Meryl Streep’s Only Son Refused Her Name to Be Mentioned & Didn’t Follow in Her Footsteps — She Still Supports Him
- Meryl Streep has four children with her husband of more than 40 years, Don Gummer.
- Three of the couple's kids followed in their famous mother's acting footsteps.
- However, their only son became a musician and prefers to distance himself from his mom career-wise, although she is supportive of him.
Academy Award winner Meryl Streep is a mother of four kids. She has three daughters and a son, who, unlike her other children, did not follow in her footsteps.
Streep is a mother to Mamie Gummer, Grace Gummer, Louisa Jacobson, and her eldest child, Henry Wolfe – whom she shares with her husband of 44 years, Don Gummer. All her children are actors, but her son pursued a different career path.
Wolfe is a family man. In May 2022, he posted pictures of his partner and their two young children. Both posts had no caption. The first photo showed his significant other posing while holding the couple's newborn and their older child, who also smiled at the time.
People commented on the social upload, and one Facebook user wrote, "So sweet. You have the same exact same expressions there! Beautiful family. Congratulations!"
A social media user comments on Henry Wolfe's post | Source: Facebook/HenryWolf
A social media user comments on Henry Wolfe's post | Source: Facebook/HenryWolf
A social media user comments on Henry Wolfe's post | Source: Facebook/HenryWolf
Another Facebook post displayed Wolfe posing with his infant son, wearing a blue shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. Both of them smiled for the snapshot melting online users' hearts.
"Twin smiles! Love it!!" someone commented. Another pointed out the father-and-son duo resembled each other, writing, "Looks like his Pappa."
Streep's Only Son Is a Musician
Unlike his younger sisters and famous mother, Wolfe found a career in the music industry. Initially, he was interested in acting as he spent two years studying the profession at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts but later dropped out to pursue music.
In a 2011 interview, the singer-songwriter said that music "was more stimulating from day to day," adding that unlike acting, he did not have to practice it.
"I can do it whenever and I get satisfaction from completing songs that I never really got from acting," the New York native explained at the time. Once part of a band called Bravo Silva, Wolfe released his first solo EP in 2009 and dropped his albums "Linda Vista" in 2011 and "Asilomar" in 2015.
The guitarist also decided to refrain from using his last name. He once spoke candidly about not wanting his mother's success to overshadow his own success.
Meryl Streep with her son Henry Gummer and her husband Donald Gummer at the 68th Annual Academy Awards on March 25, 1996 | Source: Getty Images
Wolfe expressed that although the recognition of coming from a well-known family might help at times, other times, it hurts his brand because people think he is given opportunities on a silver platter, taking him less seriously.
But he emphasized that he does put in the work. For instance, his album was released on his own label, and he single-handedly ensured that he secured gigs on his first national tour.
Henry Gummer his mother Meryl Streep during Shakespeare in the Park's "Mother Courage And Her Children" Opening Night after party arrivals on August 21, 2006 | Source: Getty Images
In a May 2011 interview, Wolfe stated he did not want his mother's name mentioned in the first paragraph of his story, admitting how he felt about her fame:
"The fact that my mom is who she is can be overshadowing. Sometimes I worry that my story isn't good enough."
Despite wanting to distance himself from his parent regarding work, Wolfe revealed that his beloved mother is supportive of his career, nonetheless.
Justin Henry and Meryl Streep attend a photocall for film "Kramer vs Kramer" on March 11, 2007 in London, Great Britain | Source: Getty Images
Streep has also supported her other kids, especially her daughter Grace, who split from her husband Tay Strathairn following 42 days of marriage. An insider disclosed that the three-time Emmy Award winner told her child that marriage needs balance, especially if they have careers that they love.
Streep reportedly told her other daughter, Mamie, something similar when she divorced her first spouse, Benjamin Walker, in 2013 following two years of matrimony. The doting mom always ensures she shares and provides the best advice to her kids. For Streep, family is her priority, as she always chooses her children over Hollywood. She has created a bond with them.