Meryl Streep's viral clip from 1979 inspires millions

Meryl Streep, currently 76 years old, is one of the most respected performers in the world, adored for her roles in films such as Sophie’s Choice, The Devil Wears Prada, and Florence Foster Jenkins.

Having begun her professional acting career in 1975 at the age of 25, she is now the recipient of three Academy Awards. She won her first in 1980 for her supporting role in Kramer vs. Kramer, and her most recent nomination was for The Post in 2018.

Recently, fans were moved when a 47-year-old interview clip of a then-30-year-old Meryl was shared on X. In the footage, interviewer Gene Shalit asks about her future goals. At the time, Meryl had received a nomination for her role in the 1978 movie The Deer Hunter but had not yet won an Oscar.

The interview took place during a bittersweet period in her life. Meryl had recently lost her partner, John Cazale, whom she met in 1976. When John was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1977, Meryl cared for him until his passing in March 1978 at the age of 42. Six months after his death, she married sculptor Don Gummer.

In the unearthed video, Meryl discusses her aspirations: “I’m gonna be a mother, I hope, God willing everything goes OK. And I’m going to keep working, I hope, with people that I like and whose work I respect.”

“And if I can’t get work that way, then to feed the mean little kid, maybe I’ll do some commercials or something,” she continued, before admitting, “I don’t have a life plan, is that what you mean?”

The video went viral because viewers were struck by her humility, unaware that she was on the verge of a level of personal and professional success she could scarcely imagine. Only months after the interview, in November 1979, Meryl and Don welcomed their first child, Henry. They went on to have three more children: daughters Mamie, Grace, and Louisa.

Meryl’s career achieved unimaginable heights. The user who shared the video captioned it: “Meryl Streep in 1979 talking about her hopes and dreams… baby girl you did it all 😭♥️.” In just two days, the tweet garnered over 4 million views. One popular response with over 136K likes stated, “Her being 30 here… why is life worth living again,” while another added, “This kinda inspired me to get back up.”