Julia Roberts and Sean Penn worked together on the miniseries Gaslit in 2022. And it was during filming that the actor gave her a slap that left the actress very surprised.
Julia Roberts is one of the most talented and beloved actresses of her generation, and she has dozens of productions up her sleeve that have earned her a lot of recognition. Over time, Julia went from being the queen of romantic comedies to succeeding in dramatic cinema, demonstrating her great versatility.
And 2022 was no exception, as the 55-year-old interpreter became one of the protagonists of Gaslit, a miniseries belonging to the political thriller genre. There, she shared the cast with Sean Penn, and both were in charge of interpreting the couple made up of John Mitchell, Richard Nixon's Attorney General, and Martha Mitchell.
In this way, the series is set in the 70s, in the Mamidergate scandal, and tells stories that went into the background during the time it took place. And among them was Martha Mitchell, John's wife, who did not hesitate to speak to the press and reveal Nixon's involvement in Watergate.
Gaslit premiered on the Starz streaming platform and was filled with positive comments from critics and the public, who highlighted above all the performances of Julia Roberts and Sean Penn. The actors not only underwent extensive days of makeup, since they look unrecognizable on screen, but they did an excellent job in all the scenes they shared.
Because it was a very tumultuous relationship, the actors had to star in very intense and violent scenes, including one where Sean Penn's character slaps Roberts' character. The actress was very aware of the scene and what her partner was going to do, but when it came time to film it, Julia was surprised when she received the actor's blow.
In an interview, the actress confessed that her impact completely upset her. “It was my best performance because I managed to keep acting without ever yelling, 'Oh my God, that really hurt!' It was surprising, ”said the actress, who later confessed that when she had to slap him back, she did it just as hard as he did.
Of course, Sean Penn was also surprised by the blow, but neither of them took it badly since they were very involved in their performances. In addition, Julia Roberts revealed that she has a lot of confidence in the actor since they have known each other since they were teenagers, so she was not afraid of what he could do to her on set.
The truth is that this is the first time they have worked together, and although Julia Roberts did not reveal how they met, she did reveal how much she enjoyed working with him on Gaslit. “He is an incredible professional. He takes everything very seriously and always has an idea of what he's doing, and to have been able to see him and be so close to it every day, for all the weeks we were together, was very exciting for me as an actress and a joy as a friend.”
