Top Picks: Meryl Streep

When it comes to acting, it’s hard to imagine a more critically acclaimed and genre fluid actor than Meryl Streep. With 21 Oscar nominations and three wins for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, she has done everything from period dramas to comedies, musicals to romantic dramas. With Streep turning 70 on June 22, here are my top picks spanning her five-decade career.

Streep won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1983 for her heart-wrenching portrayal of an Auschwitz survivor, arguably one of her best performances, in Sophie's Choice.

Starring alongside another acting powerhouse, Clint Eastwood, Streep portrays a Midwestern farm wife who begins an affair with a traveling photographer in The Bridges of Madison County.

No list would be complete without mentioning The Devil Wears Prada. In 2006, Streep stole the show and enthralled a new generation of fans with her portrayal of the tough-as-nails Runway magazine editor Miranda Priestly.

If you’re like me and enjoy a good “who’s the daddy?” story, you might enjoy the comical musical Mamma Mia! and its sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Another all-time favorite of mine is Julie & Julia. Streep expertly portrays culinary legend Julia Child’s down-to-earth humor and cooking style that made her a beloved name in kitchens and homes across America.

Finally, in It's Complicated, Streep stars alongside Alec Baldwin as their characters rekindle their romance after several years of divorce. Their outrageous and slightly raunchy affair shocks not only them but their adult children as well.

What's your favorite movie starring Meryl Streep?