Why Do We Love Meryl Streep? 

"It's weird to see Keira Knightley in modern clothing because I am pretty sure she lives in the past somewhere" 😂😂 lol so true

"Meryl could play Batman and it would be the right casting choice"

I'll just add as a native Polish speaker that she spoke Polish in Sophie's Choice with such native-like perfection that I thought she must have been overdubbed. Hats off to her, it's a really difficult language in terms of its phonology!

My favorite recent story is how the cast of "Don't Look Up" kept calling her the GOAT. Finally, after some time had passed, they realize that she thought they were referring to as an "old goat". She didn't know it meant "Greatest Of All Time" until they explained it to her 😂. All along she took it in stride and never said a thing! So down-to-earth and such a sense of humor.

"And it's clearly not working for her" omg did not expect to see Amy Adams dragged like that my poor girl

The reason why Meryl Streep became THE Meryl Streep, the queen we revere today after The Devil Wears Prada because that's when she became accessible to her audience & she was introduced to a new fanbase of Gen Z & millennial individuals.

Did anyone else pause to appreciate dat CHART?! 10/10 Chart skills

People often gloss over Meryl's career in the 90's, including herself but honestly they are some of my favourite comedies. Death Becomes her might be my favourite Meryl Streep movie. She is hilarious in it and it goes without saying her acting is fantastic. Yes the effects are a bit outdated and the movie could be seen as shallow or vein but it's also satire and most importantly a lot of fun. I think critics got this movie wrong in the 90s and people are realising that which is why its become of a bit of a cult classic today.

That final clip of Debbie Reynolds -reading- Meryl for her life!!! Iconic!

Can you do Jessica Lange? On her journey to being a actress that had looks to an actress that actually had talent I think she was actually given more recognition when she was in AHS than the 70's or 80's.

I think it would be really interesting to delve more into women of color. Actresses like Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Angela Basset, etc would make for compelling video essay topics.

What I really like and admire about her is that when I see her on film she is not 'the same' every time. She has so much versatility as an actress that you literally SEE the character she plays and not Meryl. Very few actresses can do that. Most of the times I see e.g. Julia Roberts playing Julia Roberts etc.

I saw MERYL and Raul Julia in Taming of the Shrew on Broadway. I was 16. Their performances changed my life!

Critics: We wanna see Meryl. Also critics: We wanna see versatility. Anton Ego: In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.

That Debbie Reynolds clip is brilliant! 🤣

One more things about Meryl Streep - she "plays well with others" (in kindergarten terms). Other actors, the crews, studio front offices like and love her and want to work with her. As someone who worked in "the biz" for 30 years, I can say that this is very, very important.

When you said Toni Collette, I freaked out because I'm a super duper big fan of her, such an underrated actress (Should've been nominated for Muriel's Wedding or Hereditary) Super great video btw!

Casting Agent: ‘How many accents can you do?’ Meryl: ‘Yes.’

Can we do a video on why Natalie Portman won an Oscar for Black Swan but Toni Collette was completely shut out for Hereditary?

I know this is about Meryl, but throughout the entire thing, I couldn't help but admire how amazingly well done this short docu film is.

It was weird for me to start to love a woman at middle age (Meryl Streep in Devil) in 2006. But after 13 years, I still love her and even more. She's elegant, strong and ambitious. She is the one who made me believe in acting and "multi faces" or "glass masks".

What a talented, SMART, elegant, graceful, cultured and decent actress. This magnificent woman has it all. Love her always and forever.

So curious about your thoughts on Saoirse and her trajectory, or even Mia Wasikowska.

Devil wears prada most definitely made her popular with millennials. She wouldn’t be as well known today as she is without it. There are so many great actresses from decades past that were household names that the newer generations don’t even recognize their names. Considering it’s very light hearted compared to a lot of her other films, I’m curious to know how she feels about that being one of, if not her most iconic role.

I Guess it's versatility. You never feel you've wasted time watching a movie with Meryl in it. You also never feel you have to put away Meryl's past to enjoy her presence.

I think one thing you kind of miss especially when talking about her peers is that Glenn Close has been the one always living in Meryl's shadow. Glenn has also shown her versatility and been lauded over the decades but still seems to be the also ran. Glenn should have won an Oscar by now.

When piecing all those immensely different characters' footages together....holy shit this woman is a X-MAN !

