When Meryl Streep Starred In The Devil Wears Prada, She Was Never The Same | ArticlesVally

In what role does Meryl Streep have the most recognizable face? When will Kramer vs. Kramer in the role of Joanna? The desperate mother in Sophie’s Choice? What we think it is is Miranda Priestley from The Devil Wears Prada, but it could be anyone! However, she was completely exhausted after this performance. You can disagree, but you should know that. As a result of Streep’s performance as Priestley, she decided to change her entire path in the industry. Who would have thought?

Rare Role For Her

One of Meryl Streep’s unusual antihero roles is Priestly. As fascinating and amusing as she can be, you don’t want to come across her. What do you remember about how she tortures Andy throughout the film? She, too, has a role model in the real world.

Taking The Character In A Different Direction

Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour is actually Priestley. When Lauren Weisberger wrote the book on which the film is based, she was inspired by her previous experiences working as Wintour’s assistant. The character’s journey under Streep’s direction was a complete 180 degree turn.

A Different Take

During an Entertainment Weekly cast reunion in 2021, Meryl Streep spilled the beans. She recalled, “I wasn’t interested in doing a biopic on Anna. I was interested in her position in her company. I wanted to take on the burdens she had to carry, along with having to look nice every day.”

A Terrifying Role

Aside from that, the filmmakers were worried about offending Wintour. As soon as the plot of The Devil Wears Prada became public knowledge, editors began to distance themselves from it. According to a screenwriter, Aline Brosh McKenna, told Entertainment Weekly, “I had enormous trouble finding anyone in the fashion world who’d talk to me. [That’s] because people were afraid of Anna and Vogue – not wanting to be blackballed.”

Too Nice

She also stated, “There was one person who spoke to me, whose name I will never divulge, who read it and said, ‘The people in this movie are too nice. No one in that world is too nice. They don’t have to be, and they don’t have time to be.’ After that, I did a pass to make everyone a bit busier and meaner.”

Everyone’s Scared Of Her

Meaner was the first word that came to mind. Writer Plum Sykes referred to Wintour in the 2000 BBC documentary Boss Woman as, “I’m scared of her. Everyone’s scared of her. She’s an intimidating person because she is so incredible.” She added, “Anna would never specify how you need to look, but I know that if I went into her office I would need to wear high heels and look groomed and look ‘fashion.’”

Everyone Wanted To Please Her

Gisele Bündchen, who portrayed Serena in the film, was in attendance for the reunion, told Entertainment Weekly, “You just knew the people that worked at Vogue were dedicated and professional. Anna was the final word, and everyone wanted to please her…but that’s true for everything. Who doesn’t want to please their boss?” Alternatively, it could have served as the film’s catchphrase.

She Wasn’t Offended

The film did not offend Anna Wintour, however, when it was first released, according to Wintour. The fearsome editor told ABC News, “Anything that makes fashion entertaining and glamorous and interesting is wonderful for our industry. So I was 100 percent behind it.”

She Watched The Screening

In May of that year, Wintour went to see the movie. By way of Entertainment Weekly, McKenna claimed, “Anna came to the first screening in New York. She sat right in front of me and David [Frankel] with her daughter and wore Prada, which shows she has a great sense of humor!”

She Liked Streep’s Portrayal

Wintour was fine with Streep’s portrayal of the character based on herself. ABC News quoted her as saying, “I think it’s actually helpful to people that you are working with, that you can make decisions. So, if Meryl seemed somewhat strong, I respect that.” However, what was Meryl Streep’s take on it?

Interesting Take

Streep had a lot to say about the cast reunion in Entertainment Weekly. As interesting as Miranda Priestley was to observe, she was an unwelcome presence in the lives of those around her. She paused, thinking, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely…. I liked that there wasn’t any backing away from the horrible parts of her.”

She Helped Out Anne Hathaway

The casting of Anne Hathaway as Andy, the beleaguered assistant, was influenced by Meryl Streep. While Hathaway was desperate to land the role, producers weren’t so sure. They didn’t want Hathaway’s reputation for representing kid-friendly fare, which they found to be the case. After being offered the role three times, Rachel McAdams turned it down each time.

