Mamma Mia: Meryl Streep turns 64

Three time Oscar-award winning actress Meryl Streep turns 64 today. Hailed as one of the greatest living actresses, Ms Streep has proven her prowess by mastering every character she has played on screen. Lately, Ms Streep has kept her showbiz career really low key with just one big screen release Hope Springs last year. However, she is ready to sprinkle some magic on celluloid this year with two film releases namely The Homesman and August: Osage County, which will have her playing a pill-popping mother to a bitter daughter played by Julia Roberts.

Lately Ms Streep has kept her showbiz career really low key with just one big screen release Hope Springs last year. However, she is ready to sprinkle some magic on celluloid this year with two film releases namely The Homesman and August: Osage County, which will have her playing a pill-popping mother to a bitter daughter played by Julia Roberts.

Born to a pharmaceutical company executive and commercial artist, Mary Louise Streep was born on June 22, 1949 in Summit, New Jersey. She had two younger brothers, Harry III and Dana. At the age of 12, the actress surprised her parents by her singing talent when she sang in a school Christmas concert. She took singing lessons from renowned coach Estelle Liebling. As she grew up Meryl became more inclined towards cheerleading and eventually quit music. Apart from cheerleading, the actress actively took part in other activities of her school like working for the school newspaper and yearbook. She was also the homecoming queen of her graduation year.

Ms Streep began acting in plays during her high school years at Bernardsville and later joined the all women Vassar College as a Music major, but soon realised her ambition of becoming an actress. She then enrolled in Yale School of Drama, earning a Masters in Fine Arts degree.

In 1975, the actress moved to New York City and got her first role as a manager in the play Trelawney of the Wells at the Joseph Papp's Public Theatre. The play got rave reviews and Ms Streep was noticed for her immense acting talent. For one of her early plays, 27 Wagons Full Of Cotton she received a Tony Award nomination.

In 1977, Ms Streep bagged her first film role in Julia, co-starring Jane Fonda. It was her second film, The Deer Hunter, that earned the actress her first Oscar nomination and is considered to be one of her landmark performances. The actress faced a setback in her personal life with the sudden death of her co-star and beau John Cazale. She completely immersed herself into work to cope with the loss.

Meryl Streep appeared in the small role of a lesbian ex-wife in Woody Allen's Manhattan and continued with her stage performances. The year 1979 turned out to be a milestone in her life when she portrayed the role of Joanna opposite actor Dustin Hoffman in the movie, Kramer vs Kramer, which turned out to be the biggest hit of that year. She received her first Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe for the film.

There was no looking back for the Oscar winner as she went on to do some of Hollywood's most coveted roles in movies such as The French Lieutenant's Woman, Still Of The Night, and Sophie's Choice which is considered to be one her career's most defining roles and and for which she received her second Oscar Award in the Best Actress category. Ms Streep also portrayed the role of real life activist Karen Silkwood in the controversial movie, Silkwood. She received nominations for the Golden Globe, the British Academy Award and the Oscar for the role in 1984.

The Oscar award winning actress continued with her hits and awards as she starred opposite actor Robert Redford in the movie, Out Of Africa which earned 11 Oscar nominations and took away seven awards. Ms Streep continued her winning streak when she won the 'Best All Round Female Entertainer' title at the People's Choice awards in 1986. The actress continued to give a string of successful movies like Ironweed, Cry In The Dark, She Devil and Postcards From The Edge. In a period of six years (1984-1990), Meryl Streep won six People's Choice Awards.

In the early nineties, the actress saw a slight decline in her career graph but made a roaring comeback opposite Clint Eastwood in the romantic movie, The Bridges Of Madison County in 1995. She also played actress Diane Keaton's sister who was diagnosed with cancer in the movie, Marvin's Room. in 1998, she was awarded the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She received her 11th and 12th Oscar nomination for the movies, One True Thing and Music Of The Heart. She also stepped in as an executive producer for the TV series, First Do No Harm.

Meryl Streep's career graph seemed to be at a high in the 2000s, as she went on to do critically acclaimed movies such as The Hours, Adaptation, Prime and A Prairie Home Companion. The actress also acted in the TV series, Angels in America, in 2003 which became the most watched television series of that year and received her first Screen Actors Guild Award, an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe. In 2004, she received a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.

Meryl Streep witnessed huge commercial success with the movie, The Devil Wears Prada in 2006. Her portrayal of a fashion magazine editor grossed over 100 million dollars in the US. In 2008 her musical, Mamma Mia became the highest-grossing musical films of all time. In 2009, she portrayed the renowned chef Julia Child in the film Julie & Julia for which she won a Golden Globe.

In 2011, Meryl Streep played the role of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the movie, The Iron Lady. Ms Streep did it again as she swept the Best Actress Award at the Oscars, Golden Globe and BAFTA.

The Mamma Mia actress is involved in a number of charitable and philanthropic work. Most notably, she is the national spokesperson for the National Woman's History Museum.

Considered to be one of the best actresses of all time, Meryl Streep has earned a record of 17 Oscar nominations, winning three of them and 27 Golden Globe nominations out of which she won eight.

Here's wishing the actress a very happy birthday and more trophies in the years to come.