As someone who loves Meryl, but is only old enough to be aware of the brand of MERYL, this was incredibly informative. I think she’s truly incredible, but this shows me WHY I think that. Such a great video essay. Thank you.

A video essay about actresses who were newcomers/ingénues winning an Oscar after just 1-2 nominations would be very interesting. 😊

Her performance in Kramer vs Kramer is one of (if not THE) best performances I've ever seen. It feels so real, it doesn't feel like acting at all.

Absolutely love your channel. Whenever there's a new video it makes my day!

i definitely agree that avoiding typecasting has definitely been one of the strongest factors keeping her career going other than her amazing talent and you complete HIT THE NAIL about the sex symbol part when you think of other talented actresses of her time like Michelle Pfeiffer whose career completely sunk entering the 2000s when she was no longer " youthful"

I want you to do this about Cate Blanchett. If anyone comes to my mind after Meryl Streep its her. Her Range and talent is superior. She also should have won 3 Oscars by now if that disaster called Shakespeare in Love single handedly brought down the standards of the Academy in just one night (1999 Oscars) alone.

This video is a masterpiece. It’s not just the content, it’s narrators witty asides & ability to get across vast topics into something so digestible & easy to understand. 👏🏻

Please do a video about Kathryn Bigelow’s win for Best Director

Here’s an interesting statistic...since her first Oscar Nomination, in 1977, the LONGEST period she’s gone without being nominated for an Oscar is FIVE YEARS (between 1990’s Postcards From the Edge and 1995’s Bridges Of Madison County)...She is simply the most consistently Excellent actress in film history!

You should do a video about Debbie Reynolds and her efforts to preserve movie history

"enough with the accents" people are never happy are they?

Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Toni Collette?? My Aussie patriotism is ENGAGED (Also would love to see an essay on the academy’s relationship with the horror genre - through best actresses who have won (Kathy Bates, Jodie Foster) and been criminally ignored (Collette in Hereditary anyone?))

Meryl Streep and Jessica Lange are legends out of this universe, no amount of oscars can honestly do their talents any justice, the human race is very fortune to have been blessed by their very existence and I'm very grateful to have witnessed such greatness played out on screen.

If you really want to realize how good Meryl is, watch her very small role in Jane Fonda's "Julia." She's in one scene, her first film, I believe, and she completely owns it. I also think the beginning of Kramer vs. Kramer really shows her brilliance, because she sets up the pain the character is feeling in one brief scene, but seeing that allows us to sympathize with her an hour later when she re-emerges in the film.

Thanks for mentioning Meryl Streep's CHEEK 👏 BONES 👏

Please do one for the greatest American actress after Mery Streep - Julianne Moore. We really need it! Thanks!

This has easily become one of my favorite channels on RU-vid not only for educating me on actresses and Hollywood, but for making me curious and interested to learn more. I helped win an Oscars-themed trivia game a few weeks ago, because one of the categories of the night was best actress winners before 1960 and when a movie theater near me was showing Double Indemnity I went to see it (and loved it) because of how many times you mention Barbara Stanwyck in your videos. Thank you for these fun history lessons and insights to women in Hollywood. Keep up the great work and I can't wait for your next video!

I keep saying this with each one of your videos but this is ur best video yet, so so insightful. You do such a good job, it's mind blowing

"I can't definitively say Meryl Streep is the best actress alive..." Oh, sure you can.

I absolutely love your channel! So informative and well executed.

She has never been typecast as an ingénue. She was never the pretty lead / love interest in a romantic comedy. She has accepted to age. Most actresses her age look plastic and ageless. She looks her age. She looks real.

Speaking of Isabelle Huppert, you must talk about her incredible talent and career, please!

I feel like there is not enough emphasis on how funny she is. Even though She Devil is horrible, she manages to be be hilarious in it. She's great in Death Becomes her and Postcards. I quote her comedic roles constantly.

This whole video is gold, but thank you so much for the ending.

No one would say Daniel Day Lewis or Gary Oldman were "overwound or accent heavy." They disappear, as does Meryl, and that's the point. But she had to "lighten up" and smile more. Anyway she's still queen. And death becomes her is one of my favs!

If you have never seen "One True Thing", I recommend it. It's one of my favorite movies, but no one has ever heard of it. Watch it - Meryl will break your heart.

“And yes I made a chart” THANK YOU!!!! That’s the BIG VIRGO energy that I loooove. Thank you again for another wonderful video.

