Sheryl Lee Ralph's illustrious career has spanned decades, but, to date, the role that many herald as one of her best is her portrayal of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls.

Thus, when Beyoncé took on the role in the 2006 film remake, many assumed that the two had spoken, as Ralph was already familiar with the character. However, in a recent interview, the veteran actress shared that she and the mega-star were actually kept away from one another during the movie's filming process.

During an interview on Buzzfeed's AM to DM, Ralph, who earned a Tony Award nomination for her role in the musical, explained that parties outside of Yoncé's camp or her own worked diligently at preventing them from communicating about their connection to the mutual character.

"I didn't get a chance to because they kept us apart," she said. "They said — what was said to me, and, you know, I've been around long enough to actually remember what was said to me — they said that it would be a distraction to have the two of us together."

Confused by the reasoning, she added, "What does that mean? So, it just never happened. We never came together."

Luckily, the talented ladies being kept apart did not hinder Beyoncé's performance as she went on to do Deena justice, on her own accord, going on to even earn a Golden Globe nomination in the process.

Take a look at the Hollywood legend's interview, below: