Streep Win Would End Long Oscar Drought

Nominated role as Margaret Thatcher highlights storied career

February 22, 2012

Meryl Streep won a Golden Globe for best actress in a motion picture drama for "The Iron Lady," and is also nominated for an Oscar.

With 17 Oscar nominations, Meryl Streep has joined the pantheon of great thespians but, despite being the most nominated actress in history, she has not won an Oscar since 1982.

This is the year that could break Streep's Oscar dry spell. Nominated for her leading role as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady," Streep is considered by many to be the front runner.

Streep has never shied away from controversial roles. Once again, as Margaret Thatcher, she validates her acting pedigree.

Her every gesture, the intonation of her voice, all bring to life the former British prime minister.

Success is not new for this actress. On Feb. 12, she won a BAFTA Best Actress award, the British equivalent of an Oscar. In early December, she was honored by the Kennedy Center for her achievements over a lifetime.

Streep has been at it since childhood. She started acting in high school.

Meryl Streep as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.”

Murray Horwitz, a playwright and former director of the American Film Institute, says Streep blossomed on the stage.