To say that the modern landscape of pop culture and cinema wouldn’t be where it is today without Meryl Streep may be an understatement. The aptly named GOAT (greatest of all time) of Hollywood has won more awards and received more accolades than almost any thespian in the industry and her portfolio would put most up-and-coming actors to shame.
Take a walk down memory lane with us as we celebrate the actress and her iconic works throughout the decades!
Despite not being the central romantic interest of the movie, the dancing queen of Mamma Mia! stole our hearts and delivered a worthy performance of ABBA’s timeless discography. Starring alongside heartthrob Pierce Brosnan, Streep embodied the role of a former rockstar whose star-studded past returned in the form of three former suitors, forcing her to confront the truth of her daughter’s patronage and strike a perfect balance between rediscovering her wild side and being a mother.
This movie delivered a funky dose of musical fun, peppered with unexpected moments of genuine emotion that tugged at our heartstrings. We still tear up every time we think about Streep’s soul-crushing performance of Slipping Through My Fingers.
Funny, fashionable and a cult classic — Meryl Streep’s iconic performance in Death Becomes Her continues to inspire cultural references across productions in Hollywood to this day.
Who can forget the iconic youth potion that formed the crux of the movie’s plot — or the timeless off-shoulder looks that Streep and her co-star Goldie Hawn served, especially during their more-than-hilarious showdown in the mansion?
It’s a shame that this movie remains a hidden gem to this day and all we can say to that is, to quote Streep: “Yes! No! Oh, damn!”
No list celebrating Streep’s works would be complete without this cornerstone of pop culture. Possibly one of the biggest hits of the 2000s, The Devil Wears Prada was elevated from a great movie to a cultural masterpiece with Streep’s timeless performance as Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief at fictional fashion magazine Runway.
From educating us on the trickle-down economies of the fashion world (and scaring us into learning about the colour cerulean) to stunning in every single look for 1 hour and 49 minutes straight, Streep’s role in this timeless film remains one of the greatest of all time. That’s all.
Though this stage-to-screen adaptation of the theatrical production of the same name left much to be desired, Streep’s performance as the Witch stood on its own as a strong performance among a list of not-so-memorable A-list celebrities. We’ll have whatever she’s having, magic beans or otherwise!