There's Much More To Meryl Streep Than We Realized
There’s little one can say about Meryl Streep and her career that 21 Academy Award nominations haven’t said already. But behind the accolades and carefully crafted public image, there’s a much more private story. She survived a devastating personal tragedy, and then spent decades shielding her personal life from the spotlight.
Recently, that changed, and Streep’s private life has become fodder for the media. What they’ve found is that behind her mask of perfect composure, there’s more drama than some of her most famous roles.
1. Her Mother Was Her Mentor
Mary Louis Streep was born in Summit, New Jersey, on June 22, 1949. Her mother was an artist, and her father was an executive at a pharmaceutical company. But it was her mother who mentored Streep and told her that she could "do anything” as long as she wasn’t lazy. When she sang at a school recital at the age of 12, Streep’s life changed in a big way.
Christopher Polk, Getty Images
2. She Could Belt Out A Tune
As it turned out, Meryl Streep could really sing. She began studying with celebrated opera singer Estelle Liebling. But after four years, Streep had a surprising revelation. She wasn't connecting with what she was singing. She later shared that she needed "to find the thing that I could feel through". It was only a matter of time before she pivoted to the passion that changed her life forever.
Jack Mitchell, Wikimedia Commons
3. She Taught Herself
Streep acted throughout high school but wasn't really taking it seriously until college. At Vassar, she appeared in August Strindberg’s Miss Julie. Her teacher said that Streep basically taught herself how to act. The campus was all abuzz about Streep and her talent. But at the time, nobody could have predicted the heights she would ultimately reach.
Screenshot from Out of Africa, NBCUniversal (1985)
4. They Met Doing Shakespeare
After triumphantly securing her MFA from Yale, Meryl Streep ventured to a place that promised bright lights and endless possibilities: New York City. She hit the ground running and worked in many theaters. When she appeared in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure in 1976, she met actor John Cazale.
Love was in the air, but tragedy was waiting in the wings.
5. She Saw Her Inspiration
A beautiful romance bloomed between Streep and Cazale, and they decided to move in together. Around this time, Streep thought about shifting her focus from stage to screen. One thing that helped her make this decision was watching Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver, whose moving performance was an inspiration for her future career. She noted to herself, "That's the kind of actor I want to be when I grow up".
However, one of her first auditions was an absolute disaster.
Screenshot from Taxi Driver, Columbia Pictures (1976)
6. She Received An Insult
Meryl Streep was up for the role of Dwan in the 1976 remake of King Kong. But when she appeared at the audition, Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis leaned over to his son and said something so shocking, it's impossible to forget. In Italian, he scoffed, "This is so ugly. Why did you bring me this?" But there was one crucial thing that De Laurentiis didn't realize.
Justin Sewell, Wikimedia Commons
7. She Had An Epic Comeback
You see, Streep understood Italian and absorbed every word of the producer's insult before quipping back, "I'm very sorry that I'm not as beautiful as I should be, but, you know—this is it. This is what you get". This is the kind of strength of character that Streep has always exuded, and her effortless confidence comes down to embracing everything she is.
Kevin Winter, Getty Images
8. She’s Not Perfect
There’s no doubt that Meryl Streep is a beautiful woman, but when it comes to beauty standards, she's chosen to embrace her most unique feature. Streep has a deviated septum, which makes her nose appear crooked. While many receive nose jobs to correct a deviated septum, Streep refuses. Even today, plastic surgery is not an option for her. She's shared, "When I see it in people I meet, it's like an interruption in communication with them".
But back in the 1970s, her road to success was no cakewalk.
Alan Light, Wikimedia Commons, enhanced
9. She Got Edited Out
Though Streep enjoyed success on the stage, she couldn’t forget De Niro’s performance—and decided to give film acting one more chance. But once again, disappointment reigned supreme. Acting alongside superstar Jane Fonda, Streep's small part in Julia received severe editing, and she pretty much disappeared from the film. She was horrified, later explaining, "I thought, I've made a terrible mistake, no more movies. I hate this business".
But little did she know, this was not the end. A dramatic turn would send her back to Hollywood.
Screenshot from Julia, The Walt Disney Company (1977), enhanced
10. She Was Desperate To Be Near Him
Around this same time, Meryl Streep’s partner John Cazale received a heartbreaking diagnosis. He had lung cancer. Streep wanted to be with her ailing boyfriend and took a minor role in The Deer Hunter just to stay by his side. The director wanted to keep Cazale’s diagnosis a secret, especially from Universal Pictures.
