Donostia Award}}
{{EmmyAward MiniseriesLeadActress}}
{{EmmyAward Narrator}}
{{Lincoln Center Gala Tribute}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actress Motion Picture Drama}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Actress Motion Picture Musical or Comedy}}
{{Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actress Motion Picture}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActressTVMiniseriesFilm}}
{{Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year}}
{{Honorary César}}
{{Honorary Golden Bear}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2010s}}
{{London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{MTV Movie Award for Best Villain}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actress}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{National Medal of Arts recipients 2010s}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts}}
{{San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress}}
{{Satellite Award Best Actress Motion Picture}}
{{Satellite Award Best Actress Television Miniseries or Film}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward FemaleLeadMotionPicture}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward FemaleTVMiniseriesMovie}}
{{Silver Bear for Best Actress}}
{{Stanislavsky Award}}
{{Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress}}
}}
{{Berlin International Film Festival jury presidents}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Streep, Meryl}}
[[Category:Meryl Streep| ]]
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[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
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