Meryl Streep

Well known for her incredible talent as an actress, with a versatile range that covers everything from drama to comedy, Meryl Streep has touched the lives of millions both on and off the silver screen. She was recently selected as the 2006 recipient of the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award. This is a special honor to recognize women who are pioneers in their field.

After receiving her Master’s degree from Yale Drama School, Meryl Streep’s abilities as an actress earned her 13 Oscar nominations and two Academy Awards. In 2004 she won the American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award, which honors an actor’s lifetime contributions to enriching American culture through motion pictures and television.

Meryl Streep’s ♥♥♥♥♥ passion for acting is matched by her passion off-screen to help create a better world. In 1986, she co-founded Mothers and Others with Wendy Gordon as they started a proactive newsletter with their neighbors to raise awareness about environmental hazards posed by pesticides used on fruits and vegetables, especially those impacting the health of mothers and children, and to promote positive education and research to secure safer, more ecologically sustainable foods.

Through their focused efforts in spreading the word in a positive light, they helped with the successful passage of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, designed to protect children from unsafe pesticides, and in 1997 the Environmental Protection Agency announced a National Agenda to Protect Children from Environmental Threats. This organization expanded to become The Children’s Environmental Health Network, dedicated to the safety and well-being of all children.

More recently Meryl Streep has dedicated herself to promoting humane treatment of women and girls around the world by supporting the nonprofit international organization Equality Now. Its mission is to “work to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world through the mobilization of public pressure.” The hope is to increase awareness about sensitive topics such as rape, domestic violence and other similar issues.

Meryl Streep has also joined Marisa Tomei and Sarah Jones in a public service announcement, inviting others to participate in actively working towards positive solutions. Through the respect accorded her as a highly gifted and accomplished actor, Meryl Streep is able to influence many people to make positive changes to the environment and to elevate people’s awareness to relieve suffering worldwide.