These Are The 30 Greatest Performances of Meryl Streep’s Iconic Career

19. The Iron Lady (2011)

Image Source: The Hollywood Reporter

In a part that earned her a Best Actress Oscar, Streep disappears in the role of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The Iron Lady is a highlight reel of awards season clichés. Meticulous attention was paid to costume and overall detail. The melodramatic recapping of historical events was buoyed by lots of grade A acting. You must be very talented to work with Streep. It also helps to know how to use her. The Iron Lady fails in both categories. It’s not that Streep isn’t convincing as the iron-willed former British prime minister (of course she’s impeccable). However, she attached her titanic dedication to a deeply dopey and simplistic treatment of a compelling political figure. But from the moment Streep steps on screen as the articulate British stateswoman, its hard to separate the two.