I was afraid of Meryl: Tom Hanks

US film director Steven Spielberg (L), actress Meryl Streep and actor Tom Hanks, attend the premier of The Pentagon Papers (The Post) on 13 January 2018 in Paris. Photo: AFP
US film director Steven Spielberg (L), actress Meryl Streep and actor Tom Hanks, attend the premier of The Pentagon Papers (The Post) on 13 January 2018 in Paris. Photo: AFP

Actor Tom Hanks says he was "afraid" of his "The Post" co-star Meryl Streep.

The Steven Spielberg directorial has marked the first time the two Oscar winners have worked together, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I'm in awe of Meryl Streep. I was afraid of Meryl Streep. I did not know what to say to Meryl Streep," Hanks told The I Paper.

The film follows Katharine Graham (Streep) who, as the first female publisher of The Washington Post, relies on the help of editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) to catch up with The New York Times to break the story of the classified Pentagon Papers, which expose the US government's lies about the Vietnam War.