Three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep paid homage to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a witty and moving speech delivered at Newsweek and The Daily Beast’s third annual Women in the World Summit this weekend at Lincoln Center.
Streep and Clinton were among many powerful women that included activists, organizers, educators and politicians from more than a dozen countries, according to The Daily Beast.
Among the other luminaries on hand at the event were Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee, Molly Melching, who’s been living and working in Senegal to end female genital mutilation, Gloria Steinem, Angelina Jolie, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Diane von Furstenberg and Oprah Winfrey.
Streep opened her tribute to Clinton by comparing herself to the Secretary of State. “Something, every living American woman my age has done,” Streep said. She remarked on the traits she has in common with Clinton, including their age, that they both have two brothers and that they came from middle class homes with strong mothers. She also said that she and Clinton both went from “public high schools to distinguished women’s colleges,” a comment that drew applause from the audience.
Streep went on to say that the similarities between them largely ended there with Clinton becoming president of the student government while Streep became a cheerleader and drama student.
“I am an actress and she is the real deal,” Streep said.
Just prior to introducing Clinton, Streep held up the Best Actress Oscar she won two weeks ago for her work in The Iron Lady.
“This is what you get when you play a world leader,” Streep said. “But if you want the real world leader this is what you get,” Streep said, pointing to Clinton, who took the stage.
Here is Streep’s speech:
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