One of the true stars of Hollywood, Julia Roberts has consistently delivered magnetic performances throughout her career that have cemented her position as one of the movie industry’s most prominent names.

Roberts’ talents have always been evident, from her breakthrough as a lead actor in Pretty Woman to her further efforts in the romantic comedy genre.

After featuring in some of the best-known rom-coms of the 1990s, including My Friend’s Best Wedding, Notting Hill and Runaway Bride, Roberts provided a career-defining dramatic turn with her effort in the biographical movie Erin Brockovich, a performance that garnered an Academy Award win for ‘Best Actress’.

More Oscar recognition came in 2013 when Roberts starred in the 2013 tragicomedy August: Osage County, directed by John Wells, written by Tracy Letts, based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name and starring Meryl Streep, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch and Juliette Lewis alongside Roberts.

August: Osage County is a family drama that tells of the reunion of a family after their patriarchal figure disappears. The family harbours dark secrets and deep resentments for one another, and as the drama unfolds, so too does the tension rise, exploring the family’s complex relationships.

Roberts once expressed that she was nervous to work for the first time with Streep despite her deep excitement at the prospect. During an interview with Yahoo, she said: “To work with Meryl Streep is a dream come true for anyone. To know her is an honour. She is such a beautiful person, and it was intimidating, certainly, to be in these scenes with her.”

But because of the narrative of the film and the grudge that lies between Roberts and Streep’s respective characters, Roberts found that she had to perform actions that were difficult to do to one of her acting idols, having thought that by the time they’d work together, they’d be playing very different roles.

“Choking her and things like that were not how I pictured it going in my mind all these years,” Robert said. “I thought we’d be together, having tea and speaking in fabulous accents, all dressed up.” It was an experience that left an impression on the actor, and she felt a sense of remorse for having to perform in such a way.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the actor opened up on the film, noting, “Attacking her physically was… just… awful. I felt like a terrible person who would truly go to hell. I might actually go to hell now; I’ve attacked her so many times.”

Still, even though the experience of having to attack one of her acting heroes left an imprint on Roberts, both she and Streep were praised for their performances, so the brief flirting with an eternal afterlife in hell was probably all worth it.