Meryl Streep Net Worth

What Is Meryl Streep's Net Worth and Salary?

Meryl Streep is an American theater, television, and film actress who has a net worth of $100 million. Meryl is consistently one of the highest-paid actresses in the world. Her single-movie standard salary is $20 million, though she has been known to accept lower paydays for important roles or roles that came with a cut of the backend revenue.

Meryl Streep is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in film history, with a career defined by extraordinary range, technical precision, and consistent critical acclaim. She first gained national attention in the late 1970s with roles in "Holocaust" and "The Deer Hunter," quickly establishing herself as a serious dramatic talent. Her early success continued with "Kramer vs. Kramer," which earned her her first Academy Award, followed by her deeply affecting performance in "Sophie's Choice," which brought her a second Oscar and cemented her reputation as a leading actress of her generation.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Streep became known for her ability to fully transform into her characters, often mastering complex accents and portraying real-life figures. Films like "Out of Africa," "Silkwood," and "A Cry in the Dark" showcased her dramatic depth, while projects such as "Death Becomes Her" and "The Bridges of Madison County" highlighted her versatility across genres.

In the 2000s, she experienced a major resurgence by embracing a mix of commercial and critically acclaimed roles. Her performance as Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada" introduced her to a new generation of audiences, while "Mamma Mia!" became one of the biggest box office hits of her career. She won her third Academy Award for portraying Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."

Streep has continued to work steadily in both film and television, earning acclaim for roles in "The Post," "Big Little Lies," and "Only Murders in the Building." With a record number of Academy Award nominations, her career stands as a benchmark for longevity, versatility, and sustained excellence in the entertainment industry.

Salary Highlights

Streep earned $35,000 for 1978's "The Deer Hunter." That's the same as around $140,000 today after adjusting for inflation. A year later, she earned $85,000 for "Kramer Vs Kramer," the same as $340,000 today. Throughout the 1980s, Meryl consistently earned $4 million per film. More recently, she has been known to earn as much as $20 million for a film, or $10 million if the project includes backend profits. She accepted just $1 million to star in 2011's "The Iron Lady" and then proceeded to donate the entire amount to the Women's History Museum.

Early Life

Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep was born on June 22, 1949, in Summit, New Jersey. She has two younger brothers, Harry William and Dana David, who are also actors. Her mother, Mary Wilkinson Streep, was a commercial artist and art editor, and her father, Harry William Streep Jr., was a pharmaceutical executive. Streep attended Bernards High School in Bernardsville, New Jersey, where she was a cheerleader and won homecoming queen her senior year. Meryl also appeared in numerous school plays and took opera lessons from Estelle Liebling for four years.

Streep continued her education at Vassar College, graduating in 1971. She became interested in serious theater when she acted in the play "Miss Julie" at Vassar in 1969. Meryl then pursued an MFA at Yale School of Drama, which she received in 1975. While at Yale, she worked to support herself through waitressing and typing jobs and appeared in over a dozen stage productions a year.

Early Career and Stage Work

Meryl Streep began her professional acting career in the mid-1970s after training at the Yale School of Drama. She quickly established herself as a formidable stage actress, performing with the New York Shakespeare Festival and appearing in productions such as "Trelawny of the Wells" and "Measure for Measure." Her early theater work earned strong critical praise and helped showcase her range, particularly her ability to master accents and inhabit complex characters.

Streep transitioned to television and film toward the end of the decade, making her screen debut in the miniseries "Holocaust" (1978). Her performance earned her an Emmy Award and brought her national attention, setting the stage for a rapid ascent in Hollywood.

Breakthrough and Rise to Stardom

Streep's film breakthrough came with a supporting role in "The Deer Hunter" (1978), which earned her her first Academy Award nomination. She followed that with a string of acclaimed performances that quickly established her as one of the most talented actresses of her generation.

