There's not much to say about Meryl Streep that hasn't been said already... she is the Mariah Carey of the film industry, with a record breaking 18 Academy Award Nominations and 3 trophies (2 Leading Actress wins and 1 Supporting Actress win), it's easy to say she is the best actress working today. She has also been nominated for 28 Golden Globes, won 2 Emmys 2 BAFTA's and even 5 Grammy nominations. Not to mention, she is one of the rare actresses over the age of 40 that continues to land challenging roles (unlike her counterpart Glenn Close).
The last time you saw Streep, she was earning her 18th Oscar nomination for "August: Osage County" (not her best, but she gets nominated for everything it seems), and the next time you'll see her will be later this year in Tommy Lee Jones' "The Homesman", the film adaptation of the popular book "The Giver" (alongside Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes and Taylor Swift) and the film adaptation of the popular musical "Into the Woods" (alongside Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt and Chris Pine).
Today, Streep turns 65. In honor of the legendary queen of the film awards, lets count down her 5 best performances: #5. As Kay Soames in "Hope Springs" (2012)
Streep's most recognized performances are (arguably) always her showiest, most high profile roles. In fact, it's what she's known for; the accents, the dramatic story lines, etc. But Streep is even better when she plays "real" women, and there's no better example of this then Hope Springs. Streep brings an enormous amount of nuance and emotion to her depiction of a sexually starved woman trying to save her marriage that was missing from her 2 Oscar nominated portrayals as Julia Child and Margaret Thatcher (and even her Sister Aloysius from "Doubt"). Had she not (divisively) won her 3rd Oscar for "The Iron Lady", maybe she could have won some traction for this role, it would have certainly been deserving of it.
Awards: Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actress- Musical or Comedy
#4.) As Madeline Ashton in "Death Becomes Her" (1992)
Streep's dramatic chops also distract audiences from the fact that she is actually a gifted comedienne, gifts that are not utilized enough, but put to some great work when partnered with Death Becomes Her's hard biting satirical script. Streep perfectly captures the fading Hollywood starlet that is chasing every opportunity at staying beautiful, and makes it hilarious. Her bitchy on-screen chemistry with Goldie Hawn is perfect in every way.
Awards: Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actress- Musical or Comedy
#3.) As Clarissa Vaughn in "The Hours" (2002)
As the modern day manifestation of Virginia Wolfe's iconic "Mrs. Dalloway" in the actress heavy "The Hours", Streep presents us with the most quiet performance, but one of her most powerful. Her co-stars Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman were nominated for Leading Actress and Supporting Actress while Streep was instead nominated for "Adaptation" instead. And though no one seems to ever cite her when discussing this film, it is Streep that takes the least showy of the characters, and shines bright, brighter than she does when given baity performances filled with makeup and accents.
Awards: BAFTA Nomination for Leading Actress, SAG Nomination for Best Ensemble, Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actress Drama, Berlin International Film Festival Best Actress winner
#2.) As Joanna in "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979)
The role that brought Streep her first Academy Award remains one of her best. Streep's Joanna could have easily been "the angry wife" in this divorce dramedy. However, the script refuses to allow her to be just that, giving Streep many opportunities to tap into different sides of the character; and equal chance is provided to Joanna as is Dustin Hoffman's character, providing an accurate and honest portrayal of the dissolution of marriage. However, a lot of credit has to go to Streep, who recognizes these beats in the film's screenplay; it's impossible to imagine any other actress playing this character. Besides maybe "Sophie's Choice", Streep has never been so heartbreakingly precise onscreen...
Awards: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, LAFCA Best Supporting Actress winner, NYFCC Best Supporting Actress winner.
#1.) As Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006)
... But no role has ever combined Streep's massive star power and her own ability to disappear completely into a character. But what makes this disappearance so much more shocking than her transformation into Margaret Thatcher or Julia Child, is the fact that it requires no physical alteration; Streep is able to disappear just by acting. As the frightening diva editor in chief of Runway magazine, Streep gives her most iconic performance, far surpassing her work in "Sophie's Choice" (for which she was then best known for, besides being nominated for a million Oscars). Streep makes waves with simply a glance or a simple "That is all". She truly makes the film worth watching, and elevates it from B- to B+.
Look no further than this clip to see what I'm talking about:
Though the film isn't about her, she is the focal point, and you can tell she's having a blast.
Awards: Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, Golden Globe for Best Actress Comedy or Musical winner, BAFTA nomination for Best Actress, SAG nomination for Best Actress + a million other nominations
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