Closer USA – September 02, 2019

her brother Harry. She began correspond-

ing with Don and they quickly fell in love.

“They both are creative and artistic people,”

explains a friend of the couple. “They love to

laugh and are each other’s best friend.”

Six months later, Meryl and Don wedin

her parents’ backyard. “I found a greathus-

band many years ago — I’m lucky inthat

way,” says the actress, who recently celebrat-

ed her 40th wedding anniversary.

MUSIC OF THE HEART

The couple set up a family home inCon-

necticut, where they reared their fourchil-

dren, Henry, 39, Mamie, 36, Grace, 33,and

Louisa, 28, away from the spotlight, unlike

other Hollywood stars. “Robert Redford

taught me that when they are babies, ‘They

are not your props.’ I really admiredthe

way he protected his family,” she says.“It’s

something I consciously emulated.”

Don held down the fort while Meryl trav-

eled to make movies. She won her first Os-

car in 1980 for her brief, but tour-de-force

performance as a runaway wife and mother

in Kramer vs. Kramer. It led to starring roles

in The French Lieutenant’s Woman, S ophie’s

Choice and Silkwood. Though she quick-

ly became a critical darling, Meryl admits

she hated seeing herself on the big screen in

those early years. “I was so unhappy,” she

confides. “I thought my nose was too big.

I thought I was fat. Because these arethe

things that people tell you.”

A happy home life helped her castaside

those insecurities, and she grew stronger

as she matured. Between 1979 and 1991she

had two Oscar wins and seven other nomi-

nations, but Meryl says her work hasnever

been about accruing trophies. “If someone

interesting is in a story, I fall in lovewith

her,” she says. “I have to be her.”

In February, Meryl’s oldest daughterMa-

mie, who is also an actress, welcomeda son

with her partner, actor Mehar Sethi. “Ispe-

cialize in unsolicited advice!” said Meryl,

who joked about “ruining” her daughter’s

li fe by interfering. It’s likely that Mamie

can handle it. “My girls came into theworld

strong,” says Meryl.

At 70, the actress has no thoughts of slow-

ing down from work or life. “Motherhood,

marriage, it’s a balancing act,” Meryl says.

“Especially if you have a job that you con-

sider rewarding. It’s a challenge but the best

kind of challenge.”

MERY L’S

STELLAR

CAREER

“I loved this show,” Meryl

says of HBO’s Big Little Lies.

“I wanted to be in that world.”

In 2006’s The Devil Wears

Prada, Meryl wanted to

explore the “responsibility

lying on [her] shoulders.”

Kramer vs. Kramer

(1979) won her an Oscar.

“I felt the sensual reason

for Joanna’s leaving, the

emotional reasons,” she

recalls of her character.

“It was so much

fun,” she says of

2008’s box-office

hit Mamma Mia!

(And yes, that is

really Meryl singing

and dancing!)

“Margaret

Thatcher was a

pioneer,” Meryl says

of The Iron Lady

(2011), which won

her a third Oscar.

“I was obsessed with

Sophie,” says Meryl,

who spoke with a Polish

accent in 1982’s Sophie’s

Choice. It earned her a

second Academy Award.