‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Star Meryl Streep Reveals Her Real Name and Its Origin

Meryl Streep has been a prominent figure in Hollywood for decades, yet many fans are just now learning that the actress was not born with the name everyone recognizes today.

Recently celebrating her 77th birthday, Streep’s illustrious career keeps her in the public eye. While many actors with such lengthy careers may choose to step back, Streep remains active, taking on significant roles.

Earlier this year, she reprised her iconic role as Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, a sequel to the 2006 blockbuster. This film’s success further solidifies her substantial influence in Hollywood.

With her name trending once again, fans have begun to explore Streep’s personal history, including the intriguing tale behind her well-known stage name. The actress was actually born Mary Louise Streep. During a 2015 appearance on ‘The Graham Norton Show’, Streep shared the story of her unique first name and why she has always been called Meryl instead.

She explained that her family has a tradition of naming women Mary. “At birth I had to be named Mary because my mother’s name was Mary and her mother’s name was Mary and [so on],” Streep revealed.

Her middle name, Louise, was given in honor of her mother’s close friend. “So I was named after her. But I was always called Meryl. My father made that name up and he liked that name,” she added.

Although Meryl has become one of the most recognizable names globally, Streep admitted that she wasn’t always fond of it. In fact, she shared that she disliked her name during her younger years.

As a child, she wished for a more common name. “I wanted to be named Patty or Cathy,” Streep mentioned. She humorously noted that even her last name could have been different.

“I had glasses, and my name was Meryl, and [surname] had a ‘p’ on the end. It should have been ‘Street.’ [I always thought], ‘Why didn’t they just put a ‘t’ on the end instead of ‘p’?” she explained.

Despite her initial feelings about her name, Meryl Streep has grown into one of the most esteemed actors of her generation. Her name is now synonymous with some of the most celebrated performances in film history, including ‘Sophie’s Choice’, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, and ‘Mamma Mia’.

Beyond her acting career, Streep has also discussed her family life and the joy she finds in spending time with her grandchildren. In an interview with Vogue, she reflected on being a grandmother and the swift passage of time.

“It’s just grabbing seconds, just grabbing everything you can of them, with the knowledge of how completely fleeting it all is and how rapidly time goes,” Streep shared. She also mentioned having six grandchildren, all under the age of six. “I have six grandchildren, six under six. They’re six, five, four, three, two, and one,” she said.

Even after years in Hollywood, Streep’s story continues to captivate fans. From her unique birth name to the name she once wished for, the actress has a personal narrative as fascinating as the characters she portrays on screen.

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