 Mary Louise " Meryl " Streep ( born June 22 , 1949 ) is an American actress . Cited in the media as the " best actress of her generation " , Streep is particularly known for her versatility in her roles , transformation into the characters she plays , and her accent adaptation . She made her professional stage debut in The Playboy of Seville in 1971 , and went on to receive a 1976 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for A Memory of Two Mondays / 27 Wagons Full of Cotton . She made her screen debut in the 1977 television film The Deadliest Season , and made her film debut later that same year in Julia . In 1978 , she won an Emmy Award for her role in the miniseries Holocaust , and received her first Academy Award nomination for The Deer Hunter . Nominated for 19 Academy Awards in total , Streep has more nominations than any other actor or actress in history ; she won Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer ( 1979 ) , and Best Actress for Sophie 's Choice ( 1982 ) and for The Iron Lady ( 2011 ) . 
