Meryl Streep was sure her career would end at age 40 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Picture this: Meryl Streep, two Oscars in hand, thinking her Hollywood run was about to hit a dead end. Yep, back in 1989, she genuinely believed turning 40 meant her career would tank. Even as she bagged the Best Actress award at Cannes for Evil Angels, she braced herself for Hollywood’s cold shoulder. Crazy, right?

Fast forward to 2024, and Streep spilled the whole truth while picking up an honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes. “Thirty-five years ago, I was a mom of three, about to turn 40, and thought my career was over,” she said. Why? Back then, actresses hitting 40 were pretty much written off. Streep figured she was next on the chopping block.

“All the evidence of other 40-year-old women at that time would lead you to believe it was over,” she once said. But let’s be...