Meryl Streep was sure her career would end at age 40 (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Picture this: Meryl Streep, two Oscars in hand, thinking her Hollywood run was about to hit a dead end. Yep, back in 1989, she genuinely believed turning 40 meant her career would tank. Even as she bagged the Best Actress award at Cannes for Evil Angels, she braced herself for Hollywood’s cold shoulder. Crazy, right?
Fast forward to 2024, and Streep spilled the whole truth while picking up an honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes. “Thirty-five years ago, I was a mom of three, about to turn 40, and thought my career was over,” she said. Why? Back then, actresses hitting 40 were pretty much written off. Streep figured she was next on the chopping block.
“All the evidence of other 40-year-old women at that time would lead you to believe it was over,” she once said. But let’s be honest—Meryl isn’t just any actress. She shattered that stereotype, landing 11 more Oscar nods post-40 and proving Hollywood couldn’t quit her.
Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Streep acknowledged that even she had her “troughs and dismal times.” But the work kept coming, with iconic roles in The Devil Wears Prada, The Iron Lady, and Florence Foster Jenkins. And let’s not forget her meme-worthy appearances, though Streep herself has no idea what that’s all about. “People have too much time on their hands,” she joked.
Her Cannes speech wasn’t just about her journey. It was a love letter to the audiences who’ve stuck with her through decades. “I’m so grateful you haven’t gotten sick of my face,” she quipped, adding, “That wasn’t an unrealistic expectation for actresses at that time.”
Here’s a fun throwback: Streep accidentally left her trophy in the restroom at the 1980 Oscars, where she won Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer. “It was a huge dress,” she laughed, recalling the blunder. “Someone found it—the next person in.”
From doubting her future at 40 to dominating the silver screen into her late 60s, Meryl Streep didn’t just defy Hollywood norms—she obliterated them. And for that, we’ll never get off the Streep train.
