Meryl Streep has revealed that she initially declined a starring role in The Devil Wears Prada, using the opportunity to renegotiate her salary before ultimately agreeing to join the project.
Speaking on NBC’s Today alongside co-stars Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, Streep said she recognized the film’s potential early on but chose to turn down the initial offer made by producers.
“I knew it was going to be a hit,” Streep said, explaining that she had been impressed by the screenplay. Despite that, she rejected the first proposal outright. “They called me up, and they made an offer, and I said, ‘No. I’m not going to do it.’”
Her decision, she explained, was deliberate. Confident in both the material and her own importance to the production, Streep decided to test whether the studio would agree to a significantly higher salary. “I wanted to see if I doubled my ask,” she said. According to Streep, the response was immediate. “They went right away and said ‘Sure.’”
The experience, she noted, marked a shift in how she approached her career. At the time, Streep was 56 and considering stepping away from acting altogether. She said she felt secure enough to walk away if the terms were not met.
Streep ultimately accepted the role of Miranda Priestly, the demanding and influential editor-in-chief at the center of the film. The performance would go on to become one of the most recognizable of her career, earning her an Academy Award nomination and contributing to the film’s critical and commercial success.
Released in 2006, The Devil Wears Prada performed strongly at the box office and quickly became a cultural reference point, particularly within the fashion and entertainment industries. Streep’s portrayal of Priestly was widely credited as a key factor in the film’s impact, balancing authority and restraint in a way that resonated with audiences.
Rather than signaling the end of her career, as she had been contemplating at the time, the film marked the beginning of a new phase of sustained visibility and commercial success. In the years that followed, Streep appeared in several high-profile projects, including Mamma Mia! and It’s Complicated, and won her third Academy Award for The Iron Lady in 2012.
The film also expanded her presence in mainstream, commercially driven productions, reinforcing her position as both a critical and box office draw.
Streep is now set to return to the role in The Devil Wears Prada 2, nearly two decades after the original film’s release.
The project also marks her first live-action film role in approximately five years.
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