Rachel McAdams was the first. Anne Hathaway was NOT the second.
Anne Hathaway Says She Was the ‘Ninth Choice’ to Star in The Devil Wears Prada
Anne Hathaway says she wasn't exactly the first choice to play fashion outsider Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada…or second…or third.
In fact, Hathaway revealed on February 19 that she was actually the production company's ninth choice to star alongside Meryl Streep in the iconic film. During a guest appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race, contestant Rosé asked if there were any roles she had to “fight tooth and nail” to land.
"How much time do you have? A lot of them," Hathaway jokingly told the group. “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!”
https://twitter.com/RuPaulsDragRace/status/1362934947103838211Anne Hathaway first revealed she “wasn't the first choice” to Variety in 2016, revealing that while she “didn't have to audition” to play Miranda Priestly's personal assistant, she “had to be patient.” The actor had already starred in two Princess Diaries movies and Brokeback Mountain before The Devil Wears Prada premiered in 2006.
Despite her impressive résumé, the studio had its heart set on Rachel McAdams, who declined the role several times after the success of Mean Girls, The Notebook, and more. "I'm not going to make movies just to make movies," McAdams explained to Elle magazine in 2007 after turning down leading roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Casino Royale, and Mission Impossible 3. "I have to be passionate about it. And at the same time, I can get very distracted when I'm working, and I like to get back to my life a lot."
Streep, of course, was the only option to play the Runway editor-in-chief, but she was willing to walk away after the initial offer. “There was my ‘goodbye moment,’ and then they doubled the offer," Streep told Variety. "I was 55, and I had just learned, at a very late date, how to deal on my own behalf.”
Obviously, everything worked out for the best. We couldn't imagine The Devil Wears Prada any other way.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Emily Tannenbaum
