Meryl Streep Oscar Wins: Best Actress Winner Has Long Academy Awards History

First Posted: 02/27/2012 7:51 am Updated: 02/27/2012 7:51 am

It took Meryl Streep 29 years, but she finally got back to the Oscar stage. On Sunday night at the 84th annual Academy Awards, Streep earned her second Best Actress trophy -- and third Academy Award overall -- for playing Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."

"When they called my name I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, 'Oh, no. Oh, come on. Why? Her. Again. No.' But, whatever," Streep joked while accepting the award. Of course, "her again" is a very relative term. Despite 13 other nominations since winning Best Actress at the 1983 ceremony for her role in "Sophie's Choice," Streep did not earn an Oscar again until Sunday.

Regularly regarded as the greatest living actor -- Streep has received a record 17 nominations, the most in Academy Awards history -- Streep earned her first Oscar at the 1980 ceremony for her part in "Kramer Vs. Kramer." That was for Best Supporting Actress, a category she's been nominated in three times, most recently for "Adaptation" in 2002.

As for her Best Actress highlights, Streep was nominated four times since 2006 -- for "The Devil Wears Prada," "Doubt," "Julie and Julia" and "The Iron Lady." With her second Best Actress win, Streep joins an exclusive group of two-time Best Actress honorees, including Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis, Olivia De Havilland, Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Jodie Foster, Glenda Jackson, Vivien Leigh, Luise Rainer, Hilary Swank and Elizabeth Taylor. Katharine Hepburn has the most Best Actress wins with four.

"My friends, thank you, all of you, departed and here, for this inexplicably wonderful career," Streep said with a tear to close her speech.

PHOTOS: Winners Pose With Oscar

Launch Slideshow
 HIDE THUMBNAILS
SHARE
BACK TO ARTICLE
1 of 30
PLAY ALL
VOTE ON THIS SLIDE

ADVERTISEMENT

FOLLOW MOVIEFONE

'FONE FINDS
It took Meryl Streep 29 years, but she finally got back to the Oscar stage. On Sunday night at the 84th annual Academy Awards, Streep earned her second Best Actress trophy -- and third Academy Award o...
It took Meryl Streep 29 years, but she finally got back to the Oscar stage. On Sunday night at the 84th annual Academy Awards, Streep earned her second Best Actress trophy -- and third Academy Award o...
Filed by Christopher Rosen  | 
 
 
  • Comments
  • 6
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Post Comment Preview Comment
To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
10:41 PM on 03/04/2012
dating/ at /the/ site// whiteblacksingles.(0m
IndependentAndProud
Stop trying to change the subject!
02:25 AM on 03/05/2012
Spammer
11:44 AM on 02/28/2012
The problem with this being Meryl's third Oscar is that it should have been her ninth.
10:36 AM on 02/27/2012
She also ties Ingrid Bergman for second place with THREE oscars, two for Best Actress and one for Supporting Acress...(Bergman for GASLIGHT, ANASTASIA and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS and Streep for SOPHIE'S CHOICE, IRON LADY and KRAMER VS KRAMER).....
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
MuyTejana
09:11 AM on 02/27/2012
She is without a question the best in her profession. She reinvents herself for every role giving every bit of herself to the character she is portraying. She has such a range and depth that she makes it look easy. Glad to see her win.
11:46 AM on 02/28/2012
Wait til she does "August: Osage County" next year. It's absolutely unlike any role she's ever played. It will be a huge challenge for her, but it could wind up being her greatest since Sophie's Choice.