Five performances that made Meryl Streep an icon
When looking at the biggest film icons of the last 50 years, it’s hard to look beyond the true legend that is Meryl Streep. It’s no wonder that Streep holds the record for most Academy Award nominations – 21 and counting, winning three – such is the endless stream of her talents.
Streep arrived on the theatre scene in 1975 with Trelawny of the Wells before Tony nominations arrived the next year for 27 Wagons Full of Cotton and A Memory of Two Mondays. It wasn’t long before the silver screen came calling, and Streep made her film debut with Julia.
From there, the New Jersey-born actor would go on to become of the greatest players of her generation, earning awards and nominations left, right and centre. The 1980s and 1990s were her undoubted eras of biggest praise, although the 21st Century has also proven that Streep still has a star performance in the bag.
Streep has played just about every role there is to play, from comedy to drama to history and everything in between, so today, we’re going to take a look at five performances that have made her a genuine icon in the world of cinema.
Performances that made Meryl Streep an icon:
The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino, 1978)
Michael Cimino’s 1978 Vietnam War film will long live in the memory, capturing the horrors of the conflict but played out back on home soil. Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken starred alongside Streep in a careful examination of the impact and effects of war on its soldiers.
While Streep is not at the centre of the film’s narrative, she still manages to prove her worth as a young actor, giving her all in what was, in fact, only her second big feature film appearance. It was evident from The Deer Hunter, though, that we had a star in the making.
Kramer Vs. Kramer (Robert Benton, 1979)
Just a year later and Streep further cemented her position as one of the most promising stars on the acting scene. Robert Benton’s Kramer vs. Kramer charts a married couple’s divorce and the impact it has on their young son. Streep starred opposite Dustin Hoffman in one of her greatest roles.
There are many strings to Streep’s bow by now, but in her early films, she showed that her greatest strength is certainly delivering emotional poignancy in a manner of undeniable realism. Her performance in Kramer vs. Kramer is undoubtedly indicative of this and is one of her best for sure.
Sophie’s Choice (Alan J. Pakula, 1982)
The 1980s saw Streep become one of the most sought-after movie stars of all time, and at the beginning of the decade, she starred in what many consider to be her greatest-ever film performance, Alan J. Pakula’s Sophie’s Choice, adapted from William Styron’s 1979 novel of the same name.
Streep plays Zofia ‘Sophie’ Zawistowsk, a Poland-America immigrant who harbours a dark past. Sophie lives with the excruciating consequences of having to choose between saving her son or daughter during wartime while trying to live a normal life in New York City. Streep took home the Academy Award for ‘Best Actress’ that year, and it’s easy to see why.
Silkwood (Mike Nichols, 1983)
Streep continued her fine performances of the early 1980s the following year in Mike Nichols’ Silkwood. She played the titular role of Karen Silkwood, a nuclear whistleblower and activist who looked deeper into the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant, where she was an employee.
Silkwood was contaminated at the plant and was subject to psychological torture to stop her from spreading information about the reality of the plant’s practices and their lack of care for safety. In the lead role, Streep shone and lent the film an air of intensity unlikely to have been found in any other actor.
The Bridges of Madison County (Clint Eastwood, 1995)
Streep offered her already established talents to Clint Eastwood in the mid-1990s for his romantic drama The Bridges of Madison County, which almost eclipsed the popularity of the book it was based on. Eastwood plays a photographer who comes into the life of Streep’s Francesca Johnson.
When Francesca’s family depart for a trip, the pair have one of the most intense four-day affairs ever captured on film. Streep earned her tenth Academy Award nomination and further cemented herself as an actor of genuine iconic status.
