Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada was one of the defining roles of Meryl Streep's career, but she almost passed up the chance to play the famous character.
Wendy Finerman, one of the film's producers, appeared on the Dec. 6 episode of the Hollywood Prime podcast and revealed that when they brought up Streep's name for the role of Priestley "People thought we were crazy".
"People would say 'Are you crazy? There was never a funny day in her life,'" Fennerman continued. "She was funny, but they were wrong," she added, citing her performance in Death Becomes Her as an example.
"This is obviously a different type of role for her," Feinerman said of Streep's casting. "I think that's part of the fun."
Streep's portrayal of the fictional Runway magazine editor was said to have been inspired by Vogue magazine's Anna Wintour, and earned her a 2007 Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Meryl's stand-in
Fennerman went on to recall an on-set incident involving Streep's "The Devil Wears Prada" stunt double on the Hollywood Gold podcast.
“We were filming Meryl’s stand-in in Paris,” she recalls. "But somehow this outfit didn't show up in the wardrobe shipment."
Feinerman then directed her assistants to fly Streep's clothes from New York to the French capital, a totally Miranda Priestley move. "Pack your bags, you're going to Paris," she told the staff.
Working with Streep
Emily Blunt, who plays snobbish first assistant Emily Charlton in "The Devil Wears Prada," recalled the June 2023 Variety cast vs. Actors show with Streep.
While Blunt praised Streep as "fantastic," she also revealed that starring opposite the three-time Oscar winner was "kind of scary."
Streep also impressed her "The Devil Wears Prada" co-star Anne Hathaway, who played Andrea Sachs in the 2006 drama.
When Hathaway discussed the possibility of an on-screen reunion with Streep in an interview with Entertainment Tonight in October 2023, Hathaway responded: “Oh my gosh, I would love it. I hope. I hope. I hope. She’s busy.”
Meanwhile, in a 2021 reunion interview marking the film's 15th anniversary, Streep said acting on the set of The Devil Wears Prada was a "terrifying" experience.
"I was very frustrated," Streep continued. “I said, ‘Well, this is what you pay for being the boss!’ That was my last try.”
