25 Meryl Streep Quotes from the Legendary Actress

By Jo Moorhouse | Published October 12, 2023

Learn about the unofficial Queen of Hollywood with these memorable Meryl Streep quotes!

Meryl Streep, the acclaimed American actress known for her extraordinary talent and versatility, has a record-breaking 21 Academy Award nominations.

Her remarkable ability to inhabit diverse characters across genres has solidified her status as one of the greatest actors in film history.

Throughout her career, she has understood that her platform allowed her to use her voice to raise awareness and support causes such as gender equality, environmental conservation, LGBTQ+ rights, and more.

These inspiring Meryl Streep quotes reflect her thoughts on acting, the importance of contributing to society, awards and accolades, family and love, and more.

Tell us your favorite Meryl Streep quote in the comment section!

Short quotes by Meryl Streep

Enjoy these short quotes by one of America’s most beloved actresses!

1. “Instant gratification is not soon enough.” — Meryl Streep

2. “I am a humanist. I am for nice, easy balance.” — Meryl Streep

3. “I think your self emerges more clearly over time.” — Meryl Streep

4. “You can’t suppress the things that make us human. It’s pointless to try.” — Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep quotes on acting

Throughout her career, Meryl Streep has made a name for herself as one of the most prolific actors ever.

Enjoy these quotes from Meryl Streep about her life as an actor.

5. “My job is usually to express emotion as freely as possible.” — Meryl Streep

6. “The more you are in this business, the more humbled by it you become.” — Meryl Streep

7. “All an actor has is their blind faith that they are who they say they are today, in any scene.” — Meryl Streep

8. “I know what I do and what it means to me and where its sources lie, and that’s mine. It still is mine.” — Meryl Streep

9. “I’m curious about other people. That’s the essence of my acting. I’m interested in what it would be like to be you.” — Meryl Streep

10. “Acting is not about being someone different. It’s finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.” — Meryl Streep

How many awards has Meryl Streep won?

A celebrated actress, Meryl Streep has received numerous awards and infinite praise from her peers.

In these Meryl Streep quotes, she shares her feelings about the accolades she’s received for her work.

11. “You win an Oscar, it can double the audience that you had before.” — Meryl Streep12. “What does it take to be the first female anything? It takes grit, and it takes grace.” — Meryl Streep

12. “America doesn’t reward people of my age, either in day-to-day life or for their performances.” — Meryl Streep

13. “I’m thrilled when I get nominated. I don’t count how many and I don’t remember how many I’ve had. I just know it’s a lot.” — Meryl Streep

14. “Leave me to the thing I love. I love acting. But being called ‘the greatest living actress’ – a designation not even my mother would sanction – is the opposite of good or valuable or useful. It is a curse for a working actor.” — Meryl Streep

Does Meryl Streep have children?

In addition to being a steadily working actress, she always made time to have a family.

These Meryl Streep quotes illuminate balancing her fame and success with home life and children.

15. “Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials.” — Meryl Streep

16. “There’s no road map on how to raise a family: it’s always an enormous negotiation.” — Meryl Streep

17. “Having been let out of the barn once, I know I wouldn’t be happy if I were home all the time.” — Meryl Streep

18. “I have a holistic need to work and to have huge ties of love in my life. I can’t imagine eschewing one for the other.” — Meryl Streep

19. “Every single decision I make about what material I do, what I’m putting out in the world, is because of my children.” — Meryl Streep

20. “Service is the only thing that’s important about love. Everybody is worried about ‘losing yourself’ – all this narcissism. Duty. We can’t stand that idea now either… But duty might be a suit of armor you put on to fight for your love.” — Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep quotes on kindness and humanity

Read on for quotes about being a good member of society by Meryl Streep, illustrating why many look to her as a role model.

21. “You can’t suppress the things that make us human. It’s pointless to try.” — Meryl Streep

22. “The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” — Meryl Streep

23. “Grace, respect, reserve, and empathetic listening are qualities sorely missing from the public discourse now.” — Meryl Streep

24. “Some people are filled by compassion and a desire to do good, and some simply don’t think anything’s going to make a difference.” — Meryl Streep

25. “Everything we say signifies; everything counts, that we put out into the world. It impacts on kids, it impacts on the zeitgeist of the time.” — Meryl Streep

Everybody Loves Meryl

Audiences and fellow actors love Meryl Streep because of her unparalleled ability to bring depth and authenticity to her characters, making them relatable and unforgettable.

Her dedication to her craft, her incredible range, charisma, and consistent delivery of powerful performances continue to endear her to audiences worldwide.