LIST - O - MANIA
*Back to the Full Chart of Actress Polls
...Meryl Streep. And who else would it possibly be? As I asked once on my blog: "is there anything that Meryl Streep can't do? " The answer: No.
Meryl Streep first exploded onto the American film scene in the late 70s. She was an instant sensation. In the first three years of her screen career she debuted opposite Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave (Julia, 1977), won both an Emmy (Holocaust, 1978) and her first Oscar (Kramer Vs. Kramer, 1979) and as if that weren't triumph enough, starred in still two more modern classics (The Deer Hunter, 1978 and Woody Allen's Manhattan, 1979) . For 99.9% of working actors that three year run would be an uimaginable peak. A miraculous achievement, never to be bested or even equalled again. But for La Streep it was only the beginning. She quickly achieved mainstream superstardom. There was a famous cover of "Rolling Stone" (1981) another Oscar (Sophie's Choice 1982) and the small matter of her name becoming synonomous with "the world's greatest living actress" as she racked up more Oscar nominations (13 in all at this writing, the all-time record), and starred in a string of acclaimed films (Silkwood, Out of Africa, Ironweed, A Cry in the Dark, etc...) No actress since has equalled this long run, nearly a dozen years of consecutive cinematic dominance. When there was a juicy role, Meryl got it. No contest.
After turning 40 in 1989, the plum leading roles seemed to suddenly evaporate but she is still there, the most pleasingly consistent female presence in American cinema. After 28 years in the business and more than 30 films behind her she still has the power to make us laugh (Postcards from the Edge, 1990 and Prime, 2005) move us to tears (Bridges on Madison County, 1995) and somehow shock us --despite our familiarity --with brilliant work in unexpected places (Adaptation, 2002 and Angels in America, 2003). She remains unrivalled in the contemporary American consciousness as the actress of our time.
(src: The Numbers)
01
Lemony Snicket
($118)
02
Kramer Vs. Kramer ($106)
03
Out of Africa
($79)
04
A.I. -voicework only
($78)
05
The Manchurian Candidate
($65)
06
Death Becomes Her ($58)
07
The Deerhunter
($50)
08
The River Wild
($46)
09
The Hours
($41)
10
Manhattan
($39)
Meryl's 10 Best Performances
(imho & subject to change)01
Sophies Choice
(Oscar win)
02
Kramer Vs. Kramer (Oscar win)
03
Out of Africa
(Oscar nomination)
04
Ironweed
(Oscar nomination)
05
Plenty
(---)
06
Adaptation
(Oscar nomination)
07
Bridges of Madison
(Oscar nomination)
08
Silkwood
(Oscar nomination)
09
Postcards from...
(Oscar nomination)
10
The Hours
(---)
(single awards)
American Comedy
(Postcards from...)
American Movie
(Deer Hunter)
AFI Award
(Lifetime)
Australian Film Institute Award
(Cry in the Dark)
Bafta
(French Lieutenants Woman)
Cannes
(Cry in the Dark)
Cesar
(Honorary)
FiLM BiTCH
(Adaptation)
Golden Satellite
(Angels in America)
Gotham
(Lifetime Achievement)
Gracie Allen
(Angels in America)
Hasty Puddings
(Woman of the Year)
SAG
(Angels in America)
Women in Film
(Crystal Award)
Meryl's Treasure Pt 2
(multiple prizes)
2 David diDonatellas
(Falling in Love, Out of Africa)
2 Emmys
(Holocaust, Angels in America)
2 NBRs
(Sophies Choice, Manhattan & Kramer Vs. Kramer & Seduction of...shared)
2 Oscars
(Sophies Choice, Kramer Vs. Kramer)
5 Golden Globes
(Sophies Choice, French Lieutenants Woman, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Adaptation, Angels in America)
6 Peoples Choice
(Favorite Actress)
and many...
Film Critic & Festival Awards including 3 NSFC, 3 NYFCC, and 4 LAFCA prizes
The Greatest Streep Portraits
(imho & subject to change -Click to see larger image)
01
Rolling Stone Cover
02
Jack Mitchell Portrait
03
Unknown
La Streep Trivia
Pt 1
Holds the record for most acting noms at the Oscars (13) just ahead of Nicholson & Hepburn (12 each)
Katharine Hepburn was not a fan of her work.Both she and Michelle Pfeiffer wanted to play Eva Peron. The role eventually went to Madonna in 1996's Evita.
Friends with Cher.La Streep Trivia
Pt 2Has been married to sculptor Don Gummer for 28 years. They have 4 children.
Famously witty sharp-tongued in real life:
"There are some days when even I think I'm overrated, but not today." From her Emmy acceptance speech in 2003
Originally from New Jersey (like many celebrities)
