Smoking, drinking part of the job for Streep

File photo (PhotoTakeReality)

Actress Meryl Streep started smoking and drinking heavily to prepare for her role in upcoming movie August: Osage County.

The Oscar winner plays a cancer patient who develops an addiction to drugs in the black comedy based on Tracy Letts' 2007 play of the same name, and she picked up some unhealthy habits to get into character.

During an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences question-and-answer session in New York on Tuesday, the actress revealed how she prepared for the role, explaining, "It was a lot of smoking and bad posture and staying up late drinking red wine with (actress) Margo (Martindale)."

Streep features alongside Julia Roberts in the film which is due for release next year.

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