‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Star Meryl Streep’s Real Name Isn’t What Fans Think — Here’s Why She Changed It

Meryl Streep has been one of Hollywood’s biggest stars for decades, but many fans are only now discovering that the actress was not actually born with the name everyone knows today.

The legendary performer recently turned 77, and her long career continues to keep her in the spotlight. While many actors with such a long career step away from the industry, Streep remains active and continues taking on major roles.

Earlier this year, Streep returned as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2, reprising the famous character from the 2006 hit movie. The film became a major success, once again proving the actress still has a huge influence in Hollywood.

With her name trending again, fans have started looking into Streep’s personal history, including the story behind her famous stage name. The actress was actually born Mary Louise Streep. During a 2015 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Streep explained where her unusual first name came from and why she was always called Meryl instead.

She revealed that her family had a long tradition of naming women in the family Mary. “At birth I had to be named Mary because my mother’s name was Mary and her mother’s name was Mary and [so on],” Streep explained.

She added that her middle name, Louise, came from her mother’s close friend. “So I was named after her. But I was always called Meryl. My father made that name up and he liked that name,” she said.

Although Meryl became one of the most recognizable names in the world, Streep admitted that she was not always happy with it. In fact, she revealed that she disliked the name when she was younger.

The actress said she would have preferred a much more common name during her childhood. “I wanted to be named Patty or Cathy,” Streep said. She also joked that even her last name felt like it could have been different.

“I had glasses, and my name was Meryl, and [surname] had a ‘p’ on the end. It should have been ‘Street.’ [I always thought], ‘Why didn’t they just put a ‘t’ on the end instead of ‘p’?’” she explained.

Despite her early feelings about her name, Meryl Streep eventually became one of the most respected actors of her generation. Her name is now connected with some of the most famous performances in film history, including Sophie’s Choice, The Devil Wears Prada, and Mamma Mia.

Outside of acting, Streep has also spoken about her family life and how much time she enjoys spending with her grandchildren. In an interview with Vogue, she opened up about being a grandmother and how quickly time passes.

“It’s just grabbing seconds, just grabbing everything you can of them, with the knowledge of how completely fleeting it all is and how rapidly time goes,” Streep said. She also shared that she has six grandchildren, all under the age of six. “I have six grandchildren, six under six. They’re six, five, four, three, two, and one,” she said.

Even after decades in Hollywood, Streep’s story continues to surprise fans. From her unusual birth name to the name she once wished she had, the actress has a personal history just as interesting as the characters she has played on screen.

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