However, when Universal found out about the cancer, Streep leapt into action.
Screenshot from The Deer Hunter, NBCUniversal (1978)
11. She Stood By Her Man
Universal’s first—and rather heartless—instinct was to fire Cazale from the film altogether. Well, Streep wasn't about to let that happen. She decided to tell Universal that she would quit the picture if they fired Cazale. Taking a cue from Streep, Universal decided to keep Cazale on. But they stubbornly refused to pay for his costly insurance.
So Streep was back to square one.
Screenshot from The Deer Hunter, NBCUniversal (1978)
12. She Was Nominated For An Oscar
Thankfully for John Cazale, Robert De Niro swooped in to cover the ailing actor's costly insurance bill. Both Streep and De Niro's efforts kept Cazale in the film. And, in a way, karma came around to bless their performances, as Streep and De Niro received Academy Award nominations for their work in The Deer Hunter.
But though her star was gradually rising, there was heartache in her future.
Screenshot from The Deer Hunter, NBCUniversal (1978), enhanced
13. She Was An Optimist
In 1978, Meryl Streep traveled to Europe to make the TV miniseries Holocaust with James Woods. But when she got back, Cazale’s condition had gotten much, much worse. The inevitable tragedy of losing Cazale hung like a threatening cloud over the apartment they shared—but Streep devoted herself to being the best caretaker possible.
Screenshot from Holocaust, Warner Bros. Discovery (1978)
14. She Was His Caretaker
According to director Joe Papp, "She took care of him like there was nobody else on earth". Streep entertained Cazale in their apartment, doing comedic routines and reading aloud in funny voices. Streep kept things positive for Cazale and never even entertained the idea that he would not survive.
Sadly, her optimism couldn’t save his life.
Screenshot from Holocaust, Warner Bros. Discovery (1978)
15. She Had To Say Goodbye
On March 13, 1978, Cazale passed with Streep by his side, but she could not let him go. Reportedly, the always dramatic Streep fell on top of Cazale, pounded his chest, and begged him to wake up. To Streep’s shock, Cazale did wake up. He made sure she would be okay and then passed without another word.
But Streep’s sorrow wasn’t over yet.
Screenshot from Holocaust, Warner Bros. Discovery (1978)
16. She Had To Leave Her Apartment
Meryl Streep needed to recover from her grief, so she went briefly to visit a friend in Canada. When she returned, she had to face the loss of Cazale all over again, as she had no choice but to give up her apartment. Vacating the loft that they had shared together, Streep had to pack up all their personal and sentimental possessions.
But there was one silver lining to this emotional day.
Screenshot from Holocaust, Warner Bros. Discovery (1978)
17. He Came To Help
To help her pack, Streep’s brother brought along another set of hands. They belonged to the sculptor Don Gummer. Streep was still raw with emotion over the loss of Cazale, but she slowly grew closer to Gummer. When Gummer had to go away on business, Streep, who needed a place to live, stayed in his apartment in Soho.
When Gummer came back early, everything changed.
18. She Was On The Rebound
When Gummer came back to his Soho apartment, there was no immediate reason to kick Meryl Streep out. In the wake of unbelievable loss, a new chapter began—and Streep decided to move in full time. Within six months, they became husband and wife. Though some of those closest to her questioned the quickie wedding, the couple proved that this love was no rebound.
It was an era of difficult change for Streep, riding the waves of a personal life that dipped and soared through one emotional bound after another. But through it all, she still had a career path to follow.
19. She Got Scared
Right off the bat, Meryl Streep faced a formidable acting opponent. This was Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs Kramer—and he had some tricks up his sleeve to up the ante of drama in the film. In Streep’s first scene in the film, Hoffman hit her to get her into character. In another scene, he surprised Streep by angrily throwing a glass in a restaurant.
Streep stayed in character, but once the director called cut, she laid into Hoffman. But the dramatic tension with Hoffman was just getting started.
