With her career spanning 50 years, Meryl Streep has more than cemented her place as one of Hollywood’s greatest actresses of all time. The three-time Academy Award winner has more Academy Award nominations (21) than any other actor in history, and her resume is filled with one iconic performance after another. Indeed, there’s a Meryl for every mood, whether you’re a fan of Streep’s spikes (like The queen wears prada— and, its upcoming sequel), lively and carefree (Florence Foster Jenkins; Mamma Mia!), low-key and fragile (time; Madison County Bridges), or charmingly eccentric (julie and julia; death becomes her).
Here, we’ve dug through the archives to compile a photographic tribute to a unique performer—and FashionMay 2026 cover star. Without further ado, here are 23 striking throwback photos of the great Meryl Streep.
read Fashion’For the May 2026 cover story starring Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour, click here.


