Every reason we’ll love Meryl Streep forever
President Barack Obama just awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Americans “who devoted their lives to their fellow citizens.” Recipients included greats like Stevie Wonder, Tom Brokaw and (drumroll please) Meryl Streep!
“I love Meryl Streep,” the president said at the event. “Her husband knows I love her. Michelle knows I love her. There’s nothing they can do about it.”
We get it, Mr. President, we’re obsessed with The Streep too, and we thought this was as good a time as any to celebrate all the many, many reasons why we heart Meryl.
1.) She’s Been Amazing On Film For FIVE DECADES
If, as an actress, you’re pretty good in a couple decent movies, that’s a career. Meryl has been SO AMAZING in FIVE DECADES worth of amazing movies. And in an industry that puts a premium on the youth of its actresses, it’s really important to recognize that one of our most beloved actresses is in her 60s. Mer has spent a lifetime building a career that forces ageist Hollywood to recognize her excellence all the way through. Way to take on the man, Ms. Streep.
2.) She Has More Academy Awards And Nominations Than Any Actress In History
For the most part, the film industry is super weird and mercurial, but every once in a while it gets its act together and rewards awesomeness appropriately. Case in point, Our Lady of Streep, who won Oscars for Best Supporting Actress in Kramer vs Kramer and Best Actress in Sophie’s Choice and The Iron Lady.
Oscar noms include The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Silkwood, Out of Africa, A Cry in the Dark, Postcards From the Edge, The Bridges of Madison County, Adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada, Doubt, and August: Osage County. You guys, they can’t ALWAYS give it to Streep.
And P.S., she’s also received a whopping 28 Golden Globe noms (and she won 8 of those), and she has won more awards in her field than any other actor or actress in history. Bam bam bam.
3.) She’s Basically As Fearless As Artists Come
When it comes to the demands of a role, NOTHING scares Streep. Accents? She handily mastered Danish (for Out Of Africa), Italian (for Bridges of Madison County), and a heavy New York accent (for Doubt) plus a bunch more. Singing? She belted the ish out of ABBA for Mamma Mia and this Christmas is going to get her tongue around the twisty words of Sondheim in Into The Woods. And she somehow didn’t suffer post-traumatic stress after playing Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. What CAN’T Streep do? I don’t think we’ll ever find out.
4.)She’s Passed Her Awesomeness Onto Her Kids
Have you SEEN her eldest daughter Mamie Gummer act? She TEARS it UP on The Good Wife, and has a million more awesome credits under her belt. Streep’s middle child Grace Gummer is also quite the actress, with recent turns in American Horror Story and The Newsroom. Eldest son Henry Wolfe is a critical darling of a musician and youngest child Louisa Gummer is a model who has shot Dior campaigns and appeared in Vanity Fair and Glamour. For serious, the apples REALLY did not fall from the tree in the Streep/Gummer fam.
5.) She Gives Back In A Gorgeous Way
Streep is a true-blue philanthropist. She’s the spokesperson for the National Museum of Women’s History (and has donated A TON of monies to the org), backs “Chime For Change” which supports female empowerment, and recently gave $1 million to the Public Theater in NYC. Seriously, what a gal.
(Images and Shutterstock)