She Was Great

A statement from the film’s director, David Frankel to Entertainment Weekly, stated that, “Brokeback Mountain was about to come out. Annie had a wonderful, small role in that. And Meryl watched that scene from the movie, she met with her and called up Tom Rothman at Fox and said, ‘Yeah, this girl’s great, and I think we’ll work well together.’”

Overjoyed

Hathaway was ecstatic when she was cast in the role. She said so to the media outlet., “I remember the moment I found out I got the part, I just ran screaming through my apartment. I had a bunch of friends over at the time, I just jumped up in the living room and screamed, ‘I’m going to be in The Devil Wears Prada!’” And of course, she had her co-star to thank.

White Hair

As a result of Streep’s efforts, the studio has agreed to allow Miranda Priestley to have white hair in the film. The costume designer, Patricia Field, told Entertainment Weekly, “Meryl told me she [wanted] to have white hair.… I said to Meryl, ‘I can’t convince [the producers]. They have in their mind that white hair is gray hair.’”

‘It’s Going To Be Great’

The former president of Fox 2000, Elizabeth Gabler, said in the magazine, “Meryl and J. Roy Helland, who’s been at her side through so much of her career, came up with the look, which we weren’t expecting. She just said ‘My girls, don’t you worry, this is what I’m going to do and it’s going to be great.’”

Method Acting

David Frankel also mentioned, “The first time Meryl was Miranda Priestly was a meeting with the head of the studio. Meryl channeled Miranda in that meeting, and there was no conversation about the hair; they looked into Meryl’s eyes and never said a word.” Streep’s acting was based on method.

Always Remained In Character

Throughout the film, Streep also utilized the method acting technique. She stayed true to her role as Miranda Priestley even when no one was looking. She kept her co-stars Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway at arm’s length because that’s what her character does to their characters.

Not The Most Fun

Entertainment Weekly had mentioned that what Blunt said, “Meryl is so gregarious and fun as hell, in some ways it wasn’t the most fun for her having to remove herself. It wasn’t like she was unapproachable; You could go up to her and say, ‘Oh my God, the funniest thing just happened,’ and she’d listen, but I don’t know if it was the most fun for her to be on set being that way.”

Full Of Praise

In the same context, Hathaway had thoughts about Streep, but she was all praise for her. She said, “I did feel intimidated, but I always felt cared for. I knew that whatever she was doing to create that fear, I appreciated [because] I also knew she was watching out for me.”

Bringing More Out Of Her

Hathaway recalls a scene in which Miranda tells Andy she’s “disappointing”, “When the camera turned on me, the pressure really got to me, and I’d had such emotional fluidity up to that point, but it just wasn’t there anymore. I remember having the experience of watching [her] watch me, and [she] altered [her] performance ever so slightly, and just made it a little bit different, and brought more out of me.”

Talking About Her Performance

Streep and Hathaway worked on The Devil Wears Prada together, and this wasn’t the first time the actress brought the cast together for an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Because she talked about her relationship with her method acting co-star on The Graham Norton Show in 2014.

Last Time She Saw ‘Meryl’

Hathaway remembered, “When I met [Streep] she gave me a huge hug. [A]and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, we are going to have the best time on 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.”

Terrified Of Streep

Hathaway was terrified of Streep for a while. On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2018, she revealed this information, “There’s a scene where Andy and Miranda are getting out of a car… Now, Meryl was kind of an island unto herself when we filmed this, so I didn’t get to talk to her too much. But I was going to get a whole scene to sit in a car with her. And I was just freaking out.”

Impressing Her

Hathaway also stated, “And you have to understand like talking can be hard for me… And so but, I was like, ‘I’m going to take advantage of this moment. I’m going to force myself to speak to Meryl Streep.’ But I couldn’t just talk to her. I couldn’t just be a person. I had to impress her.”

