American actress, favorite of film critics and the general public. Her roles are very diverse, Streep avoids the role framework. The winner of many awards from the most respected film academies, in particular, she has been nominated for an Oscar more than 20 times.
Biography
She was born in 1949 in the American town of Summit, New Jersey. She grew up in a large family of Dutch origin. The father worked in a pharmaceutical company, the mother, in addition to raising children, devoted a lot of time to painting.
Meryl spent most of her childhood at Bernards High School, New Jersey. She continued her education at Vassar College with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, after studying at the Yale School of Drama, she received a master's degree.
The versatility of her talent was evident even during her studies. In performances staged by students, she has played a variety of roles, from Shakespeare's Elena to an 80-year-old woman.
Career
After graduation, he leaves for New York. He plays in various theatrical productions, most often based on classical works, at the same time attends auditions, hoping to start a film career.
He receives his first film role two years after moving to New York. In the film "Julia" Streep played a small cameo role. The film received excellent reviews, was nominated for an Oscar in three nominations.
Meryl was very critical of her choice of roles. Despite the abundance of offers from film companies, almost a year passed after the first success in the cinema, before she again appeared on the set.
At first she did not like her role in the film "The Deer Hunter". She agreed to take part in the filming for the only reason - her lover was filmed in it, who was seriously ill at that time. Streep didn't want to be separated from him.
The film became a cinema event, was highly appreciated by critics and viewers. The film was nominated for an Oscar in nine nominations, but it won only three. Streep was nominated for Best Actress, but this time she didn't get the statuette.
In the same year she starred in the TV series "Holocaust", where she played the wife of a Jewish artist. This role also did not bring her creative satisfaction. As the actress herself admitted, she really needed money, and filming was just a way to make money.
Social drama, released in 1979, made the famous actress a star. The film was called Kramer vs. Kramer. Streep played Joanna Kramer, who is trying to get custody of her five-year-old daughter through a court after her divorce. During filming, Meryl persistently tried to avoid stereotypes that expose women who are in a similar situation as vicious bitches or predators. Thanks to her persistence, the script was corrected by the scriptwriters and director. Streep's game was considered very realistic.
The film received international acclaim and was nominated for an Oscar in nine categories. For this role, the actress received her statuette in the category of best actress.
After the first big success in Hollywood, all the doors opened for Meryl, she had the opportunity to choose interesting roles in creative and financial terms.
1982 saw the release of Sophie's Choice, a film about the life of a Polish emigrant in America. Meryl Streep convincingly portrayed the complex range of feelings of a woman who escaped the hell of a German occupation. She is safe, but the past does not let her go, forcing her to relive terrible moments over and over again. Failure to resist the ghosts of the past leads the heroine to death.
This role earned Streep another Oscar, audience admiration and rave reviews from film critics.
All subsequent roles of Meryl Streep in the 80s and 90s have invariably been successful. Many of them have received prestigious film awards.
In the 2000s, the flame of Streep's talent did not diminish in the least; on the contrary, it flared up with renewed vigor. In 2003 he starred in the TV series "Angels in America", in which he plays four characters at once. Each heroine has her own character and life story. The amazing talent for reincarnation, the ability to grasp the subtlest nuances of the psychological portrait of the character, caused a flurry of delight from critics. The film has won numerous international film awards.
In 2011, he starred in the dramatic film adaptation of Margaret Thatcher's career. Despite the sharply negative statements about the film from persons close to the former Prime Minister and Thatcher herself, the film was a great success. For this role, Streep received another Oscar.
Personal life
Fans of the actress have repeatedly suggested that the realism in expressing dramatic experiences is due to Streep's personal experience. Her first lover, John Cazale, with whom she had been together for two years, was painfully dying of lung cancer. Meryl stayed with him until the end.
In 1978, a few months after John's death, she married Don Gummer. In marriage, Streep received what she lacked in recent years - unconditional support. The couple had four children.
Streep is not a member of any of the world's religious denominations, but is not an atheist. The actress is sure that God exists, but does not consider it necessary to visit special places for religious rites.
A special place in the life of Srip is occupied by the Museum of Women's History, where she is not only listed as an orator and actively participates in all events, but also does not spare her own funds to support his projects.
