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The Devil Wears Prada, a classic film from 2006, stars Anne Hathaway as the awkward-turned-sassy Andy Sachs. The A-lister, whose career was launched after landing the lead part, has admitted she never felt at ease on the movie set.
The studio initially had some reservations about Hathaway and was looking to cast a bigger celebrity at the time to play Andy Sachs. Rachel McAdams had been given the part three times by the studio, but she refused each time.
Although Hathaway was thrilled to play Miranda Priestly’s (Meryl Streep’s) assistant, the position didn’t necessarily come naturally to her.
Anne Hathaway Was 9th In Line To Star In The Devil Wears Prada
Anne Hathaway pushed for her The Devil Wears Prada part. The actor said she wasn’t the first pick for the enduring character of Andy Sachs during an appearance on a RuPaul’s Drag Race episode.
A contestant named Rosé questioned her during the broadcast about which of her many film roles she had to “fight tooth and nail for.”
“How much time do you have?” Hathaway laughed, and then she revealed, “I will give you some tea. I was the ninth choice for Devil Wears Prada. But I got it. Hang in there. Never give up!”
It’s hardly breaking news that she wasn’t the top pick, but it was news for fans that there was a big list before her and outrage ensued.
Hathaway previously told Variety that she was not required to audition, adding, “I had to be patient. I wasn’t the first choice.”
In order to get the executive’s attention after their meeting, the actress added that she had written the phrase “hire me” in the sand of a zen garden plant.
She remembers receiving a call from her agent, who informed her of the wonderful news while she was at home with her pals. She explained, “I was putting on a shirt. I had some buddies over. I remember running out in my living room, half-dressed, screaming—’I got The Devil Wears Prada! I got The Devil Wears Prada!’”
As the studio was hesitating to cast Hathaway in the movie, Streep attended a screening of Ang Lee’s critically praised “Brokeback Mountain,” which sealed the deal for the actress. In “Brokeback,” Hathaway plays Lureen Newsome Twist, the wife of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Jack Twist, in a critical supporting role.
Streep was so taken with Hathaway’s performance in the movie that she personally called Fox’s then-chairman and chief executive officer to support the actress.
The Reason Anne Hathaway Never Felt Like She Belonged In The Devil Wears Prada
The opportunity to co-star with seasoned actor Meryl Streep was one of the most thrilling aspects of working on the movie.
Hathaway had always looked up to the Oscar winner, as is the case with many young aspirants to the acting profession. She was, therefore, happy to discover that she was an excellent human being in addition to being an actress.
“Knowing her as I do know, as a person, she’s absolutely delightful. I couldn’t say enough nice things about her. She’s really extraordinary, and not to become too gushy, but as a woman, she has absolutely done everything I want to and everything I hope to accomplish. She has done it better than anyone,” Hathaway told MovieWeb.
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Yet for Hathaway, performing with Streep was both thrilling and terrifying, so much so that Hathaway didn’t even bother trying to match Streep’s performance.
She admitted as much in a 2010 interview with Deadline, “No, I never felt like I belonged on Devil. I remember that the best I felt in that movie came when I got out of Meryl’s way with a little bit of grace. But I never felt in any way like I went toe to toe or held my own. It was about trying to just be there and know when to get out of Meryl’s way.”
In a recently discovered 2006 interview with Access, Hathaway talked about the nervous anticipation she experienced while training for her part in The Devil Wears Prada.
“It wouldn’t matter if I’d done 50 films, she’s still the best actress in the whole world,” Hathaway said. “And I just really kind of had to calm myself down and say, ‘Ok, you know what? Just accept it, she’s gonna be better than you, just learn as much as possible and just be as open to it as possible.’”
Meryl Streep’s Method Acting Certainly Made Matters Worse
In The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep’s role has a ruthless, cruel streak that the actor worked hard to accentuate. While she found it horrible, she used method acting to assume the part for this. Thus, when filming started, Streep gave Hathaway the silent treatment.
“When I met her, she gave me a huge hug,” Hathaway noted on The Graham Norton Show. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, we are going to have the best time in this movie.’ And then she’s like, ‘Ah sweetie, that’s the last time I’m nice to you.’”
“She then went into her trailer and came out the ice queen, and that was really the last I saw of Meryl for months until we promoted the film,” she remembered.
Hathaway stated that Streep’s method acting would continue throughout the entire film. What Hathaway didn’t know was that Streep was miserable method acting for the duration of the film, which would be the last time she would ever do it.
At a later part of the interview, Hathaway admitted she was so anxious during filming scenes with Streep that she felt like she might pass out at any moment. Streep undoubtedly acknowledges the influence she has on her co-stars.
Streep joked that she offers seasoned actors in awe of her crushed-up Dramamine, an anti-nausea medication when asked if she has a method for dealing with their astonishment.
Streep responded to Hathaway’s comments about her in a more serious manner later in the conversation. “She’s very generous,” Streep said. “She was not, I don’t think, scared of me.”
In a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly to commemorate the film’s 15th anniversary of release, Hathaway discussed how this artistic choice also affected her positively.
Hathaway revealed, “I did feel intimidated, but I always felt cared for.”