Trying To Talk To Streep

The younger actress said she tried a number of different icebreakers on Streep, but to no avail. She said, “And if you have anxiety, and you force yourself to talk to someone, being met with silence is like being thrown into a demonic pit. It’s so bad.” She eventually tried to bring up Jon Stewart.

She Finally Responded

Hathaway even asked Streep, “By any chance did you see the Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night? I think that he is just so brilliant. I think he is saving America.” “I thought my life was over,” Hathaway recalled afterward, as she sat in silence. Streep, in a surprising turn of events, said, “No, I don’t think Jon Stewart is going to save America. I think Stephen Colbert is.” Obviously, Colbert loved that.

She Didn’t Like How She Acted

However, Streep was not happy with her conduct on the Prada set. Not in any way, shape, or form at all. “Entertainment Weekly” reports that, “It was horrible! I was [miserable] in my trailer. I could hear them all rocking and laughing. I was so depressed! I said, ‘Well, it’s the price you pay for being boss!’ That’s the last time I ever attempted a Method thing!”

A Different Approach

Streep has lost interest in method acting since then. Now, she appears to be limiting her tactics to those that only have an impact on her and not her co-stars. For the 2015 film Ricki and the Flash, for example, she spent six months learning how to play the guitar properly.

Going All Out

Meryl Streep, of course, went all out in true Streep fashion. She endured some physical discomfort as a result of her intense desire to portray a rock star convincingly. Actress Meryl Streep told director Jonathan Demme that she’d been playing so hard her fingers were bleeding one day.

In Danger

However, Streep has also been the target of method acting, so her decision to give it up is understandable. When she was filming The River Wild in 1994, something terrible happened to her, and she was almost killed. Yikes!

Exhausted

A stunt that Streep was too exhausted to perform had been requested by the director. As a result, Streep decided to paddle down the river on a raft, but the vessel flipped over and nearly drowned her. After her release from prison in 1994, she informed the Orlando Sentinel newspaper, as well as her director, “I really feel quite sure if I say that I’m too tired to do something that we have to assume I’m telling the truth.”

Pushing Her Over The Edge

Additionally, an incident occurred on the set of one of her prior films. Her co-star, Dustin Hoffman, used the tactic in the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer to nudge her over the edge. As time has passed, more and more details about what transpired have come to light.

Taking It Too Far

Hoffman and Streep’s characters were supposed to be arguing in an early scene of the film. According to some, Hoffman went too far and slapped Streep in the face, leaving a red mark. Her failure to report the incident, according to Michael Schulman of Vanity Fair, was a mistake because it was serious enough.

Bringing Up Her Boyfriend

It’s as if Hoffman brought up Streep’s late boyfriend, John Cazale, as if that weren’t enough of a turnoff. Because he wanted to scare her and make her angry in the way she is supposed to be, he did this. Streep was said to have heard him say the name Cazale before the film’s famous courtroom scene was filmed.

Pleasant Off-Camera

In contrast to Meryl Streep’s acting style on the set of The Devil Wears Prada, this one is a lot more laid-back. They all understood why she was acting the way she was, despite their distance, and none of them raised a fuss about it. There are even stories about her kindness and friendliness when she is not on camera.

A Lovely Person

As Emily Blunt remarked on the Sunday Today show in 2018, “There was this crazy moment when I [finished] and I remember seeing [Streep] across the parking lot. She burst out of her trailer – the wig was off. She was just Meryl. She was in a puffy jacket. She was like, ‘You were so great,’ and I was just like [crying] and I just started to weep. It was sad.”

They’re Still Friends

Aside from that, Hathaway and Streep are still friends, which might please Devil Wears Prada fans given the on-screen chemistry the two share. In 2011, the Kennedy Center honored Streep with a massive tribute show, and Hathaway led the cast of the film in a tribute called “She’s Me Pal,” which was inspired by the film.

What’s Next?

It’s possible that as a result of this, you’re wondering whether or not there will ever be a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada. Streep, Hathaway, and Blunt have all stated that they believe the film works best as a stand-alone, but that they would like to work with the same cast again in the future if the opportunity presented itself. It just goes to show how versatile Streep is as an actress, as she can transform into a completely different person depending on the role she is playing. On the sets of the Mamma Mia! films, she was a completely different person.

