Meryl Streep

HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 26: Actress Meryl Streep, winner of the Best Actress Award for 'The Iron Lady,' poses in the press room at the 84th Annual Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Meryl Streep earned a best actress nomination in January 2012 for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." This marks her 17th nomination. Throughout Oscar history, Streep previously received 16 nods and has only won two awards. She has already won the best actress - drama Golden Globe award this year for "The Iron Lady."

Meryl Streep poses with the award for best actress in a motion picture, comedy or musical for "Julie and Julia" backstage at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Meryl Streep arrives at the premiere of "Doubt" during the AFI Fest 2008 opening night gala in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008. Considered by many in the movie industry to be the greatest living film actress, Streep has been nominated for the Academy Award an astonishing 15 times (including for "Doubt"), and has won it twice.

Meryl Streep pauses for interviews as she arrives for the 1995 premiere of her film, "The Bridges of Madison County," in Burbank, Calif. Streep, who plays the wife of an Iowa farmer, received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

Although Meryl Streep, seen here top right, did not win the Best Actress award for "The Bridges of Madison County" at the 1996 Oscars, the actress still has plenty of awards on her mantle -- including the two Academy Awards she won for her work in "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Sophie's Choice."

Meryl Streep poses for photographers as she receives a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood on Sept. 16, 1998. She holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations of any actor, having received 13 since her first for "The Deer Hunter" in 1979.

Meryl Streep walks the red carpet before the 71st Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 21, 1999. Streep was nominated for Best Actress for her performance in "One True Thing."

Meryl Streep stands with Robert DeNiro and director Martin Scorsese at the launch of the first annual Tribeca Film Festival in New York city on Dec. 6, 2001. The festival, founded by DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal, was created to help revitalize lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Co-stars Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman pose for a photograph at premiere of their film "The Hours" in Westwood, Calif., on Dec. 18, 2002. The film is about three different women living in different time periods, and their connection to the book "Mrs. Dalloway."

Meryl Streep poses with the Golden Globe award she won for her performance in the television series "Angels in America" in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 25, 2004. After receiving the award, Streep later told the press, "There are some days when even I think I'm overrated -- but not today!"

Meryl Streep turns the camera on photographers before the 32nd Annual AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards in Hollywood, Calif., on June 10, 2004. Streep was given the Lifetime Achievement award.

Meryl Streep poses with co-stars Liam Aiken and Emily Browning at a screening of "Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events" in New York on Dec. 13, 2004. In the film, Streep plays Aunt Josephine, a woman who is afraid of just about everything -- including realtors.

Actress Meryl Streep, right, arrives with her daughter Grace Gummer to the premiere of "A Prairie Home Companion" at the Directors Guild of America theatre, Sunday, June 4, 2006, in New York. Streep and husband Don Gummer have four children, including Mamie Gummer, who is also an actress.

Members of the cast of "The Devil Wears Prada," left to right, Stanley Tucci, Meryl Streep, Adrian Grenier, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Daniel Sunjata pose for photographers at the premiere of the film in New York on June 19, 2006. Streep plays the "Devil" herself -- a mean editor at a fashion magazine.

Two-time Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep, who was voted the 37th Greatest Movie Star of all-time by Entertainment Weekly, arrives with her husband Don Gummer for the Whitney Gala at the Whitney Museum of American Art Monday, Oct. 22, 2007, in New York.

Two-time Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep attends the premiere of New Line Cinema's "Rendition" at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Oct. 10, 2007, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Actress Meryl Streep arrives at the 35th Annual Lincoln Center Film Society Tribute where she was honored on Monday, April 14, 2008, in New York.

Actress Meryl Streep poses during a photo opportunity for the movie Mama Mia at the Lagonissi Grand Resort, south of Athens, Greece, on Saturday, June 28, 2008.

Meryl Streep gestures as she poses during a press conference at the 56th San Sebastian Film Festival in San Sebastian, northern Spain, Friday, Sept. 26, 2008.

Actress Meryl Streep attends a premiere for "Doubt" at the Paris Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008, in New York. Steep is nominated for an Oscar for her role. The movie is based on an award-winning Broadway play.

Actress Meryl Streep waves during a promotion of the movie "Mamma Mia!" in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009.