Winona Ryder has shed light on the roots of her lifelong friendship with Keanu Reeves .

In an interview with The Sunday Times , Ryder recounted shooting a scene for the 1992 film Dracula, which involved Gary Oldmans Dracula transforming into a pile of rats. Ryders character, Mina Harker, was expected to be shocked and cry. When she had trouble producing enough tears, she said director Francis Ford Coppola, the Oscar-winning director behind The Godfather trilogy, repeatedly shouted offensive verbal abuse including You whore! in an effort to elicit tears. He also asked her male co-stars to join in, Ryder said, but Reeves refused to participate.

To put it in context, Im supposed to be crying, Ryder said. Literally, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu [Reeves] Francis was trying to get all of them to yell things that would make me cry. But Keanu wouldnt, Anthony wouldnt.

It just didnt work. I was, like, really? It kind of did the opposite.

Ryder said the incident led to a long-lasting friendship with Reeves, who played her fianc, Jonathan Harker, in the film. Me and Francis are good now, she noted. A representative of Coppola did not immediately return a request for comment.

And it might not just be their friendship thats endured since the 1992 movie. Back in 2018, Ryder told Entertainment Weekly she might even technically be married to Reeves after their very authentic on-screen wedding, which was officiated by a real Romanian priest.

We actually got married in Dracula, Ryder said at the time. No, I swear to God, I think were married in real life.

Since Dracula, Ryder and Reeves have reunited onscreen for A Scanner Darkly in 2006, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee in 2009, and 2018s Destination Wedding.