Enough people write about me every day without even interviewing me. Meryl Streep More Quotes by Meryl Streep More Quotes From Meryl Streep The interesting thing about being a mother is that everyone wants pets, but no one but me cleans the kitty litter. Meryl Streep parenting mom mother Some people are filled by compassion and a desire to do good, and some simply don't think anything's going to make a difference. Meryl Streep differences compassion thinking I had this sort of idolatry for certain actors who preceded me, people who inspired me, so I'm honored to be that way for young actors. Meryl Streep actors people way We all make the mistake thinking that how you look makes you more worthy of love. Meryl Streep mistake looks thinking You're perfectly balanced because then you effervesce seemingly effortlessly. And it's a thing a person can't manufacture. You either have that or you don't. You have charm or you don't. Meryl Streep balanced charm persons The work will stand, no matter what. Meryl Streep no-matter-what acting matter If you make the tough decisions, people will hate you today. But they will thank you for generations. Meryl Streep hate decision people Instant gratification is not soon enough. Meryl Streep soon-enough women memorable How you first meet the public is how the industry sees you. You can't argue with them. That's their perception. Meryl Streep perception arguing firsts You can have a perfectly horrible day where you doubt your talent... Or that you're boring and they're going to find out that you don't know what you're doing. Meryl Streep talent boring doubt I always feel like I can't do it, that I can't go through with a movie. But then I do go through with it after all. Meryl Streep movie actors feels My own sense of well-being and purpose in the world. That comes from studying the world feelingly, with empathy in my work. It comes from staying alert and alive and involved in the lives of the people that I love and the people in the wider world who need my help. Meryl Streep empathy people needs Everything that truly makes us happy is quite simple: love, sex, and food! Everything else - power, influence, strength - all those things can overpower what's important in life. But as long as you have food and shelter over your head, if the necessities are taken care of, what makes us happy on top of that is very simple. Meryl Streep taken simple sex I have a theory that movies operate on the level of dreams, where you dream yourself. Meryl Streep levels theory dream You can be afraid in a press conference, nervous, sweaty, but you can't be afraid when you do your work because it doesn't work that way. Meryl Streep conferences nervous way I would say, don't smoke. I'm kidding, but yeah, I did smoke in college and as a young actor and it's stupid. Meryl Streep actors college stupid When criticism comes your way as an actor they are not criticizing your writing or your painting or your piece, they are criticizing you! It is hard to put that away in a place where you are not hurt. Meryl Streep criticism hurt writing I do honestly think that if women were running the world there would be more investment in peace, because basically as women we do not want to see our children killed. Maybe I am completely idealistic, but until we see women in equal positions of power in the world, I just think that we are doomed. Meryl Streep running children thinking My success has depended wholly on putting things over on people, so I'm not sure that I'm that great a role model. I am, however, an expert on pretending to be an expert on pretending to be an expert. Meryl Streep role-models success people I separated myself in Prada because I didn't want to have fun. They were all having a lot of fun - Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci - and they were a little coterie of laughs. Meryl Streep littles fun laughing