Meryl Streep is one of the greatest actors of her generation, and she’s the benchmark! With a record-breaking 21 Oscar nominations, her career spans decades and is filled with reinvention, plus an unmatched ability to disappear into the character.
She’s back at the box office with The Devil Wears Prada 2, and we thought this would be a good time to look at all her excellent, Oscar-nominated performances. The ranking is based on a mix of my preference and the consensus. So without further ado, here are all the roles portrayed by Streep that earned a nod from the Academy!
21. Ironweed (1987)
In Ironweed, we follow a drifter and his partner who navigate homelessness, regret, and fleeting moments of connection. Their story unfolds over a few days, and Meryl Streep plays Helen Archer, the companion who was a former singer but is now reduced to an alcoholic drifter. Though the movie didn’t sit well with many, people unanimously agreed that Streep deserved an Oscar nomination for her physical and emotional transformation in Ironweed.
20. Music of the Heart (1999)
A still from Music of the Heart | Credits: Miramax Films
Meryl Streep appears as Roberta Guaspari in Music of the Heart, a single mother who rebuilds her life after her husband leaves her by taking up a teaching job. She teaches violin lessons to unprivileged children and changes both her and the children’s lives for the better. Though I didn’t find this to be an Oscar-winning performance, a nomination certainly made sense.
19. The Post (2017)
A still from The Post | Credits: 20th Century Studios
Steven Spielberg directed the historical drama, The Post, which is centered on the publication of the Pentagon Papers. It follows Katharine Graham, played by Meryl Streep, who is the first female publisher of The Washington Post.
She gains access to classified documents that expose the government’s deception during the Vietnam War. At first, Streep portrays Katharine as quiet and restrained, but then shows her metamorphosis into a divisive and authoritative woman. She wasn’t the strongest contender that year, but I believe the nomination was still well worth it!
18. Into the Woods (2014)
A still from Into the Woods | Credits: Walt Disney Pictures
A musical that intertwines multiple classic fairy tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and more, through the story of a baker and his wife who are trying to break a witch’s curse. Streep appears as the Witch in question, and her performance is theatrical and controlled in Into the Woods. She certainly stood out in the movie, but I didn’t see her as a serious contender who would win the 2014 Oscar race.
17. Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
A still from Florence Foster Jenkins | Credits: Paramount Pictures
A real-life story about a wealthy New York socialite who dreams of becoming a great opera singer, despite being completely tone-deaf. Meryl Streep is the titular Florence in Florence Foster Jenkins, and she fully commits to the act of singing badly, all while making the character seem sincere. I found it to be both hilarious and heartbreaking, and had even more respect for Streep, who was bagging Oscar nods, several decades into her career!
16. One True Thing (1998)
A still from One True Thing | Credits: Universal Pictures
One True Thing is an intimate family drama about a journalist who is forced to put her career on hold to take care of her ill mother. When she returns home, she sees how her long-held assumptions about her parents were false. Streep essays Kate Gulden, the terminally sick mother, who is the film’s backbone. The actress was certainly great in this intimate family drama, but it was a competitive year, and her performance wasn’t necessarily the strongest.
15. The Deer Hunter (1978)
A still from The Deer Hunter | Credits: Universal Pictures
I quite enjoyed watching Meryl Streep’s Linda in this sweeping war drama about a group of working-class friends. Their lives are forever changed by the Vietnam War, and that’s what The Deer Hunter offers: a deeply human portrait of trauma and friendship. It’s the movie that earned Streep her first-ever Oscar nomination, and there’s no debate about whether or not she rightfully earned it.
14. August: Osage County (2013)
A still from August: Osage County | Credits: The Weinstein Company
A dark family drama that centers on the Weston clan, who reunite in rural Oklahoma after a crisis that involved their family patriarch. Meryl Streep appears as Violet Weston in August: Osage County, and her character is a matriarch battling cancer. I see why she deserved the Academy’s nod for this one because Streep practically dominated every scene she’s in!
