Despite her many twists and turns as women exuding power, determination, and self-reliance (but always with a touch of vulnerability), Streep herself was not interested in becoming someone’s go-to place for life lessons, marriage or anything else.
“I hate to see myself preach,” Streep told the New York Times in 1994 on the subject of interviews. “I can’t stand to be an expert on everything. I barely have my own life under control. And there is the pressure to articulate myself and make sentences. “
She couldn’t help but come across as so wise that people wanted to hear from her at every opportunity. For the past 27 years, she has continued to sparingly give interviews and never reveal much about her family – although she does her press when necessary and speaks at length about her concerns.
Of course, she’s more technically passionate about her family than anything else, but they remain taboo for good reason.
“Motherhood, marriage, that’s a balancing act,” Streep told Good Housekeeping in 2008. “Especially when you have a job that you find rewarding. It’s a challenge, but the best kind of challenge. “
Regarding the family life she keeps so private, she stated:Robert Redford Taught me that as babies they are not your props. I really admired the way he protected his family. It’s something that I consciously mimicked. “
You don’t mess with the role of your life.
(Originally published September 30, 2019 at 3 p.m. PT)