Meryl Streep is an American actress who is widely regarded as the greatest actress of her generation, and by many as the greatest actress of all time. Born on June 22, 1949, in Summit, New Jersey, Streep, 77, has received a record 21 Academy Award nominations and won three Oscars, for Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice and The Iron Lady. Her career has lasted more than five decades, from Shakespeare on stage to The Devil Wears Prada and Only Murders in the Building.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Mary Louise Streep |
| Age | 77 years old |
| Date of Birth | June 22, 1949 |
| Birthplace | Summit, New Jersey, USA |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Partner | Don Gummer (husband, married 1978; reported separated) |
| Net Worth | Approx. $100 million (Celebrity Net Worth, 2025) |
| Known For | Sophie’s Choice, The Devil Wears Prada, The Iron Lady, Kramer vs. Kramer, Mamma Mia! |
Who Is Meryl Streep?
Meryl Streep is an American actress, known for her versatility, her command of accents and dialects, and her ability to disappear into her characters. She has won three Academy Awards, eight Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, and she has received the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Honorary Palme d’Or. In 2022, Empire magazine named her one of the 50 greatest actors of all time.
Streep’s films have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, and her work ranges from the intense drama of Sophie’s Choice to the comedy of The Devil Wears Prada and the musical Mamma Mia! She has also become a familiar face on television in recent years, in Big Little Lies (2019) and Only Murders in the Building (2023-2025). Like Morgan Freeman, Streep is one of the most decorated actors in history, and like Tom Hanks, she has won acting Oscars and remained a major star for decades.
Early Life & Background
Mary Louise Streep was born on June 22, 1949, in Summit, New Jersey, to Harry William Streep Jr., a pharmaceutical executive, and Mary Wolf Wilkinson, a commercial artist. The family lived in New Jersey, where Streep was brought up in Basking Ridge. As a child, she took singing lessons, and she was encouraged by her mother to pursue the arts. She attended Bernards High School in Bernardsville, New Jersey, where she was a cheerleader and acted in school plays, playing a role in The Music Man as a teenager.
Streep enrolled at Vassar College, where she studied drama and costume design, and was encouraged by her teachers to consider acting as a career. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar in 1971, then won a place at the Yale School of Drama, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts in 1975 and appeared in more than 40 productions, including Shakespeare’s plays and the musical A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After Yale, she moved to New York and began her professional career in the theatre, appearing on Broadway in Happy End and A Memory of Two Mondays.
Meryl Streep’s Career
Streep made her film debut in Julia (1977), opposite Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, and her first leading role in The Deer Hunter (1978), for which she earned her first Academy Award nomination. In 1979 she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer, and in 1982 she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Sophie’s Choice, playing a Polish Holocaust survivor. She followed it with Silkwood (1983), Out of Africa (1985) and Ironweed (1987).
In the 1990s and 2000s, Streep moved between drama, comedy and musicals, with Death Becomes Her (1992), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Hours (2002), Adaptation (2002) and Angels in America (2003), for which she won an Emmy Award. In 2006 she played fashion editor Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, earning another Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award. She also starred in Mamma Mia! (2008), which became one of her biggest box-office hits, Julie & Julia (2009), in which she played Julia Child, and The Iron Lady (2011), in which she played Margaret Thatcher and won her third Academy Award.
Streep has continued to work steadily in the 2010s and 2020s, with August: Osage County (2013), Into the Woods (2014), Ricki and the Flash (2015), The Post (2017), in which she played Katharine Graham, Little Women (2019) and Don’t Look Up (2021). On television, she played Mary Louise Wright in Big Little Lies and Loretta Durkin in Only Murders in the Building, earning Emmy nominations for both. She received the Honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024.
Facts About Meryl Streep
- Meryl Streep was born on June 22, 1949, in Summit, New Jersey, and is 77 years old.
- She has received a record 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three Oscars.
- She has won eight Golden Globe Awards, more than any other actor.
- She studied at Vassar College and the Yale School of Drama, earning an MFA in 1975.
- She has four children with her husband Don Gummer, including actresses Mamie Gummer and Grace Gummer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Meryl Streep?
Meryl Streep was born on June 22, 1949. She is 77 years old.
How tall is Meryl Streep?
Meryl Streep is 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) tall.
Who is Meryl Streep’s husband?
Meryl Streep married sculptor Don Gummer in 1978. In 2023 it was reported that the couple had been separated for more than six years.
What is Meryl Streep’s net worth?
Meryl Streep’s net worth is approx. $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth (2025).
What is Meryl Streep best known for?
Meryl Streep is best known for Sophie’s Choice, Kramer vs. Kramer, The Iron Lady, The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia!
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