Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including three Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, eight Golden Globe Awards, four Emmy Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to nominations for seven Grammy Awards and a Tony Award.
Streep made her feature film debut in Julia (1977) and soon established herself as one of the most respected actresses of all time. A twenty-one time Academy Award nominee, she has won three — the first for Best Supporting Actress for playing a troubled wife in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), followed by two Best Actress wins for playing a Holocaust survivor in Sophie's Choice (1982) and Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (2011). Throughout her career she has continued to earn critical acclaim for her diverse roles on film ranging from the dramatic in The Deer Hunter (1978), Silkwood (1983), Out of Africa (1985), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Doubt (2008), August: Osage County (2013), Into the Woods (2014), and The Post (2017) to the comedic in The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Mamma Mia! (2008), Julie & Julia, It's Complicated (both 2009), and Florence Foster Jenkins (2016). She was also featured in Woody Allen's comedy-drama Manhattan (1979).