I was BEYOND psyched when I saw this video! I love Meryl Streep. I love this channel. I love this video. Keep up that the good work! Keep the videos coming! I can't get enough of them!

Meryl Streep has a house in Aspen where she spends a few months of the year. According to the locals she only answers to the name of Mrs Green . My friend who is Australian and stays at a ski lodge not far away from Meryls home. One morning as he walked past he saw her on the balcony drinking a coffee , he said loudly " good morning Mrs Green " & she looked at him and smiled and replied " good morning kind Sir ".

We like her because she is amazingly talented.

her daughters are so lucky to have inherited her unique brand of beauty

we want a video on isabelle huppert

Meryl is Meryl because she separates her personal life from her career and considers acting as an art and a job that should be done well. Not in a moment she has been part of a scandal or something else. That shows how much of a wonderful woman she is.

Pls do an episode about Amy Adams!!!

Her performance as Mary Louise in Big Little Lies was amazing. The way she handled and portrayed the character was just so powerful and empowering. Her portraying made the character hateful yet at the same time sympathetic for her. She’s amazing.

She is legitimately the best female actress of all time. Her range is unmatched.

So many of her films, I've neither seen nor knew. This makes me want a Streep marathon asap.

It is impossible for you to make a bad video. Keep up the great work, BKR!

No one ever mentions The River Wild when talking bout Meryl, shame, one of her best roles. She plays a bad ass. Anyway, awesome analysis of a legend.

can you do one of these on cate blanchett? or australians actresses?

part of what makes meryl so effortlessly refined, is her observation of others. characters she plays often based upon people's non verbals and verbals obseved at various points in her life as points of reference- ticks, quirks, accents, movements. if they aren't watched and memorised, then she seeks out footage of the character or people with similar characteristics, observes, and commits it all to her own manner. now, what is even more interesting perhaps, is you have different kinds of actors.. character actors, method actors, stage/broadway actors, shakespearian actors.. most actors are one of those, many struggle with further study and perfection of their craft to adhere to a secondary approach in acting, but meryl is all of them! she adheres to every style- or more accurately, doesn't adhere to any one style. it allows her freedom and fluidity to employ any performative approach at will.

I didn't even realize how much I loved the range of MERYL until my friend and I were watching some of my "must watch movies", and they included Postcards from the Edge and Death Becomes Her, along with the obvious dramas.

I always loved her comedy acting. Her nuances and melodious voice are perfect. I didn’t know until recently, “She Devil” (a box office bomb) was her first attempt at film comedy. Watch it now and it’s hilarious because of Streep even though it was supposed to be Roseanne’s movie. It’s the original “First Wives Club” and without it we wouldn’t have “Death Becomes Her” (a cult classic). Robert Zemeckis also enjoyed her performance in “She Devil”.

I’ve always loved Meryl Streep. But this video makes me understand why I love her. And now I love her even more. Thank you for doing this video. And consider me a new subscriber

20 minutes of pure happiness watching Meryl, with your thoughtful and incisive analysis. Thank you!

Finally you uploaded something. I missed your content 😊

That Debbie Reynolds impersonation at the end is everything!

1:16 proof that Paul Rudd gets younger with time

Please never stop making videos. Whenever you release one it’s such a highlight for us!

This video makes me want a video about your personal top 5 or top 10 favorite actress.

Meryl Streep has this unique combination of sheer ability, and undisturbing presence. Just like her face can be pretty, but is never the center of attention, she is always very good, but never polarising. Many actresses have her range and abilities (maybe more?), but they usually convey a stronger character. Which means some people are going to dislike them, even though they might be peers to Meryl. Which brings me to the idea that Amy Adams might be the next Meryl. Even though she is for now unsuccessful with her nominations, she is very incredibly talented, while never bothering. She also is quietly progressive, while never being disturbing (see Arrival).

*1:14** PAUL RUDD?? Damn, he's even older than we thought! :o* *(Yes, I know that's not the Paul Rudd we know and love right now.)*

"Death Becomes Her" is her most underrated role.

Do one about Faye Dunaway and Mother Dearest! EDIT: Mommie Dearest.

If there is ever an Oscar Category for Best RU-vid Channel, (hey, we're only 19 years in the 2000's, hold onto your seats), I would vote for you "Be Kind Rewind".

