Denzel Washington: Meryl Streep should be the Oscar statue

Denzel Washington says The Academy should re-design the Oscar statuette to look like Meryl Streep – in recognition of her success at the ceremony.

The 62-year-old Hollywood star’s film ‘Fences’ is up for four Oscars at the upcoming event, with him being in the running for Best Director and Best Actor for the drama – which was written by the late August Wilson and is based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name.

Meryl, 67, broke her own record for the most Academy Award nominations this year by being listed in the Best Actress category for her performance in the titular role in ‘Florence Foster Jenkins’ and is one of just six actors to have won three or more Academy Awards for acting.

Denzel has now joked it’s time the golden figurine was changed to represent Meryl because she is such a wonderful talent.

In an interview on UK station BBC Radio 2, he quipped: "Meryl Streep, what’s she been nominated, like, 20 times now? I think they should change the statue and it should look like Meryl."

Denzel himself can join the elite club of actors who have three or more Oscars at their home if he walks away from the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, on February 26 with another prize.

The other five members on that exclusive group are Katharine Hepburn with four wins and Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson,

Ingrid Bergman and Walter Brennan all with three like Meryl.

Denzel admits he has thought about winning his third Oscar but he is just happy that the movie is up for four accolades, including Viola Davis for Best Supporting Actress.

When asked if he’d envisaged winning again, Denzel – who was named Best Supporting Actor for ‘Glory’ and Best Actor for ‘Training Day’ – said: "I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, but what you gonna do with that? You can’t spend money you don’t have … I like to see other people do well and I know this is one of those times where the actor meets the performance and I’m talking about Viola Davis, she gives a performance I’ve never seen before. I’m happy that August Wilson is being exposed to a wider audience and we’re bringing his brilliance to the screen. I’ve won already, I really have. It would be fantastic if we won all four."

Before the Oscars, Viola, 51, is up for Best Supporting Actress award at the BAFTAs in London this Sunday (02.12.17) for her performance as Rose Lee Maxson, the wife of Denzel’s alter ego Troy’s Maxson.