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Meike Droste was born on February 5, 1980, in Bobingen and grew up in Neusäß near Augsburg. From 1999 to 2003, she studied acting at the Otto Falckenberg School in Munich. During this time, she gained stage experience at the Münchner Kammerspiele and won first prize in the Carl Orff Foundation's acting competition in 2001. In 2002, even before graduating, she secured a role at the Berliner Ensemble, where she worked with directors such as Claus Peymann ("Saint Joan of the Stockyards") and Leander Haußmann ("A Midsummer Night’s Dream").
After performing at the Schauspielhaus Zürich (2004/2005), Droste joined the ensemble of the Deutsches Theater Berlin for the 2006/07 season, appearing in productions such as "The Cherry Orchad", "Uncle Vanya", and "The crucible". Her portrayal of Mascha in Chekhov’s "The Seagull" earned her the prestigious Der Faust Theater Award in 2009.
From 2008 onward, Droste also appeared regularly in television productions. She gained widespread recognition as Police Officer Bärbel Schmied in the crime series "Mord mit Aussicht", starring alongside Caroline Peters and Bjarne Mädel. She played the role from 2008 to 2014, appearing in a total of 39 episodes. In addition, she took on guest roles in other series and had supporting roles in films such as the social drama "Baching" (2008) and the comedy "Schwestern" (2013).
In 2013, Droste left the Deutsches Theater ensemble to work as a freelance actress. She continued to perform on stage, including at the Residenztheater in Munich and the Staatsoper Berlin, while also expanding her presence in film and television. She played the title role in the miniseries "Frau Temme sucht das Glück" (2017), portrayed theater director Helene Weigel in the film "Mackie Messer – Brechts Dreigroschenfilm" ("Mack the Knife – Brecht's Threepenny Film", DE/BE, 2018), and appeared as actress Ursula Strätz in the Fassbinder biopic "Enfant Terrible" (2020).
In the youth adventure film "Nachtwald" ("Night Forest", 2021), she played the mother of the young protagonist. From 2022 to 2023, she starred in the dramedy series "Wendehammer", portraying a member of a (stiflingly) bourgeois neighborhood clique. She also continued to take on episodic roles in series such as "Ein starkes Team" and "Der Bozen-Krimi". On stage, she remained active, performing at the 2023 Ruhrtriennale and the Baroque Days at the Berlin State Opera. In 2025, she took on a leading role in the eccentric village comedy "Another German Tank Story".