Meryl Streep revealed that although she was impressed by the script of the 2006 film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, she initially rejected the offer made by the makers outright.
Published: April 30, 2026 3:01 PM IST
In a surprising revelation, acclaimed actor Meryl Streep shared that she initially turned down her now-iconic role in The Devil Wears Prada and only agreed to star in the film after successfully negotiating a higher salary – a move she says took decades of confidence to achieve. According to Deadline, the three-time Oscar winner recently revealed in an interview that although she was impressed by the script of the 2006 film adaptation, she rejected the initial offer outright. “I read the script. The script was great,” she said, adding, “And they called me up and made an offer, and I said, ‘No, not going to do it.’”
Streep explained that her decision was strategic. “I knew it was going to be a hit, and I wanted to see if I could double my asking price. They immediately agreed, and I thought, I’m 50, 60 – it took me this long to understand that I could do that,” she said, as quoted by Deadline.
The actor, who portrayed the formidable fashion editor Miranda Priestly, also admitted that she had been considering stepping away from acting at the time.
“They needed me, I felt… I was ready to retire. But, you know, that was a lesson,” she said, reflecting on the turning point in her career. Now, nearly two decades later, Streep is set to reprise the role in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’, returning alongside co-stars Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci.
Also Read: Sambhavna Seth and Avinash Dwivedi announce pregnancy after 10 years of marriage via surrogacy
The sequel also brings back Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman. Joining the expanding ensemble are Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Brammall, Conrad Ricamora and Lady Gaga.
The movie will release in theatres on May 1.
