Meryl Streep

Super Streep!

Is there anything that Meryl Streep can't do? Her superior acting skills, singing ability and uncanny talent for accents have made her the most revered actress - and the most Academy-Award nominated actress in Hollywood. (Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)

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Meryl Streep Is there anything that Meryl Streep can't do? Her superior acting skills, singing ability and uncanny talent for accents have made her the most revered actress - and the most Academy-Award nominated actress in Hollywood. (Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images)
From Mary Louis ... Born Mary Louise Streep in New Jersey (her mother combined the two names to create 'Meryl'), Streep was a cheerleader and homecoming queen. She took acting and singing lessons, which led her to Vassar College and the Yale School of Drama. (Photo: United Artists)
Meryl on the Mov... Meryl starred in Broadway plays in the late 1970s, then moved on to TV, capturing an Emmy for her work in the 1978 miniseries "Holocaust" and the attention of the film community. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)
Meryl's Big Movi... Streep made a big impression as the wife of a troubled Vietnam vet in the 1979 film "The Deer Hunter," and was nominated for her first Academy Award for best supporting actress. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
Meryl Gets Marri... Sadly, Streep's boyfriend and "Deer Hunter" co-star John Cazale died of bone cancer in 1978. Later that same year, she married sculptor Donald Gummer (pictured). The two are still married and have four children. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Meryl Takes 'Man... In 1979, Meryl starred as Woody Allen's ex-wife in the "Annie Hall" follow-up "Manhattan." (Photo: United Artists)
Meryl Takes Home... Everyone knows it's an honor just to be nominated, but Streep actually won an Oscar the second time she was nominated. The award was for her role opposite Dustin Hoffman in "Kramer vs. Kramer." (Photo: Columbia)
Meryl Makes It T... Her portrayal of two parallel characters in the 1981 film "The French Lieutenant's Woman" brought Streep her third Academy Award nomination. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Streep in 'Sophi... Meryl wowed audiences with her tour-de-force performance - and perfect Polish accent - in the wrenching 1982 film "Sophie's Choice." (Photo: Universal)
Streep' s Second And picked up her second Academy Award for best actress in 1983 for her portrayal of concentration camp survivor Sophie Zawistowski. (Photo: Universal)
Streep in 'Silkw... Meryl was on a hot streak during the 1980s, starring as a factory whistleblower in "Silkwood," which resulted in Oscar nomination number five.
Streep's Sixth Oscar nomination number six was for her role as Danish plantation owner Karen Blixen in Sydney Pollack's grand epic "Out of Africa." (Photo: Universal)
Streep on Safari She didn't win this time, but the sweeping love story, starring hunky Robert Redford as her romantic interest made audiences swoon. (Photo: Universal)
Meryl's Movie Ma... In 1985, Meryl paired up with Jack Nicholson for two successful films: "Heartburn," writer Nora Ephron's semi-autobiographical story of her marriage to reporter Carl Bernstein and... (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Meryl Streep "Ironweed," where they played desperate alcoholics during the Depression. Both Streep and Nicholson were nominated for Oscars for their performances. (Photo by Liaison)
A Dingo Ate Your... In 1988, Streep pulled out a flawless Aussie accent in "A Cry in the Dark," starring as a mother accused of murdering her own child. The film was based on the true story of Lindy Chamberlain, who claimed a dingo took her baby on a camping trip. The film won Streep yet another Oscar nomination, but it was the mocking line 'the dingo ate your baby' uttered by Elaine on an episode of "Seinfeld" that ended up as the most memorable moment of this movie.
Meryl and MacLai... The unlikely pairing of Meryl and Roseanne Barr in the movie "She-Devil" unsurprisingly turned out to be a flop, but she had success with "Postcards from the Edge," opposite Shirley MacLaine. We've lost count now, but Meryl was nominated for an Oscar for this role, too. This might be a good time to mention that Streep has been nominated for more Academy Awards (14) than any other actor. (Photo: Columbia)
Streep Stretches Throughout the 1990s, Streep expanded her range from period dramas to goofy comedies like "Death Becomes Her," action movies like "The River Wild"... (Photo: Universal)
Meryl in 'Madiso... ... and into weepy chick-flick territory with the movie version of the book "The Bridges of Madison County" which earned her another Academy Award nomination. (Photo: Warner Brothers)
Sick Streep Streep starred as a mother suffering from cancer, opposite Renee Zellweger in "One True Thing," which brought her nomination number 11... (Photo: Universal)
Meryl's 'Music' ... number 12 came from the 1999 film "Music of the Heart," where she played a violin teacher to children in Harlem. To prepare for the role, the famously dedicated Streep practiced violin for six hours a day. (Photo: Miramax)
Smart Streep Streep picked up Oscar nomination number 13 for her role as author Susan Orlean in the offbeat film "Adaptation." (Photo: Columbia)
Streep in 'Snick... Not afraid to delve into anything, Meryl played an appealingly paranoid aunt in the children's film "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events." (Photo: Paramount)
Streep Sings Meryl joined Garrison Keillor in the film version of the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" and sang her heart out. She also got a chance to show off her marvelous Minnesota accent. (Photo: Picturehouse)
The Meryl Wears ... Her deliciously devilish turn as a fictional magazine editor/boss from hell in "The Devil Wears Prada" showed a fearsome - and fierce - side of Streep that is seldom seen. The Academy appreciated her work, sending another Best Actress nomination her way. (Photo: 20th Century Fox)
Mama Meryl Of Meryl's four children, so far only her daughter Mamie Gummer has decided to pursue acting as a career. Meryl and Mamie starred together in the 2007 film "Evening." (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)
'Mamma' Meryl Streep sang again in 2008, along with costar Pierce Brosnan, in the film version of the ABBA-inspired musical, "Mamma Mia!" The film earned Meryl a nod at the Gloden Globe Award for Best Actress. (Photo by Getty Images)
Singin' Streep Meryl Streep starred in "Mamma Mia!" with costars Christine Baranski and Julie Walters who play her supportive (and hilarious) friends. (Photo: Universal)
Sister Streep In 2008, Streep starred in another film version of a theater production: the dramatic play "Doubt." Meryl portrays a nun in the movie, which garnered the actress nominations for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe award. (Photo: Miramax)
Meryl Triumphs -... Meryl Streep wins her second Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in "Doubt" and triumphantly holds her well-earned trophy. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Meryl & Her Fans Meryl has no shortage of fans; here she walks over to give her autograph to adoring fans. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Streep Takes on ... Meryl Streep teams up with her "Doubt" co-star Amy Adams in the film "Julie & Julia." Meryl plays Julia Child, a famous chef whose cookbook has 524 recipes - all of which Julie (Amy Adams) aspires to cook. (Photo: Sony Pictures)
Golden Globe Meryl Streep poses with the award for best actress in a motion picture, comedy or musical for “Julie and Julia” backstage at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010,
'It's Complicate... Streep starred alongside Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin in 2010's 'It's Complicated.' She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for her work in the film.
SAG Awards In 2010, Streep attended the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild awards.
Critics Choice M... Meryl Streep, left, and Sandra Bullock kiss as they tie for the award of best actress on stage at the 15th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010,(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mysterious Meryl Despite her record 16 Academy Award nominations (and two wins), her 25 Golden Globe nominations (and seven wins), two Emmy awards and a slew of other honors, Streep is rarely in the spotlight. Unlike many of her peers, she has steered clear of the red carpet - and of controversy and concentrated on her craft. The results - and the awards - speak for themselves. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Charlize Theron Charlize Theron: Then and Now. See her transformation here.