Meryl Streep Revealed Why She Thought Her 'Career Was Over' at the Age of 40

Meryl Streep is easily one of the best actors of her generation — if not the best. On May 14, she was celebrated with an honorary Palme d’Or for her body of work on the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival. If that wasn’t enough, the three Oscars on her shelf at home should speak volumes about her talent, but it’s still crazy to think that Streep experienced ageism in the middle of her successful career.

During her acceptance speech, the 74-year-old superstar recalled the first time she stepped onto the Cannes Film Festival red carpet in 1988. Even though she had the film, Evil Angels, premiering that week, she believed she was at the end of her career at the very young age of 39. “Thirty-five years ago, when I was here for the first time, I was already a mother of three. I was about to turn 40 and I thought that my career was over,” she admitted to the crowd, via People. “And that was not an unrealistic expectation for actresses at that time…”

More from SheKnows

• Naomi Campbell Rewore an Iconic, Revealing 1997 Look at the Cannes Film Festival

This isn’t the first time Streep has spoken about how the age issue crept into her career. In 2014, she told People, via ABC News, how the quality of roles shifted the moment she hit her 40s. “I would say our culture is pretty youth-obsessed,” she explained. “Especially people that pass 40. When I was 40, I was offered three witch [roles]. I was not offered any female adventurers or love interests or heroes or demons. I was offered witches because I was ‘old’ at 40.” While we are sure it’s fun to play a witch once in your career, the character shouldn’t be associated with age.

She was so adamant about the ageism issue in Hollywood that she funded The Writers Lab in 2015 to support female storytelling voices over the age of 40. “The Writers Lab provides practical tools and spirited encouragement for the work of screenwriters whose point of view, fruit of their age and gender, has been consistently undervalued in the marketplace,” Streep said on the group’s website. She’s since been joined by Nicole Kidman, Oprah Winfrey, and Cate Blanchett, who have actively donated money to the organization.

While the opportunities for women over 40 have gotten better, Hollywood needs to stop writing women as if “they are sort of gorgons or dragons or in some way grotesque,” Streep said at the Venice Film Festival in 2006. She’s been talking about the issue for decades and the improvement is happening, but perhaps a little too slowly for her tastes. Streep’s career has been a remarkable success, but she’s continued to push the entertainment industry’s boundaries that will serve not only herself, but the generations coming up behind her.

Before you go, click here to see actresses over 50 who are more successful now than ever.

Best of SheKnows

• Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, & 43 More Stars Who Proudly Freed the Nipple

• Chrissy Teigen, Emily Ratajkowski, & More Celebrities Who Rocked the Most Daring Naked Dresses

• Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal & More Men Who Routinely Date Women Half Their Age

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.