Meryl Streep won her third Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady" at the 84th Annual Academy Awards, edging out other favorites Viola Davis of "The Help" and Glenn Close for "Albert Nobbs." With a record 17 nominations, we may see Streep more than any other actor at the awards, but, despite her lighthearted jab at herself, we still love her. Here are three reasons why.
She's Funny. Really Funny.
Streep starting her Oscar acceptance speech with her imagining people at home saying "Her? Again?" is only a tiny taste of the actress' humor. Interviewed after her win, Streep coined her own syndrome, telling reporters she understands some people may have "Streep fatigue," according to the York Daily News, after her nearly constant presence.
Streep doesn't hide her humor onscreen, either. Though she's known for dramatic characters and delicate portrayals of people who come off as real, she's also hilarious. Two of Streep's most underrated (and, OK, panned) movies are offbeat comedies that never reached the audience they deserve.
"Death Becomes Her," a dark, twisted fantasy with a tongue firmly planted in cheek, skewers the drive for perpetual youth while utilizing the unexpected acting combination of Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis. The result is an odd movie, with scenes like Streep's musical number "That's Me," that are well-worth the rental.
Also buried, unacknowledged, away from the Oscar nods is "She-Devil," another dark comedy where, come to think of it, like in "Death Becomes Her," Streep plays a man-stealing (and scene-stealing) woman wrapped up in the idea of romance. In both roles Streep lets go of ego to delve into the ridiculous; that is why these two strange movies go funny when they could have just gone weird.
She's Loyal.
Streep thanked her husband of 34 years, Don Dummer, first. Dummer is the same man to whom she was married in 1980 when she won her first Oscar for "Kramer vs. Kramer," and there he was, smiling at her, all these years later.
Being married for more than three decades in Hollywood is like marrying the same person over three lifetimes in regular people years. Yet, when they looked at one another while she was on stage, you could see the strength and warmth of their relationship.
She also thanked the other man in her life, makeup artist J. Roy Helland, who won his own Oscar, along with Mark Coulier, for their work in "The Iron Lady." In her speech, Streep noted that they had worked together for 37 years, since they first met on a stage production. The actress has remained loyal, throughout her career and life, to not one man, but two.
She's Real.
Even with the most Oscar nominations of any actor, even with two wins already safely in her credits, Meryl Streep became tongue-tied with emotion at the end of her acceptance speech. With all the accolades, with all the recognition, Streep still comes off like a person; a person who is brilliant at her job, but a person, nonetheless. She's even scoffed at being called the "greatest living actress," saying that "there is no such thing."
Well, on that point, we'll have to agree to disagree. Congratulations, Meryl Streep, on a well-earned win in a tough, tough year.
Check out coverage of the 84th Academy Awards on Yahoo! Movies