Screenshot from Kramer vs. Kramer, Sony Pictures Entertainment (1979)
20. She Went Head-To-Head
During one scene, Meryl Streep had an idea to change the dialogue. Hoffman—who some say was wary of this new up-and-coming superstar—was suddenly irate and later admitted, "I hated her guts. Yes, I hated her guts. But I respected her". But the worst stunt he pulled targeted her personal life.
Screenshot from Kramer vs. Kramer, Sony Pictures Entertainment (1979)
21. She Put Up With His Awful Stunts
According to reports, Hoffman tried to get a rise out of Streep by doing something shockingly unkind: He allegedly whispered the name of her recently departed partner, John Cazale, into her ear. For a woman still reeling from the loss of this love, it was an incredibly cruel move.
Clearly, this was a dysfunctional working relationship, but there was at least one pay-off (even if it wasn't really worth it).
Screenshot from Kramer vs. Kramer, Sony Pictures Entertainment (1979)
22. She Won An Oscar
While no one is going to applaud Hoffman’s underhanded antics with Meryl Streep, she did end up with the Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance. But it could also have been Streep’s own rewrite of her monologue in the courtroom that did it. The director called her rewrite “brilliant” and deleted only two lines.
Streep would soon get her chance to show her displeasure.
23. She Left Behind Her Award
So, Streep had won an Oscar working with a man whom she could barely tolerate. Still, a win is still a win, right?. Well, whether intentional or not, the actress accidentally left her trophy in the ladies’ room on the back of a toilet not long after winning it. The road to this victory had been brutal—but thankfully, there were better things ahead.
Screenshot from Kramer vs. Kramer, Sony Pictures Entertainment (1979)
24. She Became A Big Deal
Not only was Meryl Streep now an award-winning actress, but two of her films—The Deer Hunter and Kramer vs Kramer—had won Best Picture Oscars. This led to a lot of hype around Streep, and that’s just what she called it: “excessive hype”. When Newsweek magazine put her on the cover and called her “A Star for the 80s,” the hype intensified.
Weirdly, Streep had yet to take the lead in a movie. That was about to change.
President (1981-1989 : Reagan). White House Photographic Office. 1981-1989, Wikimedia Commons
25. She Called It Weak
Streep decided on The French Lieutenant's Woman for her first lead role. She received critical praise for her performance as Sarah and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Even with all this hype, Streep later called it one of her weakest performances. She also shared: "I couldn't help wishing that I was more beautiful".
Streep knew she had to do something remarkable for her next lead role—but the real struggle was landing the part she wanted.
Screenshot from The French Lieutenant's Woman, Amazon MGM Studios (1981)
26. She Knew What She Wanted
In the early 1980s, Streep heard about a film that director Alan J Pakula was making. She knew that the source material was a novel called Sophie's Choice, and she somehow got her hands on a copy of the script. As the story goes, Streep got down on her hands and knees and begged for the role.
She got it, but it was going to be a tough one.
27. Once Was Enough
Of course, the big scene in Sophie’s Choice is the scene where Sophie has to make a heartwrenching choice between the life of her son or her daughter. After doing the emotional scene just once, Streep apparently said no to a second take. It was just too difficult. One take was enough, and Streep took home the Oscar for Best Actress.
However, there was another scene that Streep found hard to do.
Screenshot from Sophie’s Choice, NBCUniversal (1982), enhanced
28. She Broke Her Own Rule
With only two-and-a-half weeks off, Streep started work on the biopic drama Silkwood. Here, Streep had to break one of her own rules. She'd never liked it when actresses had to perform sans clothes, but this particular script called for her to quickly flash her chest to a co-worker. Streep explained: "I did it because, in context, I thought she probably would do something like that. It made sense. But it's still a completely bizarre and horrible thing to do in front of a crew".
Next, Streep would get cozy with one of her acting heroes.
Screenshot from Silkwood, The Walt Disney Company (1983)
29. Be Careful What You Wish For
Remember it was Robert De Niro who had inspired Streep to continue acting. Well, in 1984, she got the chance to fall in love with him. This was the romantic drama Falling in Love. Sadly, audiences and critics were not feeling the love, as this was a rare flop for the two A-list actors.
But we never had to worry about Streep. There were still more hits to come her way.
Screenshot from Falling in Love, Paramount Global (1984)
30. She Made A Frenemy
When Streep decided to do a comedy, Death Becomes Her, with laugh-a-minute Goldie Hawn, the two soon realized they were very different people. Hawn had a relaxed attitude on set and saw nothing wrong with arriving late. This infuriated Streep, but she simply couldn’t stay angry with Hawn, who Streep called “the best laugher in America”.
