For Meryl Streep, Kids and Oscars Went Hand-in-Hand
Meryl Streep is arguably one of the best actresses in the world. Since her career began in 1975, she’s appeared in at least 70 movies, won three Oscars and nabbed a record-setting 21 nominations. She's also a mom of four.
When asked what was harder, acting or raising kids, Streep told The Washington Post in 1998, "Mothering. Definitely. Acting—that's praise, money, fulfillment. Mothering—they don't even say, 'Thank you.' They don't even clear the table unless you say, 'Excuuuse me.' Real life, there's no comparison to acting. I can't really call acting work, since it's secretly so fun.”
Even though parenting is a hard job, there’s no question Streep wouldn't have traded it for the world. Here’s everything you need to know about her children.
Related: All About Robert De Niro's 7 Kids and Their Mothers
How many kids does Meryl Streep have?
Streep has four children with husband Don Gummer: Henry Wolfe Gummer; Mary Willa "Mamie" Gummer; Grace Jane Gummer; and Louisa Jacobson Gummer.
Who is the father of Meryl Streep's children?
Photo by Ethan Miller/WireImage
Don Gummer
All four children are from Streep’s marriage to Don Gummer. Gummer has been a sculptor since the 1970s. He married Streep in 1978.
Does Meryl Streep have an actress daughter?
All three of Streep’s daughters have acted. Mamie Gummer has appeared in shows like The Good Wife and True Detective; Grace Gummer has been in series like Dr. Death, Mr. Robot and Good Girls Revolt; and Louisa Gummer (who goes by Louisa Jacobson professionally) stars in The Gilded Age.
Related: All About 'The Gilded Age' Season 2
When did Meryl Streep have kids?
Streep’s first child, Henry, was born in 1979, when she was 30 (and the year Kramer vs. Kramer came out).
Mamie was born in 1983, when the star was 34 (and the year Streep won her first best actress Oscar for Sophie’s Choice).
Grace was born in 1986, when the actress was 36 (and a year after Out of Africa hit theaters).
Louisa was born right before Streep turned 42 (and just ahead of the release of Death Becomes Her).
When asked about choosing between kids and career, Streep once replied, “I never made any choices, I just got pregnant a lot. And when I was done weaning a baby I'd start reading scripts.”
Who are Meryl Streep's children?
Henry Wolfe Gummer (b. Nov. 13, 1979)
Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Henry (who goes by Henry Wolfe professionally), 43, is primarily a musician. He played in the band Bravo Silva before transitioning to a solo career, and his music has appeared on soundtracks to his mother's movies, including Julie & Julia and Ricki and the Flash.
"The fact that my mom is who she is can be overshadowing," he once told The Daily News. "Sometimes I worry that my story isn't good enough. Sure, my mom is part of the story and I don't get pissed when people ask me about her, but I wish I had something that could eclipse that as far as compelling storylines."
Mamie Gummer (b. Aug. 3, 1983)
IMAGO / Cover-Images
Mamie, 40, has starred in the series Emily Owens M.D. and appeared in The Good Wife and The Good Fight, among other shows and movies. (Fun fact: when she was just 20 months old, she was in Heartburn alongside Streep, but was credited as Natalie Stern so the press wouldn’t know.) The actress once said of working with her mother in Ricki and the Flash, "I was nervous about it, leading up to filming it. She was fine. I think she was pleased actually. It was funny because I tear into her and when we called cut there was this big grin on her face."
On the personal front, Gummer has been married to writer Mehar Sethi, with whom she has two children, since February 2019.
Grace Gummer (b. May 9, 1986)
IMAGO / Pond5 Images
Grace, 37, has a Theatre World Award for her work in Arcadia on Broadway. She was also on the TeenNick show Gigantic, The Newsroom and American Horror Story: Freak Show, and has appeared in films like Larry Crowne, Frances Ha and The Long Dumb Road.
“It used to bother me,” she once said of being known as Meryl Streep's daughter. “I try not to think about it, or it could really get to me.”
In 2021, Grace married music producer Mark Ronson. "To my truest love...out of nowhere, you made 45 hands down the greatest year of my life," he wrote on Instagram. "And I'm sure it took me 45 years to become the man worthy of your love...I hope I spend every one of these birthdays by your side til my last day."
Louisa Jacobson (b. June 12, 1991)
IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
Jacobson is best known for playing Marian Brook in The Gilded Age. According to her Instagram, she has a taste for the stage, as she recently served as assistant director for a play called Invasive Species in New York City.
Is Meryl Streep a grandmother?
Streep has five grandchildren. Her son Henry has two children with his wife, Tamryn Storm Hawker. Her daughter, Mamie, has two children with husband Mehar Sethi. And her daughter Grace has one child with her husband, record producer Mark Ronson.