Meryl Streep was even a leader in her school days, as extracts from her year book reveal. The Hollywood star attended Bernard's High School in New Jersey, where she was in charge of the student body, as well as a member of the cheerleading club and choir. Photos of Meryl as a school girl have been colourised by MyHeritage, revealing that the award-winning actress used to have long, blonde hair and a sweeping side fringe during her time in class. A popular pupil, Meryl was even selected as the homecoming queen in her senior year, and starred in many of the school productions.
Meryl Streep was a cheerleader during her time at school
After leaving school in 1966, Meryl went on to attend Vassar College in New York. There, the actress realised her love for acting on another level, starring in shows including Miss Julie, which saw her gain attention across the campus. The Devil Wears Prada star then went on to do a Master's at the Yale School of Drama, playing a number of roles on stage, including Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream. After graduating, Meryl spent the first few years working in theatre, before landing her first film role opposite Jane Fonda in 1977 in the movie Julia. While Meryl was cut out of many of the scenes, something she later admitted "horrified" her, meeting Jane helped to open more doors in the industry for her.
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The Hollywood star was part of many groups during her school days
Meryl's career went from strength to strength, and over the years she has been nominated for a staggering 23 Academy Awards, and has won three of them, for her roles in Kramer vs Kramer in 1980, Sophie's Choice in 1983, and The Iron Lady in 2012. Other notable accolades have included an Academy Award of Cinema and Television Arts Award in 1989 for her role in Evil Angels, BAFTAs for The French Lieutenant's Woman in 1982, and The Iron Lady, and Golden Globes for films including Sophie's Choice, Kramer Vs Kramer and The Devil Wears Prada in 2007.
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Away from work, Meryl prefers to keep her family life out of the spotlight and remains relatively private about her children. The star has been married to sculptor Don Gummer for over 40 years, and they share four kids, Henry, 40, Mamie, 36, Grace, 34, and Louisa, 28. All of their children have followed their mum in creative industries, with Mamie and Grace pursuing careers as actors, Louisa working as an aspiring model, and Henry working in music.
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