In 1979, she won her first Academy Award for "Kramer vs. Kramer," delivering a nuanced portrayal of a woman navigating divorce and motherhood. Throughout the early 1980s, she built a reputation for emotionally intense performances in films such as "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and "Sophie's Choice." Her role in "Sophie's Choice" (1982), in which she portrayed a Holocaust survivor, earned her a second Oscar and is widely regarded as one of the greatest performances in film history.

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Versatility and Dominance in the 1980s and 1990s

During the 1980s and 1990s, Streep demonstrated remarkable versatility, moving between dramas, romances, and comedies with ease. She starred in films like "Silkwood" (1983), "Out of Africa" (1985), and "A Cry in the Dark" (1988), earning multiple Academy Award nominations along the way.

Her ability to convincingly adopt different accents and personas became a hallmark of her work. Whether playing a Danish writer in "Out of Africa" or an Australian mother in "A Cry in the Dark," Streep brought authenticity and depth to every role.

In the 1990s, she continued to balance serious roles with lighter fare, appearing in films such as "Death Becomes Her," "The Bridges of Madison County," and "Marvin's Room." This period reinforced her status as one of Hollywood's most reliable and respected leading actresses.

Career Reinvention and Mainstream Success

In the 2000s, Streep experienced a major career resurgence by embracing more mainstream and commercially successful projects. She reached new audiences with her role as Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006), delivering a sharp, memorable performance that earned her yet another Academy Award nomination.

She followed this with leading roles in films such as "Mamma Mia!" (2008), which became a global box office hit, and "Julie & Julia" (2009), where she portrayed chef Julia Child. Her performance in "The Iron Lady" (2011), in which she played British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, earned her a third Academy Award.

This phase of her career demonstrated her ability to remain relevant across decades, successfully blending critical acclaim with commercial appeal.

Continued Acclaim and Later Career

Streep has continued to deliver acclaimed performances well into the 2010s and 2020s, appearing in films such as "August: Osage County," "Into the Woods," and "The Post." Her portrayal of Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham in "The Post" earned widespread praise and another Oscar nomination.

She has also expanded her work in television, earning recognition for roles in series like "Big Little Lies" and "Only Murders in the Building." These projects introduced her to a new generation of viewers while reinforcing her reputation for excellence.

Across her career, Streep has accumulated a record number of Academy Award nominations for any actor, a testament to her consistency, range, and enduring impact. Her ability to fully transform into her characters, combined with her technical precision and emotional depth, has made her one of the most respected and influential performers in the history of film.

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Other Work

In addition to her acting career, Streep has been involved in numerous other projects. She has narrated many audiobooks, including the children's books "Brae Irene," "Spinky Sulks," and "The One and Only Shrek" by author William Steig. She is the spokesperson for the National Women's History Museum. Meryl has also established two scholarships for students at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Personal Life

Streep was in a relationship with actor John Cazale for three years until his death from lung cancer in March 1978.

Six months after Cazale's death, Meryl married sculptor Don Gummer. Together, they have four children, including actresses Grace Gummer and Mamie Gummer. Grace is married to DJ Mark Ronson. In February 2019, Streep became a grandmother for the first time when her eldest daughter, Mamie, gave birth to her first child.

In October 2023, Don and Meryl revealed that they had been separated for six years. In a statement provided by their publicist:

"Don Gummer and Meryl Streep have been separated for more than 6 years, and while they will always care for each other, they have chosen lives apart."

Real Estate

In 1995, Meryl and Don spent $2.175 million on a New York City townhouse. They sold this property in 2005 for $9.1 million.

In 2006, they spent $10.13 million on a four-bedroom penthouse in New York City. The couple listed the property for sale for $25 million in 2018. In September 2018, Streep and Gummer reduced the asking price to $18.25 million. They finally accepted $16 million in February 2020.

In December 2017, they spent $3.6 million on a mid-century modern home in Pasadena, California. They also own a 90-acre country home in Salisbury, Connecticut.

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