Meryl Streep on Grandmotherhood and Career: 'Take as Much Time as You Can'

Acclaimed actor Meryl Streep has spoken about the philosophy that guides her as a working grandmother, emphasising the fleeting nature of time with family. The 76-year-old made the comments in a joint interview with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, published on Tuesday and moderated by director Greta Gerwig.

Streep, who has six grandchildren aged between 1 and 6, described the challenge of spending time with family while maintaining an active career. "I can't even talk about how much it means to me that my kids give me as much time as they do with their kids. The only thing is that they're on two coasts, so I'm in the airplane a lot," she said.

A Fleeting, Divine Time

Streep's approach is simple: seize every moment. "It's just grabbing seconds, just grabbing everything you can of them, with the knowledge of how completely fleeting it all is and how rapidly time goes," she told Gerwig. She recalled her mother's advice, noting, "It's the longest, shortest time. And you can't get anything back. So take as much as you can…. I find it divine."

An 'Unstable' Career Philosophy

This mindset of maximising time also shapes her perspective on her acting career, which she described as inherently uncertain. She quoted former partner, playwright Tom Stoppard: "You've got to shift your weight. You're always, always on unstable ground. It's so uncertain being an actor. You're chronically unemployed."

Streep highlighted that fame is instantaneous, but building a meaningful body of work requires patience. "That takes time, and you can't do it at home by yourself — it's not like writing or composing," she said, adding that she views her profession as part of "The unstable world. Everything changes."

Inspiration and Looking Ahead

The actor, who is reprising her iconic role as Miranda Priestly in the sequel "The Devil Wears Prada 2", said she drew inspiration for the return from Wintour's "leadership and curiosity". The film is scheduled for release on 1 May.

Streep connected this idea of continuous engagement to the process of ageing. "That's the key, I think, to being alive: Always breaking new water. Always breaking the waves. And we're not done yet," she stated.

A Long-Standing Balancing Act

This is not the first time Streep has addressed the challenge of balancing work and family. In a 2008 interview with Good Housekeeping, she called motherhood and marriage "a balancing act," especially with a rewarding career. "It's a challenge but the best kind of challenge," she said at the time.