Meryl Streep, the recipient of numerous awards, is admired not only for her acting but also for her character. She is known in Hollywood for her kindness and her ability to remain graceful even in unpleasant situations. Although she is beautiful, she has repeatedly been called “ugly,” choosing to respond through the quality of her work. A living legend, she speaks sincerely about social issues.
Meryl Streep: The “Ugly” and Elegant Queen / Demet Cengiz
Described as the most talented living actress, Mary Louise (Meryl) Streep was born on June 22, 1949, in New Jersey. She has German, Swiss, English, Irish, and Swedish ancestry. Her mother, Mary, was an artist, while her father, Harry William, was an executive at a pharmaceutical company. Meryl’s two younger brothers are also actors. Her mother always encouraged her children to pursue acting. Meryl Streep, who began acting in high school, has often stated that her mother provided her with the greatest support and guidance throughout her career.
While in middle school, she played the role of Louise Heller in a production of The Family Upstairs. During her years at Bernards High School, she appeared in family films as a clumsy child with glasses and curly hair. At the age of twelve, she was selected to sing at a school recital, which led her to take opera lessons from Estelle Liebling. Despite her talent, she did not continue with opera because she was singing words she neither felt nor understood. This decision, made at such a young age, was the first indication of the attitude she would maintain throughout her career. She never committed to anything she did not genuinely feel.
She Worked Her Way Through School as a Waitress
She began to take theater seriously in 1969, when she appeared in a production of Miss Julie at Vassar College. Years later, Clinton J. Atkinson, a drama professor at Vassar, said of her:
“I don’t think anyone ever taught Meryl how to act. She really taught herself.”
She had a natural talent for imitating accents and quickly memorizing her lines. After graduating with honors with a bachelor’s degree in drama in 1971, she began a Master of Fine Arts program at the Yale School of Drama. At Yale, she covered her educational expenses by working as a waitress and doing typing and typesetting jobs. During that time, she appeared in more than ten stage productions a year. She worked so hard that she developed a stomach ulcer. This health problem even led her to consider giving up acting and studying law. Fortunately, she continued acting and appeared in numerous theater productions. In 1975, she completed her master’s degree in drama at Yale. She had also enrolled at Dartmouth College as a visiting student in 1970 and received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the college in 1981.
Three Academy Awards and Record-Breaking Nominations
Her professional theater career began in 1971 with the play The Playboy of Seville. She made her Broadway debut in 1975 with her performance in Trelawny of the Wells. In 1976, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress for her performance in 27 Wagons Full of Cotton. In 1977, she starred in the television movie The Deadliest Season. In 1978, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role in the miniseries Holocaust. In fact, she entered the world of cinema somewhat reluctantly.
Her three Oscars and hard-to-break nomination records have earned her worldwide admiration. Over the course of her career, she has been nominated for 21 Oscars and 29 Golden Globe Awards, winning eight Golden Globes. She won her Best Actress Oscars for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Sophie’s Choice (1982), and The Iron Lady (2011). She has also received a record number of Golden Globe, Emmy, and BAFTA awards. Meryl Streep, who has been honored with numerous awards, made her first major Hollywood breakthrough with The Deer Hunter (1978), which earned her first Oscar nomination. In 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama also awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Too “Ugly” to Appear in a Movie with a Gorilla
In a sense, she owes this remarkable movie career to Robert De Niro. While she was determined to pursue theater and remained reluctant to enter the movie industry, her admiration for De Niro’s performance in Taxi Driver softened her attitude toward cinema.
During her screen test for King Kong, the producer turned to his son and complained in Italian, “This girl is ugly. Why did you bring her to me?” Streep replied in Italian:
“I can understand what you’re saying. I’m not beautiful enough, yes, but this is who I am.”
For years, she recounted the incident as a funny anecdote. In reality, her dreams had been shattered, but she had not given up. Robert De Niro, who had seen her perform in theater and admired her, insisted that she be cast alongside him in The Deer Hunter. Her great love, John Cazale, was also in the movie.
She Looked After Her Sick Partner at Home
Streep was going through the most difficult period of her life. Her partner, John Cazale, had lung cancer, and they were struggling to cover the costs of his treatment. De Niro is known to have covered a significant portion of the treatment expenses and even taken Cazale to his radiotherapy sessions. When the director wanted to film the seriously ill Cazale’s scenes first—in case he died—Streep reacted strongly and even wanted to withdraw from the movie. Fortunately, she was persuaded to reconsider her decision. The movie won five Oscars in 1978, including Best Picture and Best Director. De Niro and Streep were also nominated in acting categories. The woman who had been called “ugly” was now being described by critics as a “true beauty.”
That same year, she also reluctantly took part in the miniseries Holocaust, mentioned above, to help cover her partner’s medical expenses. She was reluctant because filming required her to spend some time in Austria and Germany. When she returned, she realized that her partner had very little time left. As The Deer Hunter, which would receive great acclaim and numerous awards, was preparing for release, Streep was at home caring for her partner during his final days. Sadly, Cazale lived to see neither the movie’s release nor its awards. However, Holocaust, which she had reluctantly taken part in, earned Streep an Emmy Award and brought her worldwide recognition.
Great Loss, Great Reward
After the loss of her partner, she immediately moved out of the apartment they had shared in New York. She could not bear to be in that house. Through a mutual friend, she rented the home of a sculptor who had gone on a long trip. Her star had risen so high that she appeared in three movies, a theater production, and a television series at the same time. Had it not been for her stomach ulcer, she could have worked even more. She tried to overcome the emptiness left by the loss of her great love by working constantly.
However, the sculptor whose home she was renting ended his trip early due to some problems he was experiencing and returned to New York. This was how she met sculptor Don Gummer. Don told her that she did not have to leave the house immediately and could stay until she found another place to rent. Their house-sharing arrangement then turned into a passionate love affair. The two quickly realized that they were made for each other and married within a few months. After a great loss, life rewarded her with love remarkably quickly.
The marriage lasted until 2017, and they had four children. Streep has always emphasized that her simple, peaceful home life played a significant role in her career success.
Shaping Her Characters
Meryl Streep soon became an actress who had a say in the characters she portrayed, revised her lines, and even sat down to rewrite them from scratch. When necessary, she argued her case politely and remained persistent. She was so successful that no one could object to her, and she proved to be right every time.
In Kramer vs. Kramer, the movie for which she won her first Oscar, she starred alongside Dustin Hoffman. After Hoffman unexpectedly slapped her during filming, she said she would never work with him again, and she kept her word. She was always a woman of her word. She won her first Oscar for Best Actress for this movie but also attracted considerable attention for accidentally leaving her statuette in the restroom.
Throughout her career, she has appeared in numerous acclaimed movies and collected awards. She has worked with the best actors. She never fought with those who wronged her, but she never worked with them again. She has consistently spoken out against the way actresses in Hollywood fall out of favor as they age. Today, at 77, she remains a sought-after star, admired for her extraordinary performances and beauty.
After giving birth to her first child in 1979, she attended an awards ceremony wearing her wedding dress because she could not afford an evening gown. As the ceremony ran long, she could not prevent her breast milk from leaking. She accepted her award while covering her breasts with her hands. She was highly successful, yet she had no money. She consistently kept this issue in the public eye. Despite all the glamour, many actors and crew members in the movie industry struggled financially. Female stars always earned less than their male counterparts.
Having faced every challenge with grace and dignity, Meryl Streep remains someone whom directors, fellow actors, and audiences alike hope to see on the big screen for many years to come.