What a terrific video! Wow! And those charts were amazing! My favorite Meryl Streep role was Postcards from the Edge!

Meryl loves her parents, husband and children. I believe that grounds her and she actually DOES have the talent, so with those two qualities, she can’t really lose. PLUS, Meryl is humble, seems to have a kind heart, and that great word she uses frequently: “empathy” . She IS the gold standard, not only of actors, but of women in general.

I love your channel. Your content is always so well researched. I hope one day you’ll do Cate Blanchett-the evolution of her career has been interesting especially these days when she’s openly admitting to choosing certain projects because of her very much aware children.

I always saw Sissy Spacek as Gentle and docile more than just southern

Damn... I LOVE the almost forensic analysis about actresses, they are sooo good!

Doubt is so underrated. Such a great movie, she surely deserved an Oscar for that role

i don't think i can understand how can anyone not love her

I like Meryl Streep for being an artist and human of intelligence and integrity. She lives a life where achieving her craft and her work is behind and integrated with most of her lifestyle choices. It's always about the roles she did, rarely about herself. Until probably recently she as a figure is becoming even more inspiring for women in the industry than her roles.

Meryl is Quality. She puts out quality work. Consistently. That in and of itself is impressive. I love your channel. Well done.

Out of the actresses in her age group, when there's a role, she's usually the first one asked, often followed by Susan Sarandon! I've always loved Meryl's comical roles like Death Becomes Her, and She-Devil, which is actually the first time she had ever done comedy and was amazing in her role as Mary Fisher, a romance novelist who gets involved with a married man, whose wife is played by Roseanne. Postcards From The Edge was another great one where Meryl is basically playing a version of Carrie Fisher, as the movie is based off of her book of the same name and she also wrote the screenplay. Shirley MacLaine is also brilliant as Meryl's on screen mother, a version of Fisher's real life mother, Debbie Reynolds I think my favorite feature of Meryl's is her eyes! They're beautiful almost hypnotic in a way, and I love the way that she basically commands the screen when she's in a scene! I've always felt like I couldn't take my eyes off her when she's on screen. The one that cemented this for me was Silkwood. I was either 8 or 9 when I first saw that movie with my mom, but I just remember being completely unable to take my eyes off of Meryl in every scene she was in, and then the fact that Cher and Kurt Russell were her costars and they both commanded the screen as well! I still say that Silkwood is definitely one of the 21 nominations that Meryl should have won!

Don't wanna be that guy but you forgot to list Into the Woods as a nomination on your chart. Great video overall though, your channel is one of my favourites.

I saw Meryl Streep onstage at Lincoln Center, off-Broadway, in a Shakespeare play, in a small comic role. I did not know who she was (nobody did). I could not take my eyes off her. And that's onstage, and that's magical.

I love everything about this video! I just wish you had included some parts about Florence Foster Jenkins, that in my opinion is one of her strongest, most difficult roles to date, a testament to her general skill and ability to transcend stereotypes.

Umm... did anyone else see the name "Paul Rudd" with Meryl on a broadway stage @ 1:17? That can't be the same Paul Rudd that never ages right? lol If so I think he took the potion Isabella Rosselini was hawking in another Meryl Streep camp classic "Death Becomes Her" LOL

I accidently came across your channel when deciding to watch the Bette Davis/Joan Crawford/feud video which was fantastic. So I started binge watching and wanted to say how refreshing it is to hear so much interesting new information on these movies and actresses. You do a excellent job narrating and researching while including a sense of humor makes it even better! Just wanted to say that another, memorable, role with Meryl was in the movie "Silkwood" with Cher. Another great extension of her abilities ...Love this channel!

"Yes, I made a chart." Ha ha ha ha! Very nice video. I've watched Meryl Streep since...Sophie's Choice and she NEVER does a bad job. I can watch her in something that I don't even like--Lions for Lambs--and she still captivates.

I first became aware of Meryl Streep from the TV miniseries "Holocaust" in 1978. Although somewhat controversial, this miniseries won Streep an Emmy and really brought her into wide view for the first time. It deserved at least some passing reference in this otherwise fine retrospective of her career.

This exquisite creature we all know as Meryl has talent, admirable intelligence and work ethics I can only bow to. You said it yourself - it is all in her eyes. The thoughts, the emotions. I am thankful for the experience(s). And I am thankful to you, the maker of this channel.