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Meryl Streep is often regarded as one of the greatest actresses of all time. She has three Academy Awards and eight Golden Globes to her name. Throughout her illustrious career, Streep has been at the forefront of Hollywood for over 40 years.
Appearing in some of the greatest and most popular movies of all time, Streep has an incredible fanbase who rush to the cinema to catch her latest project.
Because of that, the vast majority of her movies do incredibly well at the box office, which is one of the reasons she is always in high demand. Within this article, we will take a look at her 10 highest-grossing films of all time.
Out Of Africa (Box Office: $87,071,205)
When you consider that this film was released in 1985, the fact it was able to make $87,071,205 at the box office is an unbelievable achievement, with Out Of Africa actually being one of Meryl Streep's most successful roles ever, if adjusted for inflation.
Streep plays Karen Blixen, who makes the decision to travel to Africa in order to join her husband, being set on becoming a dairy farmer. Yet when she arrives, it comes to light he has spent the money on a coffee plantation.
During the film, Karen learns her husband has been unfaithful, which leads her developing feelings for a hunter, Denys, leading to Karen having to make a major decision.
Julie & Julia (Box Office: $94,125,426)
Julie & Julia is next up on Meryl Streep's highest-grossing movies, having made $94,125,426 at the box office back in 2009, which is fairly impressive as the movie has a fairly simple plotline.
Hating her New York-based job, Amy Adams' character decides to prepare all 524 recipes from the cookbook of Julia Childs, who just so happens to be played by Meryl Streep herself. In the two parallel storylines, both women go on a journey of self-discovery.
Kramer Vs. Kramer (Box Office: $106,260,000)
In one of Meryl Streep's greatest ever roles, she plays Joanna, who is married to an advertising executive, Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman). These two acting powerhouses have fantastic on-screen chemistry.
Despite Kramer landing a huge account, Joanna's character makes the decision to leave him and their son Billy, forcing Kramer not only to move on, but also become a single father at the same time.
The two then battle it out in court over the custody of Billy, which takes an emotional toll on everyone involved.
It's Complicated (Box Office: $112,735,375)
Next up on the list is the 2009 film, It's Complicated, which managed to make $112,735,375 at the box office, making it one of Meryl Streep's most successful movies of all time in terms of its gross.
In the film, Streep plays Jane, who is divorced from Jake (Alec Baldwin). The former couple remains friends and end up having an affair, as Jake has been remarried.
If that's not complicated enough, Jane's character ends up having another man in her life , Adam (Steve Martin) who is remodeling her kitchen, and she quickly ends up being part of a very complicated love triangle, which leads to a fantastic, funny, and emotional story.
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events (Box Office: $118,634,539)
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events did fantastically at the box office, surpassing many expectations ,as it earned an incredible $118,634,539.
In the movie, Streep plays Auntie Josephine, who helps care for the three young orphaned siblings, alongside the crazy Uncle Monty (Bill Connolly), as they try to protect the kids.
The reason they must be protected is that their distant relative, Count Olaf (Jim Carrey) spends the entire movie trying to capture them in order to steal their inheritance.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (Box Office: $120,634,935)
Due to the overwhelming success and popularity of the original, it seemed inevitable that the sequel would end up taking place, and in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Meryl Streep reprised her role as Donna Sheridan.
However, Streep only has a small role in the sequel, with the younger generation of actors really taking the reigns with great success. The film earned $120,634,935 at the box office.
In this movie, Streep's character is actually dead, only appearing in flashback as her younger self. However, Streep does make an appearance.
The Devil Wears Prada (Box Office: $124,740,460)
In the opinion of many, this is Meryl Streep's greatest performance. She plays Miranda Priestly, a diabolical editor who makes Andy's (Anne Hathaway) life an absolute misery.
The two women have fantastic chemistry and Streep portrays the bitchy boss to perfection, despite the fact that it is the total opposite of how Streep seems in reality as a person.
The film gives a great glimpse into what that fashion magazine world is like, while doing so in an entertaining manner with a movie that's a sweet blend of emotion and comedy.
Into The Woods (Box Office: $128,002,372)
Into The Woods was a major success when it was released in 2014, with a star-studded ensemble cast featuring the likes of James Corden, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine, and, of course, Meryl Streep, among others.
The plot sees Streep's formerly beautiful witch put a curse on a baker and his wife to render them childless, with the duo venturing into the woods for ingredients to reverse the spell and restore her beauty.
Within this musical journey, they come across a variety of fairytale characters like Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, who are all on their own individual quests.
Mamma Mia! (Box Office: $144,169,644)
As many of the entries on this list prove, even though Meryl Streep can certainly play things seriously, she isn't shy about jumping into the musical genre when she wants to bust out a tune — which she did brilliantly for the hit film, Mamma Mia!
It was only a matter of time until this story made its way to the silver screen, and when it did, it didn't disappoint, with the fans of ABBA and the musical being very pleased with what they saw in this film.
While all the singing isn't quite at the best level, Streep's certainly is, as she puts in a stellar performance for the movie, which thrived at the box office, earning $144,169,644.
Mary Poppins Returns (Box Office: $171,958,438)
So, here we are! The highest-grossing movie of Meryl Streep's legendary career (so far), and it is Mary Poppins Returns, which is the recent sequel to the classic Disney movie that saw Emily Blunt take on the role of the popular magical nanny.
While Streep isn't a main character in this fabulous movie, her role is certainly memorable as she plays the wacky Topsy, which is a direct reference to the book itself, where her character is based.
Streep provides the voice to one of the movie's most memorable songs and is a real show-stopper within her scenes. Considering how iconic the original movie is, it isn't a surprise that this managed to do so well at the box office.