Meryl Streep has graced us with her on-screen presence for almost 50 years. Beginning her career in 1975 and continuing to make award-winning films to this day, she has had quite a career and has a lot to show for it. Not only has she starred in countless movies and TV shows, she has won more awards than any three actresses combined, with a record-breaking 21 Academy Award nominations with three wins and 32 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning eight.
Born in 1949 in Summit, New Jersey, she first caught the eye of audiences in her 1975 on-stage performance in Trelawny of The Wells. She followed that hit play up with a Tony Award nomination for her double bill performance in 27 Wagons Full of Cotton and A Memory of Two Mondays. The young actress’s career was off to a big start. Soon she made her way to the big screen when in 1977 she starred in her feature film debut Julia. Not long after, she tucked another award under her belt as she scored a Primetime Emmy Award for her leading role in the 1978 mini-series Holocaust.
From emotional tear-jerkers such as Sophie’s Choice to heartwarming comedies such as The Devil Wears Prada, she is certainly a woman of many talents and we want to strut her stuff. So we have created a countdown of the very best Meryl Streep performances to date. It was hard to narrow it down as she has starred in almost 69 movies and shows overall with probably more to come! Yet for now, we will celebrate all that she has done by selecting her top 10 star-studded performances that not only won a place in our hearts but in cinematic history. So grab the popcorn and the tissues because here come Meryl Streep’s top 10 best movies.
10. Julie and Julia (2009)
Starring across from the talented Amy Adams, these two ladies bring this Nora Ephron concept to life. The storyline follows Julie, played by Adams, a New Yorker trapped in a soul-sucking job who decides to shake up her life in a very unique way. Inspired by the recipes of Julia Childs in her trademark cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she vows to make every single recipe in the book — 524 to be exact. As she cooks, she blogs, and soon her adventure into French cuisine becomes well known. It combines with the true storyline of Julia Childs, played by Meryl Streep, as she attempts to conquer French cooking with the same pluckiness and persistence she is so well known for.
The film is a heartwarming tale of overcoming the odds and finding joy in our lives when they seem most joyless. While Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are a powerful on-screen duo, they are not alone as several other familiar faces grace the screen. Stanley Tucci, Jane Lynch, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Chris Messina also make on-screen appearances in this lovable comedy that drew in a cool $129.5 million at the box office. Although that is hardly a surprise as the screenplay itself was written by Nora Ephron and is just filled with some of our Hollywood favorites. Many award nominations and wins were to follow, including a few Best Actress awards for Meryl Streep, but again, no surprise there. We felt this was the perfect film to kick off our countdown.
9. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
The Devil Wears Prada is the 2006 on-screen adaptation of the novel by Lauren Weisberger based on her own time as the editorial assistant to a high-profile Vogue executive. This means the beastly character of Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep, could be real! Shudder. The storyline follows young writer Andy, played by Anne Hathaway, who accidentally lands a job at the prestigious Runway magazine. Slightly fashion-challenged, Andy soon comes into her own style as she learns not only how to walk the runways of Runway but how to do so without being burned by her too-horrible-to-be-believed boss, Miranda. The plot thickens as Andy struggles with her own inner Miranda, as she begins to lose herself in the fast-paced, high fashion world of Runway. The cast is equally star-studded as many of Streep’s other projects and includes Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci (again), and Adrian Grenier.
The film was a huge hit, raking in $326.7 million in box-office sales. It also won several awards including a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture to Meryl Streep, an AFI Movies of the Year Award, and several nominations for costume and makeup design. With good reason, the high fashion in this film is to die for — or to be killed by Miranda Priestly for. Either way.
8. The Bridges of Madison County (1992)
Meryl Streep. Clint Eastwood. Need we say more? This feature film is adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Robert James. The film follows the love story set between Francesca Johnson played by Streep and National Geographic photographer, Robert Kincaid, played by Eastwood. Traveling to Madison County to photograph its iconic bridges, he falls head over heels for Francesca, who lives on a farm with her husband and children, who happen to be away at the time. A torrid four-day love affair ensues. The story comes to light as the present-day adult children of Francesca find the story in her belongings following her death and realize that her final wishes are to have her ashes spread next to Robert’s on the bridge.
The film is a well-known classic that was a big hit. It brought in $182 million at the box office and won Best Film of the 1990s and the Reader’s Choice Award. Of course, it was selected for all kinds of things including Best Actress, and two Golden Globe nominations. Once again, Meryl Streep’s performance struck movie industry gold and is very worthy of the number eight spot on the countdown.
7. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
“The Dingo ate my baby!” Although strange, it is one of the most iconic lines in movie history. In this heartbreaking film based on a true story, an Australian couple must face the harsh reality of their missing child, being taken by a dingo on a camping trip gone wrong. It’s a fantastic tale, almost too fantastic to be believed; in fact, many people don’t and an investigation ensues into what really happened to the missing baby. It’s a story that definitely proves fact is stranger than fiction, and Meryl Streep gives a heartbreaking performance as the mother, Lindy Chamberlain.
Yet Meryl Streep isn’t the only familiar face you will see in this movie. She stars across from Sam Neill, perhaps better known as Dr. Alan Grant of Jurassic Park. Neill plays Seventh-Day Adventist priest Michael Chamberlain, husband to Lindy and father of the missing child. The movie brought in a huge worldwide audience and won the AACTA Award for Best Film, the Cannes Best Actress Award, a Golden Globe for Best Picture, and an Academy Award for Meryl Streep for Best Leading Actress. The movie brought in $6.9 million at the box office and was also known by the title Evil Angels, based on the book by John Bryson.
6. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Meryl Streep is all about shaking things up, and this movie did just that. Kramer vs. Kramer was a groundbreaking film that explored the burgeoning aspects of women’s roles, family dynamics, and work/home life. Based on the actual court case, the story follows the Kramer family as Joanna, played by Streep, walks out on Ted, played by Dustin Hoffman, and their young son Billy, played by Justin Henry. Ted is forced to take on life as a single father in a time when that was certainly not the norm. Then, when Joanna suddenly returns to claim custody of Billy, the ensuing court case makes history.
The movie brought in a record-breaking $173 million and won an Academy Award for Best Actor, one for Best Picture, one for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and one to Robert Benton for Best Directing. Basically, the gender role-shattering film was a big hit, in no small part to Streep’s controversial performance as a mother looking for more.
5. The Laundromat (2019)
Streep does it again in another groundbreaking film — she has brought attention to a social issue affecting millions of people. Based on a true story, Streep plays widow Ellen Martin whose relaxing vacation takes a dark turn when the boat she and her husband are on flips over. Following his death, she goes in search of the boat’s insurance company, which turns out to be little more than a scam. Her search leads her to two sketchy attorneys operating out of Panama, but she soon discovers the scheme goes beyond her claim — this is a worldwide operation affecting millions.
The movie is based on the book Secrecy World by Jake Bernstein and garnered a lot of attention. It also starred some familiar faces such as Antonio Banderas and David Schwimmer. The movie was streamed on Netflix, and while it did receive some mixed reviews as far as the storyline, Streep’s performance was an agreed-upon success.
4. Out of Africa (1985)
“I had a farm in Afr-i-ca.” Meryl Streep is the queen of iconic one-liners. Out of Africa is most well known by this starting line that is repeated frequently throughout the film. The movie is based on the true story of Isak Dinesen, documented in her book Out of Africa, and follows the unusual love story of aristocrat Karen Blixen and safari hunter Denys, played by Robert Redford. The backdrop to this love story is as one might have guessed, in Kenya, East Africa. The movie not only features classic one-liners, but some of the scenes also made cinematic history as well. A touching moment between the two lovers portrays Denys washing his lover’s hair. The scene has been recreated over and over and is still considered iconic to this day.
Once again, everything Streep touches turns to gold — cinematic gold that is. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Picture, one for Best Music, and one to Sydney Pollack for Best Directing. Streep was also nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role. It also drew in $227.5 million in box-office sales, making it one of the most successful films of all time. No wonder it snagged our number four spot in the countdown.
3. Silkwood (1983)
From couture fashion magazine editor to uncouth factory worker, Meryl Streep’s acting range is unprecedented. In this drama based on a true story, Streep plays Karen Silkwood, an employee at a nuclear factory along with her boyfriend Drew Stephens, played by Kurt Russell, and their roommate Dolly, played by none other than Cher. The story follows Silkwood’s growing concern about the safety practices of the factory as radiation contamination becomes an issue. Silkwood realizes the factory may know more than it is letting on and she begins to fight back against the system.
The depth of Silkwood’s character is revealed as she begins fighting for her and others’ rights within the factory and delving into research far above her pay grade. The movie brought in $35.6 million at the box office and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading and Supporting Role, and two Golden Globes for Best Actress, one for Cher and Streep respectively. Once again, Streep seems right at home playing big characters who aren’t afraid to shake up the system, which is why we simply had to give Silkwood our number-three spot.
2. The Hours (2002)
The Hours once again shows Streep stepping on the scene to examine gender roles and dynamics, and examining the difference between what we want from life, and what we sometimes get. The Hours follows the story of three women, including writer Virginia Woolf, looking for more out of their lives. Set in three different eras, their stories begin to intertwine and meet up in an unexpected way. The cast is incredibly star-studded with Streep, of course, playing Clarissa Vaughan, Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf, as well as Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, and John C. Reilly.
The movie is based on the acclaimed novel of the same name and plays off of Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway, which had a working title of The Hours, thus the basis for the novel and movie title. It brought in $108.8 million at the box office and received critical acclaim as one would expect with such a Hollywood heavy-hitter cast. It garnered a total of 88 separate nominations with 25 wins among them. A few included Best Actress, Best Drama Film, Best Foreign Feature Film, and of course, the casting director Daniel Swee won the Casting Society of America’s Best Drama Film Casting award — no surprise there! With the awards, the cast, and the storyline, it’s no wonder The Hours snagged our number two spot on the countdown.
1. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
In one of her most groundbreaking performances in one of the most critically acclaimed films of our time, it is no small wonder why Sophie’s Choice took our number one spot on the Meryl Streep countdown. The movie follows the story of the character Stingo, a young writer who moves to Brooklyn and meets his neighbor Sophie, played by Streep, and her lover Nathan, played by Kevin Kline. The two seem to have a perfect life and perfect relationship, but soon the cracks in both their relationship and Sophie’s story begin to show. Little by little, Stingo uncovers the truth about Sophie’s dark past as a Holocaust survivor and the impossible choice she was forced to make, thus the title of the film.
The film is a hard one to watch, but Streep’s performance draws the viewer in. The movie brought in $30 million at the box office and is still hailed as a classic. Streep was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe, and BAFTA all for Best Actress. The movie itself was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture. The movie presents important questions on life, love, and where our true loyalties lie.
There are few actresses so well-known, well-awarded, and wide-ranged as Meryl Streep. She is truly an actress for the ages and we are just lucky we get to exist at the same time as her flawless performances. While these 10 seemed to us the standouts, they are just a sampling of her almost 100 performances in her nearly 50-year career. So, here’s to Meryl Streep and her extensive career, and to what we hope will be her next 50.
