She was born in 1949 in a small New Jersey town. In high school, she was a cheerleader and homecoming queen. At 25, she got her start as an actress while studying at Yale.
By 30, Streep won her first Oscar for playing a wife who abandons her husband and son in "Kramer vs. Kramer." Over the next few years, she went on to score roles that would make her a Hollywood legend, including "Sophie's Choice," “Silkwood,” and "Out of Africa."
For Streep, that was just the beginning. Over her career spanning more than four decades so far, she has become one of the most well-respected and critically acclaimed actresses. This is her story.
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When I did the Bridges of Madison County, I was 45,
and there was a big fight with the studio because they said I was too old.
And my co-star, Clint, was 65.
You are where you grew up, and I grew up in New Jersey,
in a town of 5,000 people.
I do love to sing, though. I mean, it's a great joy.
I gave seven years, seven of my youngest, prettiest years,
to being a cheerleader for football, basketball, and wrestling.
I don't look at them as strong women, weak women,
vacillating women, oppositional women.
I do like difficult women, or at least the ones that are difficult to understand.
What advice do you have for women who are trying to make it in Hollywood?
Oh, I guess, oh, I don't know. Don't worry about your weight.
Don't worry about your inner beauty.
There is no National Women's History Museum,
but there is a lot of history that is not written
about the contributions of women in our country and around the world.
For many, many centuries, history was not interested in us.
And yet, and our history is invisible.
I love Meryl Streep. I love her.
Her husband knows I love her. Michelle knows I love her.
There's nothing either of them can do about it.
I know that losing heart is the most dangerous thing.
You can put any obstacle in front of me, and I'll jump over it.
But when I lose heart, you lose everything.
And so you take your strength from your friends,
from that one person in your life who has said,
you are capable. You only need one.
Very committed to equality and inclusion of people of all genders,
races, ethnicities, religions.
There should be inclusion.
And this jury is evidence that at least women are included
and in fact dominate this jury.
The globe should be represented half and half.
That's what I think.
Not that it's binary by any means,
but I do think inclusion is the name of the day.
Yeah. And it's nice to be boss.
I am the most overrated and most over decorated.
And currently, currently I am the most over berated actress.
If we live through this precarious moment,
if his catastrophic instinct to retaliate doesn't lead us to nuclear winter,
we will have much to thank this president for,
because he will have woken us up to how fragile freedom really is.
In the United States, there was a newscaster who had a button under his desk
that would lock the door when his young women interns would come in.
I mean, this is, these are abuses beyond imagining, honestly,
and shouldn't be in the workplace.
Everybody deserves a workplace that's respectful and safe.
Never take anything for granted or assume anything
or just work as hard as you can,
do as much as you can and cross your fingers and hope.
