He has rightly been called a chameleon of acting. THE Meryl Streep although still active, albeit far removed from her prime, she is a living legend of the American film industry. An actress who holds the records of nominations at the Oscars, with 21 nominations and at the Golden Globes, with 32, while she has received the prestigious golden statuette three times, still chasing her unsurpassed record Katharine Hepburn (four Oscars) and having won eight Golden Globes, while he has been honored with almost all film awards.

In most of 45 years of her career and charting an impressive course, she will clearly stand out from the stars of the last half century, mainly because of the range of her performances, as she has an incomparable talent to transform herself into any character she is called to play, to move comfortably from drama to comedy, from the thriller in satire and indeed without falling into the trap of mannerism. In all these decades, the Meryl Streep will work with most of the top directors, from Michael Cimino in the “Deer Hunter”, the Woody Allen in the famous “Manhattan”, the Sidney Pollack of the immortal romance “Beyond Africa”, the Alan Pakula in the sensational “Sophie’s Choice”, the Mike Nichols in “The Disappearance of Karen Silkwood,” until Steven Spielberg in “The Post: Forbidden Secrets” and the old wolf Clint Eastwood in “Madison’s Bridges.” But also with many more important directors, who gave her the opportunity to prove how great an actress she is and to compete with huge co-stars and, as almost always, to win impressions.

Her films, especially in the early decades, were a phenomenon and her performances were always noteworthy, when they weren’t standouts and among the all-time greats. And this because she could slip into her roles with incredible ease. From a helpless mother in dilemma and from a poor worker in a nuclear plant to a fragile mistress and from a witch to a sensitive housewife or from a diabolical fashion magazine director to “Iron Lady” – the latter did not require much effort.

THE Meryl Streep, who turns 75 (born on June 22, 1949), her career went through many interesting stages. She will act in over 70 films and will impress with her first appearances and her first leading roles, deservedly earning the title of star and the most important actress of her generation, while with the passage of time and her incurable gluttony for jealous roles, she will be accused of being a man of the big studios, of the heavy American system, many times spreading her tentacles even to the White House – maybe the opposite.

The mother is a mentor

THE Mary Louise Streep, was born shortly after World War II in New Jersey to an artist mother and a pharmaceutical executive father. She has two younger brothers – both actors, and her family’s origins are from Germany, Switzerland and Ireland. Her mother strongly encouraged her and gave her all the supplies to move forward in her life, mainly showing her trust. She herself will confess that her mother was also the mentor at the start of her career, which is why she advised her even when she became a recognizable actress. Streep was raised as a Presbyterian, and from an early age she loved to sing, dance and be in the spotlight. The author Karina Longworth he had described her as “a spoiled child with glasses and frizzy hair who liked to show off in front of the camera in family films”. Little Meryl would act in many school plays, but had never taken theater seriously, dropping out of opera lessons after four years because she couldn’t understand what she was singing. She was a cheerleader in high school, idolized by her school cheerleaders, and for some reason that is not clear, she will eventually go on to study drama and finally enroll in 1971 at the Yale School of Drama. One of her teachers will say of her: “I don’t think anyone ever taught Meryl acting. She really taught herself.”

The difficult beginning

After many adventures, Streep will begin auditioning for film roles, without much success at first. She was turned down for the role of the girl in “King Kong”, to be taken by Jessica Lange, as the famous producer Dino De Laurentiis called her ugly. Her first film appearance will be in Fred Chineman’s drama Julia, alongside Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave, and she hesitantly said yes to Michael Cimino’s offer to play a small role in The Deer Hunter, playing a fragile girl among two men. And yes, this little appearance of hers will earn her her first Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

The first Oscar

In 1979 he will play a small role in “Manhattan” by Woody Allen, where she will make history once again with her special presence and will bring her as the protagonist, in the same year, in his famous melodrama Robert Benton “Kramer vs. Kramer” next to the top Dustin Hoffman. Streep would disagree with the character she was supposed to play, arguing that it was not representative of women who were having trouble with their marriages and Benton he will let her write the dialogue in two key scenes, despite Hoffman’s objection. THE Strip would receive rave reviews and win her first Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

Sophie’s choice…

In 1981 he will star in “Mistress of the French Lieutenant” next to Jeremy Ironswinning the BAFTA for Best Actor, while in 1982 he would give a sensational performance in “Sophie’s Choice” as a Polish survivor of the Holocaust. Streep will take the role begging Pakula and will be vindicated as she will also win the Oscar for Best Actress. Next year will be followed by another excellent performance of hers, this time for her “Disappearance of Karen Silkwood”, where for the first time she will play a real character, that of a worker and activist. To prepare for the role, he will meet with people who knew Silkwood, trying to understand her character.

Immortal romances and comedies

In 1985, the time will come for him to collaborate with Sidney Pollack in the romantic “Beyond Africa”, alongside Robert Redfordwhile in 1988 he will star in the special dramatic thriller “Shout in the Dark”, playing an Australian woman who is accused of murdering her daughter, while she herself claimed that she had been kidnapped. A performance that will also give her the award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. Soon after, he will star in the digestible comedy “Hellcat”where she was notable for her portrayal of Streep alone, while her next comedic role will be in the dark comedy “Your Death Goes Long”with her friend by her side Goldie Hawn and the then rising Bruce Willis. In 1995, she will star in the wonderful romantic drama “The Bridges of Madison” alongside Clint Eastwoodwho also signed the direction.

And devil and iron lady

The 21st century will enter with the best prospects, as he will act in his film Spielberg “A.I. Artificial Intelligence”, while in 2002 he will play in Adaptation, with Nicholas Gates and in the same year she will participate in the “Hours”, with by her side Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. In 2005, she will star in the huge commercial success – the biggest of her career with $326 million) The Devil Wears Prada, in the role of a diabolical magazine editor giving away her change. In 2011, she will play Margaret Thatcher in the film “The Iron Lady”, winning her third Oscar, which was considered by many to be a bit too generous. Her last success was the conventional and somewhat propagandistic, but sufficiently well-made “The Post: Forbidden Secrets”, with which she was once again nominated for an Oscar for the first female role, while she had as her co-star Tom Hanks.

THE Meryl Streep, remains active and ready for new challenges, as in the recent satirical film “Don’t Look Up”. She has been living apart from her husband for six years, since 1978, Don Gummer. So, the only thing that remains after a long artistic journey, is the question of whether she will ever catch the record of four Oscars from Katharine Hepburn. Judging by her character and her voracious disposition, it is most likely.