"Show business has been really, really good to me because I can work and take a lot of time off, and I'm extremely undisciplined person."

Work

Create & Download Quote Graphic

Customize Image

1. Canvas Aspect Ratio

2. Palette Theme

Thematic Reflection

This quotation examines the core nature of Work as articulated by Meryl Streep. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Work provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

Explore all Work quotes → Browse all wisdom by Meryl Streep →

About Meryl Streep

Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress. Widely regarded by peers and critics as the greatest actress of her generation, and by many as the greatest ever, she is recognized as one of the most versatile performers in cinema, noted for her technical precision, nuanced emotional depth, command of dialects, and professional longevity. Streep is an alumna of Vassar College and the Yale School of Drama, holding a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts. Her artistic process often includes refining her characters' dialogue so that their motivations possess a psychological depth and agency that transcend traditional archetypes. Beyond her creative work, she is a prominent advocate for gender parity, labor protections, and challenging the influence of the male gaze in film criticism and production.

View all quotes by Meryl Streep →
Editorial Integrity: Curated and fact-checked under our Editorial Standards to eliminate misattributions and preserve historical authenticity.
Learn about our methodology →

More by Meryl Streep

"The more you are in this business, the more humbled by it you become."

— Meryl Streep
Read more →

"I have a very busy life, and not many people who have a career and four kids go out a lot to the movies."

— Meryl Streep
Read more →

"I believe in imagination. I did Kramer vs. Kramer before I had children. But the mother I would be was already inside me."

— Meryl Streep
Read more →

"My family really does come first. It always did and always will."

— Meryl Streep
Read more →

More about Work

"And trust, yes, which is important, but that is what I aim towards. Now that is difficult for some people, and with that desire to get things as good as possible, I would say that I'm probably regarded as quite prickly to work with."

— Jeremy Irons
Read more →

"I like what I see now in China, but I think the Japanese are a step ahead into craziness and weirdness. I go to galleries there that are the size of a New York elevator, and every time I'm surprised by the amazing things I find. I really hope I'll be able to promote some of these artists, to show their work in the West."

— Jean Pigozzi
Read more →

"Middle-aged women have greater stability, they are more loyal, and their capacity for steady work is greater than that of younger women."

— Kate Smith
Read more →

"The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."

— John Kenneth Galbraith
Read more →
Browse all Work quotes →