Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep (Summit, New Jersey, 1949. June 22 –) three-time Oscar and eight-time Golden Globe-winning American actress, whose performances can be seen in films, television and theater alike. With 21 nominations, she is the most-nominated actress in the history of the Academy Awards, three of which she converted into wins (Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie's Choice and The Iron Lady), and with 34 nominations she is also the most-nominated actress in the history of the Golden Globe Awards. Meryl Streep was born on June 22, 1949, the child of Harry Streep and Mary Wolf. Her mother has English and German ancestry, while her father is of Irish descent. She first graduated as a student of Vassar College, and then completed her drama studies at Yale in 1975. Afterward she moved to New York, where she began working in theater. Her film career started in 1977 with Julia. This was followed by a larger role in The Deer Hunter, for which she was also nominated for an Oscar. In 1979, in Kramer vs. Kramer, she played a woman who leaves her husband and son, and her performance earned her first Oscar. She learned to sail a boat, play the violin and perform Irish dances. She also received an Oscar for her performance in the 1982 Holocaust drama Sophie's Choice. In 1985 she gave a highly successful performance in Out of Africa, alongside Robert Redford. In 1995, her performance in Clint Eastwood's The Bridges of Madison County brought her back into the spotlight. In the summer of 2008, the film musical Mamma Mia! premiered in theaters, starring her in the lead role. The film became a box office hit worldwide, grossing 609 million dollars at theaters and winning numerous awards. On January 7, 2009, at the largest audience award in the United States, the People's Choice Awards, Streep received the award for best song performance, decided by the votes of 50 million people. The actress had previously won the award nine times before. In 2009, on The Hollywood Reporter's list of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses, she placed third with earnings of 24 million dollars (4.6 billion forints), the bulk of which she owed to the hugely successful film musical Mamma Mia!. In 2011, for her leading role in The Iron Lady, she was again nominated for an Oscar, this time for the 17th time, which she also won. In the film she portrays the United Kingdom's first female prime minister, the retired, Alzheimer's-afflicted, whiskey-drinking Margaret Thatcher, with such empathy that the film speaks far more to her acting abilities than to the Iron Lady herself.