13. Postcards from the Edge (1990)
A still from Postcards from the Edge | Credits: Columbia Pictures
Mike Nichols’ Postcards from the Edge follows Meryl Streep’s Suzanne, a Hollywood actress who struggles with substance abuse. After rehab, she’s forced to live with her alcoholic mother while trying to rebuild her career and remain sober. While Streep had great comic timing in this, it unfortunately wasn’t enough to secure an Oscar win.
12. Julie & Julia (2009)
A still from Julie & Julia | Credits: Columbia Pictures
Even if Meryl Streep wasn’t a frontrunner to win the Oscar race for her performance in Julie & Julia, in my eyes, it’s one of her finest works! The movie weaves together two parallel stories of an aspiring writer and a legendary chef. Streep plays Julia (the chef) with remarkable precision, and what makes it better is knowing that this movie is based on a true story!
11. The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981)
A still from The French Lieutenant’s Woman | Credits: United Artists
A layered romantic drama of a Victorian-era love story, with a parallel modern narrative, features Meryl Streep in a dual performance as Sarah, and the modern actress portraying her. Streep was nominated for this role because she showed remarkable control and versatility, and I loved how she was able to play two distinct characters with such technical precision.
10. The Iron Lady (2011)
A still from The Iron Lady | Credits: Pathé
So, Streep did win for this role and took home her third Oscar, but the film itself received mixed reviews, and many found it to be lacking in depth. The Iron Lady is a biographical drama that explores the life of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and it moves between her present-day solitude and some of the key moments in her life. And as much as I love Meryl Streep, I’ll sadly have to side with the general consensus when it comes to this one.
9. Out of Africa (1985)
A still from Out of Africa | Credits: Universal Pictures
Out of Africa was a major success; it won Best Picture and also multiple Oscars. The Sydney Pollack film is a romantic drama based on the life of Danish writer Karen Blixen, played by Streep. We follow her journey to colonized Kenya, where she enters a marriage of convenience. Though Streep’s performance was good, it just wasn’t among her more emotionally explosive roles, and that’s likely why she didn’t get an Academy Award.
8. Silkwood (1983)
A still from Silkwood | Credits: 20th Century Fox
A biographical drama on the true story of Karen Silkwood, a nuclear plant worker who begins to question the unsafe practices at her workplace. Streep plays the leading woman with remarkable authenticity, and we truly see her as the ordinary yet courageous woman she is! It’s one of my favorite movies starring the actress, and I was disappointed to know that she didn’t win an Oscar for this!
7. Adaptation (2002)
A still from Adaptation | Credits: Columbia Pictures
Spike Jonze’s widely inventive metafictional drama follows screenwriter Charlie Kaufman as he struggles to adapt a nonfiction book. Meryl Streep portrays Susan Orlean, a writer whose journey becomes increasingly unpredictable in the movie. Even if the spotlight leaned more towards the screenplay and other performances, Streep’s Oscar nomination seemed fated.
6. Doubt (2008)
A still from Doubt | Credits: Miramax Films
Doubt revolves around a tense conflict between Sister Aloysius Beauvier and Father Flynn, a progressive priest whom she begins to suspect of inappropriate behavior. The movie unfolds as a psychological battle, and the viewers grapple with its moral ambiguity.
Streep delivers a masterclass as Sister Aloysius, and appears sharp, controlled, plus deeply intimidating. Though this is among her best performances, the actress didn’t win because the year was highly competitive!
5. A Cry in the Dark a.k.a Evil Angels (1988)
A still from A Cry in the Dark | Credits: Warner Bros.
Based on a true story, A Cry in the Dark is about Lindy Chamberlain, an Australian mother whose infant daughter disappears during a camping trip. When Lindy says that a dingo took her baby, the public turns against her, and she enters a prolonged legal battle that questions her innocence.
Streep essays Lindy and nails the Australian accent, plus the emotional notes of her role. While the performance didn’t earn her a win, it remains one of her most daring and intellectually complex feats.
4. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada | Credits: 20th Century Studios
Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly became a pop culture icon over the years, and that’s precisely why The Devil Wears Prada sequel is having a solid run at the box office now. The actress played a formidable editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, completely transforming a one-dimensional villain into an intimidating figure. I’m yet to see someone with such controlled expressions and authoritative presence. I feel the Oscar win belonged to her because, look at the sheer impact, sadly, it wasn’t her year.
3. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
A still from The Bridges of Madison County | Credits: Warner Bros.
Streep is an Italian war bride named Francesca Johnson in The Bridges of Madison County, a deeply emotional romance directed by Clint Eastwood. She meets a travelling photographer, and over the course of a few days, their connection forces her to confront desires, identity, and the life she has chosen. While she didn’t win, this is one of her most quietly powerful roles, full of intimate moments rather than grand gestures.
2. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
A still from Kramer vs. Kramer | Credits: Columbia Pictures
A powerful domestic drama that follows a workaholic, whose life flips after his wife, Joanna, suddenly leaves him and their young son. She later returns, and they enter a custody battle, which is why the movie is called Kramer vs. Kramer. Meryl Streep won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing Joanna, and turning the character into a deeply human and complex one. I was surprised by the layers she added to Joanna, and the nuance she brought to the role.
1. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
A still from Sophie’s Choice | Credits: Universal Pictures
Meryl Streep won the Best Actress Oscar for playing Sophie Zawistowski, and it’s universally agreed that the trophy belonged to her! Sophie’s Choice follows a young writer in Brooklyn who becomes entangled with the life of Sophie, a Polish immigrant, and her volatile partner. I strongly believe this is one of the finest acting performances we’ve ever seen on screen, and Streep was at her best in this one!
Here’s an overview of the ranking:
RankTitleCharacterRotten Tomatoes(Tomatometer | Popcornmeter)(As of May 4, 2026) Where to Watch(USA)21Ironweed (1987)Helen Archer58% | 58% Fubo, MGM+, Philo20Music of the Heart (1999)Roberta Guaspari64% | 72%Hoopla19The Post (2017)Katharine Graham88% | 74%Cinemax Apple TV18Into the Woods (2014)The Witch70% | 49%Hulu, Disney+17Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)Florence Foster Jenkins87% | 68%Paramount+16One True Thing (1998)Kate Gulden86% | 71%Prime Video (rent and buy)15The Deer Hunter (1978)Linda86% | 91%Prime Video (rent and buy)14August: Osage County (2013)Violet Weston67% | 65%Kanopy, Philo13Postcards from the Edge (1990)Suzanne Vale83% | 67%Prime Video (rent and buy)12Julie & Julia (2009)Julia Child76% | 70%Prime Video (rent and buy)11The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981)Sarah Woodruff / Anna83% | 67%Prime Video 10The Iron Lady (2011)Margaret Thatcher51% | 51%Kanopy, Fubo 9Out of Africa (1985)Karen Blixen62% | 82%Prime Video8Silkwood (1983)Karen Silkwood78% | 79%Hoopla7Adaptation (2002)Susan Orlean90% | 85%Prime Video (rent and buy)6Doubt (2008)Sister Aloysius Beauvier79% | 78%Paramount+5A Cry in the Dark / Evil Angels (1988)Lindy Chamberlain94% | 74%Prime Video (rent and buy)4The Devil Wears Prada (2006)Miranda Priestly75% | 76%Disney+ and HBO Max 3The Bridges of Madison County (1995)Francesca Johnson90% | 87%Prime Video (rent and buy)2Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)Joanna Kramer90% | 89%Prime Video (rent and buy)1Sophie’s Choice (1982)Sophie Zawistowski75% | 85%Fubo, Peacock
How many Oscar wins does Meryl Streep have?
Meryl Streep has a total of 3 Oscar wins, two Best Actress, and one Best Supporting Actress.
Which of these roles is the most famous in her filmography?
Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada remains one of her most iconic and culturally influential roles.
Which Oscar-nominated performances of Meryl Streep are based on a true story?
Several of her performances are based on a true story, such as the ones in The Iron Lady, Silkwood, Julie & Julia, Florence Foster Jenkins, and Cry in the Dark.
This ranking is less about finding flaws and more about appreciating her range. Even the lowest entries here would be a career highlight for most actors because Streep is in a league of her own. So, which one of these performances is your favorite? Let us know!
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