Meryl Streep: First Lady of the Screen Timeline

Meryl Streep: First Lady of the Screen 20

1949 Meryl Streep is born in Summit, New Jersey Mary Louise Streep is born to a pharmaceutical executive and a commercial artist Mary Louise Streep was born in Summit, New Jersey. She grew up in nearby Bernardsville and sang and acted in school productions.
1971 Meryl Streep graduates from Vassar College She earns a BA in drama after discovering serious acting at Vassar Streep earned her bachelor's degree from Vassar College. It was there that she first took up acting seriously, with a leading role in Strindberg's Miss Julie.
1975 Meryl Streep earns her MFA from the Yale School of Drama Three years of rigorous stage training before a move to New York theatre Streep completed a Master of Fine Arts at the Yale School of Drama, where she played dozens of stage roles. She then moved to New York and soon made her Broadway debut.
1977 Meryl Streep makes her film debut in Julia A small role opposite Jane Fonda in Fred Zinnemann's drama Streep appeared on screen for the first time in a supporting role in Fred Zinnemann's Julia, starring Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave.
1978 Meryl Streep marries sculptor Don Gummer The couple have four children, and later separate after more than four decades Streep married the sculptor Don Gummer six months after the death of her partner, the actor John Cazale. The couple had four children, and in 2023 it was revealed that they had been separated for several years.
1978 Meryl Streep wins an Emmy for the miniseries Holocaust Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her role as Inga Helms Weiss Streep won her first major award, a Primetime Emmy, for playing a German woman married to a Jewish artist in NBC's miniseries Holocaust. The series brought her national attention.
1980 Meryl Streep wins her first Oscar for Kramer vs. Kramer Best Supporting Actress at the 52nd Academy Awards Streep won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Joanna Kramer opposite Dustin Hoffman. It was her second Oscar nomination, after The Deer Hunter.
1983 Meryl Streep wins Best Actress for Sophie's Choice Her performance as a Polish Holocaust survivor wins the 55th Academy Award Streep won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Sophie's Choice, in which she learned Polish and German for the part. The performance is widely ranked among the greatest in film history.
1985 Meryl Streep stars as Karen Blixen in Out of Africa Sydney Pollack's epic opposite Robert Redford wins Best Picture Streep played the Danish author Karen Blixen in Out of Africa, which won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film earned Streep another Best Actress nomination.
2004 Meryl Streep wins an Emmy for Angels in America She plays multiple roles in Mike Nichols's HBO adaptation of Tony Kushner's play Streep won her second Primetime Emmy for HBO's Angels in America, in which she played several characters, including Ethel Rosenberg.
2006 Meryl Streep plays Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada Her icy fashion editor becomes one of her most popular roles Streep starred as the fearsome magazine editor Miranda Priestly opposite Anne Hathaway. The film grossed about $326 million worldwide and earned her another Oscar nomination.
2008 Meryl Streep stars in the musical Mamma Mia! The ABBA musical becomes the biggest box-office hit of her career to that point Streep sang and danced as Donna Sheridan in the film version of the ABBA stage musical. It became a worldwide box-office hit and the highest-grossing film of her career at the time.
2011 Meryl Streep receives the Kennedy Center Honors National recognition for a lifetime of contributions to American culture Streep was among the recipients of the 34th Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. The honors recognise lifetime contributions to American arts and culture.
2012 Meryl Streep wins her third Oscar for The Iron Lady Best Actress for her portrayal of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher Streep won the Academy Award for Best Actress for playing Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. It was her third Oscar and came 29 years after her previous win.
2014 Meryl Streep receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom President Barack Obama awards her the highest US civilian honor President Barack Obama presented Streep with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House. She had already received the National Medal of Arts in 2010.
2017 Meryl Streep gives her Cecil B. DeMille Award speech Her Golden Globes speech criticizes President-elect Donald Trump Accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes, Streep gave a widely reported speech criticising Donald Trump for mocking a disabled reporter. Trump responded by calling her overrated.
2018 Meryl Streep earns a record 21st Oscar nomination for The Post She extends her record as the most-nominated performer in Academy history Streep was nominated for Best Actress for playing Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham in Steven Spielberg's The Post. It was her 21st Academy Award nomination, a record for any performer.
2023 Meryl Streep joins Only Murders in the Building She plays the actress Loretta Durkin in the Hulu comedy's third season Streep joined the cast of the Hulu mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building alongside Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez. The role earned her an Emmy nomination.
2024 Meryl Streep receives an honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes The Cannes Film Festival honors her career at its opening ceremony Streep received an honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, 35 years after she won the festival's Best Actress prize for A Cry in the Dark.
2026 Meryl Streep returns as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2 The long-awaited sequel reunites her with Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci Streep reprised her role as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2, released in theatres 20 years after the original. The sequel became a worldwide box-office hit, grossing several hundred million dollars.