Meryl Streep, We Miss You at the Oscars
Meryl Streep, we miss you at the Academy Awards.
It’s been seven years since Streep was last nominated for an Oscar for her work in Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” in 2018.
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Seven years without Streep is a long time.
Back then, she broke her own record as the most-nominated actress in Oscar history. Her best actress nod for playing Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham landed Streep her 21st Oscar nomination. Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson are tied in second place with a dozen each.
Streep has won Oscars for “Kramer vs. Kramer” in 1979 (supporting actress), “Sophie’s Choice” in 1982 (best actress) and “The Iron Lady” in 2011 (best actress).
The last time she went missing from the Oscars for a long period of time was in the 1990s when she had a gap between her nominations for “Postcards From the Edge” in 1991 to her best actress nod in 1996 for “Bridges of Madison County.”
Streep has been a staple of the Oscars since her first nomination back in 1978 for “The Deer Hunter.” Ever since this writer started watching the Academy Awards from London, waking up in the middle of the night, Streep was always there being nominated. Those nominations include: “A Cry in the Dark,” “The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Ironweed,” “Adaptation,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Doubt,” “Julie & Julia,” “Music of the Heart,” “One True Thing,” “Out of Africa,” “Postcards From the Edge,” “Silkwood,” “Into the Woods,” “Florence Foster Jenkins” and “August: Osage County.”
Something is missing without her sitting front row at the Dolby Theater during the Oscars. I can’t help but feel the palpable absence as the Oscar host calls her out and she plays along with that iconic laugh.
Needless to say, her performances garner attention, as do her snubs.
Think back to 1994’s “The River Wild.” Even this action-thriller, a genre that historically remains largely unawarded by Oscar voters, earned Streep Golden Globe and SAG recognition, yet she failed to nab a nomination with the Academy.
It’s shocking, but Streep also missed a nod for “Death Becomes Her.” The 1992 Universal Pictures release was an Oscar winner for visual effects. The dark comedy looks at the promise of eternal youth — Isabella Rossellini held the secret in a vial. Can you imagine what that “Death Becomes Her” reunion would have looked like this awards season with Rossellini in the conversation for “Conclave?” One can dream.
The last time Streep could have been eligible was in 2021 for Netflix’s “Don’t Look Up.”
The role that brings Streep her next record-breaking nomination remains to be seen. Sadly, this seven-year drought doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon. She doesn’t have any upcoming feature projects, except for a sequel to “The Devil Wears Prada” that’s in the works.
For now, Streep fans are making do with her role on Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.” A testament to her greatness is that even on TV she’s racking up nominations as Loretta Durkin, the kooky failed Broadway star. Yes, she has landed an Emmy nomination for her work on the hit comedy, but the Emmys aren’t the Oscars. As of the Season 4 finale, Loretta was last seen headed to New Zealand where her TV project is filming. As much as Streep is beloved on “Only Murders in the Building,” that season finale is the perfect excuse to send some fabulous film scripts her way, and return Streep to her front row seat at the Dolby Theatre.
Meryl, the Oscars just aren’t the same without you.
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