Streep, Meryl (1949–)

American actress. Born Mary Louise Streep, June 22, 1949, in Summit, New Jersey; Vassar College, BA, 1971; Yale Drama School, MFA, 1975; m. Don Gummer (sculptor), 1978; children: Henry, Mary Willa, Grace and Louisa.

Just out of Yale Drama School, moved to New York and landed lead in Joseph Papp's production of Trelawney of the Wells (1975); earned Tony nomination for 27 Wagons Full of Cotton and Obie Award for Alice at the Palace; made film debut in Julia (1977); nominated for Academy Awards for The Deer Hunter (1978), The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), Silkwood (1983), Out of Africa (1985), A Cry in the Dark (1988), Postcards from the Edge (1990), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), One True Thing (1998), Music of the Heart (1999) and Adaptation (2002), becoming the most nominated actor in history; won Academy Award for Best Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) and Sophie's Choice (1982); nominated for Golden Globes for The Hours (2002) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004); on tv, appeared in "Angels in America" (2003), for which she won Emmy; received American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award (2004); other films include The Still of the Night (1980), Heartburn (1986), Ironweed (1987), She-Devil (1989), Death Becomes Her (1992), The House of the Spirits (1993), Marvin's Room (1996), Dancing at Lughnasa (1998) and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004).

See also Pfaff and Emerson, Meryl Streep: A Critical Biography (McFarland, 1987).