The Remarkable Love Story of Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep, the legendary actress, has graced both big and small screens with her incredible talent. But her journey is not just about acting.
Besides the numerous accolades she’s received—21 Oscar nominations with three wins, 32 Golden Globe nominations with eight wins, three Emmys, two SAG Awards, and many more for her acting prowess—Streep has achieved something equally commendable in Hollywood.
Despite her remarkable career, Meryl, at 74, has managed to keep the focus on her work rather than her personal life. Off-camera, she’s a devoted mother of three daughters and a grandmother of five. In today’s world, where privacy is a rare luxury, her ability to maintain a low profile is a challenge even greater than mastering diverse roles and characters on screen.
But her journey into a serene personal life was not without its share of trials. It began with a devastating heartbreak, followed by an unexpected turn of events that led her into the arms of Mr. Right.
Meryl Streep’s Remarkable Encounter
Meryl first met John Cazale during auditions for a 1976 Shakespeare in the Park production of Measure for Measure. Cazale, best known for his role as Fredo in The Godfather, had an extraordinary cinematic portfolio consisting solely of Best Picture Oscar winners or nominees, including two Godfather films, The Conversation, Dog Day Afternoon, and The Deer Hunter.
Their love blossomed, but tragedy struck when Cazale was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 42. Meryl stood by his side during his treatment at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, even as they were filming The Deer Hunter. The studio contemplated dropping Cazale from the project due to his illness, but Meryl threatened to quit if they did.
Tragically, Cazale passed away on March 12, 1978, shortly after they completed filming. Meryl received her first Oscar nomination, for Best Supporting Actress, as a result.
Devastated by the loss, Meryl sought solace with a friend in Canada, only to return to New York and find herself being evicted from the loft she had shared with Cazale. It was during this difficult time that an unexpected encounter changed her life.
A kind-hearted sculptor, whom Meryl had met only a few times before, offered to store her excess belongings in his studio while she went to work on a film in Maryland.
As Meryl spent time in the sculptor’s apartment, she began to develop feelings for him, and they started corresponding with each other.
This sculptor turned out to be Don Gummer, who would become her husband for the next 45 years.
Don, originally from Louisville, Kentucky, had previously been married briefly to his high school sweetheart. He obtained his MFA from Yale, coincidentally while Meryl was attending the School of Drama there. Despite Meryl’s initial hesitation due to her recent loss, a friend encouraged her to spend time with Don if she felt a connection.
She felt that connection deeply and, on September 30, 1978, Meryl and Don exchanged vows in an Episcopal ceremony in the garden of her parents’ home on Mason’s Island, Connecticut. Even Meryl’s own mother wondered about the swift decision, but it turned out to be one of the best choices of her life.
Whatever Meryl was thinking at that time, she certainly made the right choice in the end.
