Ranker Spotlight: Meryl Streep
Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Photo: 20th Century Fox
Meryl Streep isn't just an actress; she’s the embodiment of cinematic excellence. She's often hailed as the world’s Greatest Living Actress, and her name has become shorthand for unparalleled talent and versatility in her field (as seen in our hotly debated poll asking: Which Actress Do You Think Will Be The Next Meryl Streep?). Her Oscar acceptance speeches have become peppered with knowing remarks like "Oh c’mon, her again?" reflecting both her humility and the undeniable acknowledgment that she stands in a league of her own.
From the outset of her career, Streep resisted the confines of ingenue roles, opting instead to carve her path as a character actor. She effortlessly inhabits diverse personalities, threading each portrayal with her signature blend of authenticity, emotional depth, and an uncanny ability to vanish into her roles.
To celebrate Meryl Streep’s 75th birthday this month, we’re diving into how fans feel about her legacy on Ranker, where she consistently tops our most competitive entertainment polls. Whether tackling heavy, historical dramas like Sophie’s Choice or indulging in relaxed, lucrative hangout flicks like Nancy Meyers' It’s Complicated, Streep has spent her illustrious four-decade career not only captivating audiences, but also gaining new fans along the way.
How Popular Are Streep’s Films and Roles?
Streep in Julie & Julia (2009). Photo: Sony Pictures
Streep ranks #14 on our poll of Actors Who Consistently Make Great Movies (105.1K votes), making her more bankable than Hollywood hit-makers such as Keanu Reeves (#17) and Margot Robbie (#39). While fans consider Sophie’s Choice to be her best movie overall, they think The Devil Wears Prada’s iconic villain Miranda Priestly is her #1 greatest role, with the titular Sophie of Sophie’s Choice trailing behind at #3. Her least popular film is 2021’s climate disaster comedy Don’t Look Up, which, while unpopular within her overall body of work, still boasts a 55% positive sentiment score from viewers overall. Her least favored role is her portrayal of Chief Elder in 2014’s film adaptation of The Giver, with 44% positive votes, proving that even her weakest films are divisive at worst, but still pretty favored among audiences.
The average sentiment for all of Streep's movies on Ranker is 66% positive — 7 percentage points higher than the 59% positive score boasted by Streep herself — suggesting that, while she may be an acquired taste to some viewers, casting her commanding presence in a movie is still likely to bolster the film’s overall success, as we’ve seen with her Oscar-winning performance in The Iron Lady ranking #7 on our list of Amazing Acting Performances In Otherwise Garbage Movies (4.8K votes).
What Do Streep’s Fans Love (And Hate)?
Streep in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). Photo: Columbia Pictures
Hundreds of thousands of votes have been cast for Streep on some of Ranker’s most popular celebrity lists, which begs the question: what and who else do her fans vote for? Ranker Insights uncovers the likes and dislikes of those fans, building some fascinating Venn diagrams you may not expect.
Other Actors (Dramatic and Comedic)
As you may have guessed, fans of Streep love to watch an actor’s actor do their thing on the big screen — which is why they’re 6x more likely to love seasoned Hollywood vets like Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon and Viola Davis, and 4x more likely to love her former co-stars Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks.
But moviegoers also love Meryl for her range — particularly her comedy chops in films like The Devil Wears Prada and Death Becomes Her, which aligns with their tendency to love SNL cast members like Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph 4x as much as the average viewer.
Public Figures
The affinity correlation data we’ve found between Streep and other noteworthy historical figures confirms what we’ve known about her all along: she exudes influence. Much like fans have loved to see her assume the role of a dignified political leader in The Iron Lady, they also tend to admire former President Barack Obama 7x more than the average voter and are 3x more likely to love late political figures like Princess Diana and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Streep’s fans also have a thing for pioneers in the arts and sciences, as they’re 6x more likely to love writer and activist Maya Angelou, 5x more likely to adore media personality Oprah Winfrey, and 3x more likely to take an interest in the life’s work of fashion designer Coco Chanel and physicists Stephen Hawking and Marie Curie.
However, Streep's fans do appear to dislike certain public figures — all of whom harbor right-leaning politics; they’re known to down-vote pillars of the Republican party like Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. They also tend to dislike what is essentially the Mount Rushmore of right wing media personalities, voting down the likes of Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and Rush Limbaugh.
Athletes
Streep's fans clearly love to watch the master of a craft reach the top of their game over a long and fruitful career, as they’ve shown they’re 3x more likely to love tennis star Serena Williams and twice as likely to love basketball MVP LeBron James, while also voting up legendary pro footballer David Beckham and NFL star Russell Wilson.
Musicians
As connoisseurs of art with mass appeal, it’s no wonder Streep fans are 4x more likely to listen to legacy pop artists like Cher, Adele, Lady Gaga and Elton John. Nor is it any wonder why their tastes gravitate twice as much to rock stars like Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks and Paul McCartney.
And just as Streep fans admire her soulful performances in films like Kramer vs. Kramer, they’ve also shown they’re 3x more likely to love R&B legends like Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys.
