Yidio Question of the Day: Meryl Streep has more Oscar nominations for acting (13) than any woman alive. Is she our greatest living actress?

From extreme weight loss to rapidly mastering new skills, great actors go to no ends to master their craft and are willing to face the consequences of the roles they take.

In the aftermath of a magnificent performance, awards are given for roles and screenplays, but to truly allocate credit for a performance, one must look behind and beyond the screen.

Among notable body modifications: For the “Machinist,” Christian Bale lost 63 pounds, dropping down from 173 to a mere 110 pounds.

Representing the category of Social Repercussions: Because of his role in “Seven Years in Tibet,” Brad Pitt was banned from entering China.

And rounding achievements out within Re-Education: Meryl Streep learned to play the violin by practicing 6 hours a day for 8 weeks for her role in “Music of the Heart.”

What we don’t see or know, we may not be able to directly appreciate, but luckily, we still dig what winds up on screen. It’s this audience satisfaction that is paralleled in award nominations like Oscars. So can Oscar nominations accurately detect the level of an actor’s accomplishments?

Which leads us to the Yidio Question of the Day:

Meryl Streep has more Oscar nominations for acting (13) than any woman alive. Is she our greatest living actress?

Yes:

Bette Davis (regardless of generation, you know her by her eyes) is considered one of the greatest American movie actresses ever. She has 10 Oscar nominations that say so, as well. Early in Streep’s career, she was told by Davis that she would be her successor as the premier American actress. Technically, Streep did not just succeed Davis, she surpassed her.

Streep actually has 16 nominations for an Academy Award, 13 being for Best Actress. She outnumbers Davis by three. Databases and online polls like IMDB actually rank Streep in the top spot of the 100 Best Actress of All Time. Davis ranks number four. She’s known for being a perfectionist, mastering any accent, and for her ability to play real-life characters like Julia Child and Karen Silkwood. With early ambitions for life in the opera, she often combines her musical talents in her roles like in the movie “Mamma Mia.” She was even considered for Madonna’s role in “Evita,” and has been recognized for her numerously acclaimed performances in movies like “Silkwood,” “Out of Africa,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” and “The Devils Wears Prada.”

No:

Based on Oscar nominations alone, you can’t call anyone the greatest living actress. It’s too chicken and egg – or maybe an omelet, even. Is the actress great because of the role, or is the role great because of the actress? Or is it a larger combination of great writing, great directing, and great acting that makes for a captivating performance? Streep is certainly one of the bests, but today variety is the spice of choice. Forums addressing the topic are sprinkled with cheers for other notable names like Jodi Foster, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kim Basinger, Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Diane Lane, and Helen Mirren  - to name only a few.

Judgement:

Love her. Love-love-lover her. But why does this question make you feel like you are choosing your favorite child - or in my case, my favorite pair of shoes? You may disagree, but anyone that can help me actually enjoy ABBA has won my full respect. It’s official. She’s impressive, and I’ll give it to her. Meryl Mia!

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