Mamma Mia!

In 2008, Streep starred in the hit musical romantic comedy Mamma Mia!, which was a critical and commercial success. Along with Amanda Seyfried, the duo received acclaim for their outstanding performances, and the ABBA songs featured in the film were a huge hit with audiences. It’s amazing how Streep can go from playing a heartless boss in one film to playing a doting mother who is trying to keep a business running while also raising a daughter in another. Her breadth of experience is truly remarkable.

Natural Singer

Not only is Meryl Streep an excellent actor, but she is also an excellent singer! Streep performed all of her singing in the film in an authentic manner, and she did an excellent job with the ABBA songs. This wasn’t the first time that Meryl had the opportunity to showcase her singing abilities on the big screen.

Other Singing Roles

Not only was Meryl’s singing in Mamma Mia! a highlight of her career, but she also excelled in other films such as The Prom, Postcards from the Edge, and Into the Woods. Of course, the Den of Geek thinks Streep’s best on-screen performance is in “Mamma Mia,” but the second-best performance is in “I’m Checking Out” from Postcards Edge. Meryl’s first significant musical performance occurred during the film’s premiere.

She’s Checking Out

Streep’s first major musical performance came in the popular drama-comedy Postcards from the Edge, where she sang “I’m Checking Out.” In Postcards from the Edge, Carrie Fisher explores her personal relationship with her movie star mother, Debbie Reynolds, in a candid and occasionally caustic exercise in getting things off her chest. The film is loosely and nakedly based on Carrie Fisher’s personal relationship with her movie star mother Debbie Reynolds. Fisher also wanted to clear the air about her mother’s intention to encourage her to pursue a career in music, which had been a source of contention. The fictional Suzanne Vale was able to succumb to her mother Doris Mann because Fisher allowed her to do so in her own life while she fought for her mother in her own.

Into The Woods

In the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s iconic musical, Streep starred as a witch seeking eternal youth, with several solo performances. Meryl Streep sings “Stay With Me” in the film, and her portrayal of The Witch earned her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Susan Wloszczyna of RogerEbert.com praised Streep’s renditions of “Stay with Me” and “Last Midnight,” describing her performance as “practically everyone else in the dust and by design.”

Ricki and the Flash

Meryl Streep portrayed Ricki, an elderly rocker who longs to be reunited with the adult children she abandoned, in this non-musical that is jam-packed with songs. Seeing Meryl Streep play guitar in her crazy hair, blue eye shadow, and high-heeled Doc Martens was the highlight, in our opinion.

The Deer Hunter

Streep’s first-ever Oscar nomination came from The Deer Hunter, in which she sang “God Bless America” during a tense dinner scene. At the time, she was 29 years old. This award-winning war drama from 1978 tells the story of three Russian-American steelworkers whose lives are forever changed as a result of their service in Vietnam.

Music of the Heart

In this film, Meryl Streep plays the violin rather than sings; she honed her skills by practicing six hours every day for the course of one month. She grew to the point where she could compete with orchestral veterans like Joshua Bell and Isaac Stern in terms of her performance abilities.

Ironweed

Streep sang “She’s Me Pal” on stage in a half-imagined scenario at a tavern in this Great Depression-era picture while playing Helen Archer, a washed-up radio singer. At the Kennedy Center Honors in 2011, Streep’s Devil Wears Prada co-star Anne Hathaway performed the song “She’s Me Pal” in her honor.

Postcards from the Edge

Meryl Streep’s greatest-ever on-screen performance can be found in this film, which we’ve already mentioned a few times. While portraying the daughter of a Hollywood star who overdoses and ends up in rehab in Postcards from the Edge, Meryl Streep performed the original song “I’m Checking Out” and Ray Charles’ “You Don’t Know Me” with the band Blue Rodeo. Pregnancy prevented her from performing “I’m Checking Out” at the Academy Awards. However, Reba McEntire took her place on the Oscars stage.