Transformation

Meryl Streep is an actress's actress, transforming herself into characters as various as a Danish aristocrat (Out of Africa, an immigrant Italian (The Bridges of Madison County and a magazine diva (The Devil Wears Prada). In fact, her much-lauded roles—17 Oscar nominations and counting!—make it easy to forget that, with her high cheekbones, honey-blond hair and full lips, the actress herself is a total babe. "As a girl, I remember really liking the feeling of being pretty," she has recalled. "It was sort of thrilling and could put a spring in your step." We can only believe that Streep is still springing.

As a senior at Bernards High School in Bernardsville, N.J., Streep was a popular cheerleader. "It was my first real characterization," she later joked. "I played blond homecoming queen for a few years."