As it turned out, Streep could use a few lessons about laughing.
Screenshot from Death Becomes Her, NBCUniversal (1992)
31. She Wasn’t Funny Enough
In 2006, 20th Century Fox was preparing to turn a yet unfinished novel into a film. This was The Devil Wears Prada, and a key role would be the scarily intimidating fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly. Streep was up for the part, but some people thought that she couldn't be funny. Once they got their heads around the fact that Streep was indeed hilarious, there was another issue...but this was no laughing matter.
Screenshot from Death Becomes Her, NBCUniversal (1992)
32. This Devil Wanted More Money
Streep had some interest in playing the Anna Wintour-inspired Priestly, but she had a problem. The money they were offering was not “Prada-worthy”. The studio, anxious to keep Streep on board, decided to double her salary from an estimated $2 million to $4 million. Streep was in, but she had yet another problem to deal with.
33. She Played With Fire
The writer of the book The Devil Wears Prada based the character of Priestly on real-life editor Anna Wintour. Wintour carries a lot of power, and playing her would be…well…dangerous to your health. In fact, many in the fashion world wanted nothing to do with the film. In the end, Wintour liked the film and liked Streep’s performance.
But playing the fictionalized Wintour did have its challenges.
Screenshot from The Devil Wears Prada, The Walt Disney Company (2006)
34. She Kept It Icy
When Streep arrived on set of The Devil Wears Prada and met with co-star Anne Hathaway, she had to make one thing very clear. Because their characters were at constant odds with each other, Streep wanted to keep their relationship icy. On the first day, she said to Hathaway, "I think you're perfect for the role. I'm so happy we're going to be working together." And then added, "That's the last nice thing I'll say to you". Apparently she kept to her word.
But there was still one more surprise on this film set.
35. She Shocked Them All
Because Streep had to play an incredibly intimidating magazine editor, everyone expected her to have a loud, maybe barking voice. When they started the read-through, the cast and crew gasped when Streep spoke. You see, she had decided to almost whisper her lines. Apparently, her muse was tough guy Clint Eastwood.
Streep’s unorthodox choices have given her legions of fans. And some who are not so impressed.
Screenshot from The Devil Wears Prada, The Walt Disney Company (2006)
36. She Got A Glowing Endorsement
Early in her career, Streep received a letter from film icon Bette Davis. The All About Eve actress told Streep that she would be her successor in Hollywood. You don’t get a better endorsement than that. But as it turned out, another icon of film, Katherine Hepburn, was surprisingly not a fan of Streep, whom she considered “too cerebral and over-reliant on technique”.
But there are more than a few haters out there.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
37. She Has Haters
Susan Sarandon is also not a huge fan of Streep. Her problem is that Streep gets all the great parts, leaving the rest of the Hollywood actresses fighting for the ones she saw as not worthy. In a more catty comment, Sharon Stone said that Streep looked like “an unmade bed”. Stone quickly explained how this comment was actually a compliment. Hmmm.
But these sound petty compared to her political enemies.
Pedro J Pacheco, Wikimedia Commons
38. She Stirred The Pot
Meryl Streep stirred the pot when she criticized President Donald Trump during her 2017 Golden Globes speech. The president’s response was to call Streep “overrated”. Strangely, Trump had called Streep “excellent” and “a fine person" just two years before.
But the president certainly wasn't the last person whose feathers she ruffled.
39. She Reportedly Stayed Silent
In 2017, actor Rose McGowan had a story to tell—and it didn’t cast Streep in a good light at all. This was around the time of the #MeToo movement, and McGowan claimed that Streep had known about disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein’s horrific behavior and kept her lips sealed. Weinstein ended up behind bars, but McGowan thought that Streep had to atone for her sin of silence.
Streep had her response ready to go.
Gordon Correll from thamesford, Wikimedia Commons
40. She Stood Up For Herself
To combat McGowan’s accusation, Streep stated the obvious—that she didn’t approve of the horrific behavior of Weinstein: "I wasn't deliberately silent. I didn't know". In 2018, Streep wore black to the Golden Globes in support of the #MeToo movement. But there are other ways that Streep supports women.
