Streep hails as the most outstanding living actress globally, with chops and professionalism to back up the awards. But she’s more than just an industry darling; she brings depth to the roles she tackles. Even in her most memorable films, she leaves a strong impression on critics and audiences.
First Do No Harm (1997)
The most ardent fandom of Meryl Streep may have overlooked this 1997 television movie about a mother’s struggle to get the proper medical treatment for her epileptic son. Personal experiences inspired the story of No Harm with the son of director Jim Abrahams, who had epilepsy.
A Cry in the Dark (1988)
The oft-misattributed line “Dingo ate her baby” stuffs into Cry in the Dark parody. After a dingo killed their baby, the couple goes on trial for child abuse. With her best Australian accent, the actress plays murder suspect Lindy Chamberlain in the harrowing drama.
The House of the Spirits (1993)
This romantic drama follows a young woman named Blanca (Winona Ryder), who grows up under Chile’s brutal military regime. Meryl Streep plays Blanca’s mother, Clara, who claims to have mental health issues.
The House of Ghosts is a relative flop but also performs in Europe and abroad. The House of Ghost Relatives flops when it acts in Europe.
Suffragette (2015)
In this historical film about the true story of women’s suffrage in early 20th century Britain, Meryl Streep plays activist Emmeline Pankhurst in this landmark film. When peaceful protests fail to produce results, a group of suffragettes resorts to violence to seek equality. Show Source Texts
Streep plays a cousin in both the musical and the sequel, working with several former collaborators.
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Meryl Streep takes direct inspiration from Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour and delivers a wild performance as the devil in Prada. When asked if she wanted to star in Mary Poppins Returns, Streep replied with an emphatic line. The film sees beloved nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) fall from the sky and fall on the family. Streep plays the icy editor-in-chief Miranda in one of her most iconic roles in the film. When the two met on camera in 2017, Anna refused to discuss the movie because of its brutal portrayal.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Based on the novel by Anna Quindlen, this understated drama follows an ambitious woman (Renee Zellweger) who gives up her job to look after her cancer-stricken mother (Meryl Streep). In a parallel plot, the film revolves around the affair of two lovers from the Victorian era, played by two actors in modern times.
One True Thing (1998)
Streep spent months learning a British accent for her role in the film. Responding to criticism that her acting was too technical at the time, one reviewer remarked that Streep “gives her character a natural warmth and comic presence. Her performance in the film led to her finding one of her many Oscar nominations for best actress, which she lost to Gwyneth Paltrow for Shakespeare in Love.
Julie & Julia (2009)
This was the first film to earn Streep an Oscar nomination in the Best Actress category. Nora Ephron turned her love of food into a respectable box office hit when Streep in Julie and Julia took on the role of the famed chef Julia Child. Only when she made an impromptu Julia Child impression that she got the part, honing her cooking skills in the studio and working in the kitchen. The performance earned her a record-breaking 13th Oscar nomination.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Meryl Streep lent her voice to the sci-fi adventure, which featured a mix of live-action and CGI animation. Robin Williams, Chris Rock, and Ben Kingsley as A.I. Brought animated characters to life with their respective voices. Hoping to transform a real boy into an advanced robot, Haley Joel Osment tracked down a blue fairy voiced by Streep.