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Questions about Meryl Streep

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When and where was Meryl Streep born?

Mary Louise Streep was born on the 22nd of June 1949 in Summit, New Jersey. Her mother Mary Wilkinson Streep worked as an artist while her father Harry William Streep Jr served as a pharmaceutical executive.

What were the early career milestones for Meryl Streep before moving to New York City?

Meryl Streep attended Bernards High School where she became homecoming queen and played the lead role of Louise Heller in The Family Upstairs. She began taking opera lessons from Estelle Liebling at age twelve but quit four years later after realizing emotional truth mattered more than technical perfection.

Which films earned Meryl Streep major awards during the late 1970s?

The Deer Hunter released in 1978 featured Meryl Streep playing Robert De Niro's girlfriend and received praise from Pauline Kael. Kramer vs. Kramer followed in 1979 where she won both a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing an unhappily married woman who abandoned her husband and child.

How did Meryl Streep handle accent work throughout her filmography?

Meryl Streep spoke Danish in Out of Africa released in 1985 and British Received Pronunciation in The French Lieutenant's Woman from 1981. Her Italian accent in The Bridges of Madison County drew comparisons to Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani whom she studied prior to filming.

What significant honors has Meryl Streep received from government institutions?

President Barack Obama bestowed upon Meryl Streep the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November 2014 citing her unparalleled ability to portray characters embodying full human experience. She also received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2011 introduced by Tracey Ullman with speeches from Robert De Niro and Mike Nichols.