Elisabetta Villa, Getty Images
41. She Gave It All Back
In 2011, Streep appeared playing UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. She won a Best Actress Oscar, and then she turned around and gave back to the community. She gave everything she earned from that movie to the National Women’s History Museum.
It’s clear that Streep supports women, but there’s a particular woman who doesn’t support her.
Screenshot from The Iron Lady, Lionsgate (2011)
42. There Is A Feud
Esteemed New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael started to do something that many critics would not: She criticized Streep’s acting. It started around the time of Sophie’s Choice when Kael criticized Streep's performance. She later said that Streep was miscast in Silkwood and that her character in Out of Africa “doesn’t deepen”.
Well, Streep could only take so much before punching back.
Rollins Maxwell, Wikimedia Commons
43. She Had To Bite Back
Streep told The Guardian newspaper that she had been thinking of Kael's biting reviews of her work. She then let loose with this brutal summary of Kael: "And you know what I think? That Pauline was a poor Jewish girl who was at Berkeley with all these rich Pasadena WASPs with long blond hair, and the heartlessness of them got her".
It seemed that Kael had no idea how much work Streep puts into her job.
Kevin Payravi, Wikimedia Commons
44. She Works Hard For The Money
For her role in Music of the Heart, Streep practiced the violin for eight weeks. She learned both German and Polish for Sophie’s Choice. Then there are the accents. Highlights include Australian for A Cry in the Dark, British for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, Danish for Out of Africa, and Texan for Silkwood.
Sadly, no amount of hard work could save her marriage.
Screenshot from Music of the Heart, Miramax (1999)
45. He Wasn’t A Rebound
Remember, way back in 1978, Streep married Don Gummer, who is a sculptor. Many, including her own mother, assumed this was a rebound fling that Streep had used to get over losing Cazale. Well, fast forward a few decades later and Streep and Gunner are still married and now have four children between them.
Wait, did I say still married?
46. She Kept It A Secret
Maybe because Gummer is a Hollywood outsider, but many saw their relationship as stable and free of controversy. But in 2023, a shocking report came out. The two had secretly separated six years prior. There were no crazy headlines or trauma. The marriage just quietly ended.
But this doesn't mean Streep has said goodbye to romance forever.
Everett Collection, Shutterstock
47. It Wasn’t Love At First Sight
Meryl Streep had known comedic actor Martin Short for many years before she appeared with him in Only Murders in the Building. So, when the two started allegedly dating while working on the hit show, it clearly wasn’t a love-at-first-sight sort of scenario. However, despite being sighted together, both actors have yet to make their relationship official.
For us curious fans, only time will tell if there really is a romance brewing behind the scenes.
48. She Wore Prada Again
When the idea for a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada surfaced, neither Streep nor co-star Anne Hathaway showed any interest. But when Walt Disney Studios started throwing around some really high salaries, it seemed like Streep and Hathaway began singing a very different tune. The budget for the sequel was $100 million, and a lot of that went to actors’ salaries.
Clearly, Streep is Hollywood royalty—but she still finds ways to stay grounded.
Screenshot from The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Walt Disney Company (2026)
49. She Keeps Herself Humble
Streep’s friend Cher once said that Streep has an odd way of keeping herself down-to-earth. They became friends while making Silkwood. Apparently, Streep used to do her own ironing as a way to stay humble. Maybe she still does. But how can Streep not feel a little full of herself? The awards just keep on coming.
www.GlynLowe.com from Hamburg, Germany, Wikimedia Commons
50. She Gets A Lot Of Nods
So far, Meryl Streep has received 21 nominations for Academy Awards. That’s more than any other actor. She has won three times, something that only six other actors have done. In her 2012 acceptance speech for The Iron Lady, she said she imagined Americans saying, ”Oh, come on, why her! Again!”
If Streep needs to feel humbled, here’s a little-known fact to help her out.
Montclair Film, Wikimedia Commons
51. She Swapped With The Material Girl
While pop star Madonna is not exactly well-known for her acting talent, there was one film that she won over Streep. Apparently, Streep was on the list for playing the title role in 1996’s Evita, and Madonna got the part instead. Don’t worry, Streep got revenge when she replaced Madonna in 1999’s Music of the Heart.
Screenshot from Music of the Heart, Miramax (1999)
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Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33
