Martin Short has insisted he and Meryl Streep are just "very close friends".

The 73-year-old actor sparked speculation he was romantically involved with his 'Only Murders in the Building' co-star - who announced in October she and husband Don Gummer had secretly separated six years ago - when they were photographed together at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month, but he has dismissed talk of them being a new "power couple".

During an appearance on the 'Club Random' podcast, host Bill Maher referred to Martin and Meryl as a "power couple", prompting his guest to clarify: “We’re not a couple. We are just very close friends."

While the 'Real Time' host accepted the denial, he joked the 'Father of the Bride' actor should consider dating the Oscar-winning star anyway.

He quipped: “There’s nothing more powerful in Hollywood than a power couple.

“It worked for Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. It worked for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.”

Martin was married to Nancy Dolman - the mother of his children Katherine, 40, Oliver, 37, and 34-year-old Henry - for almost 30 years until she died of ovarian cancer in 2010 aged 50.

The actor told AARP in 2019 their marriage had been a “triumph”, adding he still talks to his late wife “all the time”.

He added : “I believe that when people die, they zoom into the people that love them.

“This idea that it just ends, and don’t speak of them – that’s wrong. That’s based on denial that we’re all going to die. So to me, she’s still here.”

In October, it was revealed Meryl and Don had split after 45 years of marriage.

A spokesperson for the actress revealed at the time the pair had been quietly “separated for more than six years” and living different lives.

Even though the former couple had not been seen together since 2018, Meryl was photographed wearing her wedding ring up until the news of their split broke.

The ‘Mama Mia!’ star and sculptor Don, 77, have four children – singer-songwriter Henry Wolfe, 44, and actresses Mamie Gummer, 40, Grace Gummer, 37, and 32-year-old Louisa Jacobson.