‘The Devil Wears Prada’ cast reunite for film’s 15th anniversary

On Tuesday, June 16, several cast and crew members of the iconic 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada reunited for a virtual video interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Present in the reunion were Meryl Streep (Miranda Priestly), Anne Hathaway (Andy Sachs), Emily Blunt (Emily), Stanley Tucci (Nigel), Adrian Grenier (Nate), costume designer Patricia Field, and director David Frankel. Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna, and Lauren Weisberger (author of The Devil Wears Prada). Model Gisele Bündchen, who played Serena in the movie, also appeared in the interview.

The reunion touched on the film’s lasting effect on pop culture, delved on how the characters came to be, stories from behind the scenes, and whether or not Nate (Grenier) was the “real villain.”

Academy Award winner Meryl Streep discussed the importance of her character, a woman leading a fashion empire, and how it continues to resonate with people today.

“I think the reason why it has stayed with us and it landed was because it hit at a particular moment in time – the discomfort with women being boss,” the actress said.

“This is the first movie I’ve ever had, ever…that men have come up to me and said, ‘I know how you feel. I know how you felt…But it is the hardest thing in the whole world; for a man to feel his way through the protagonist of a film if it’s a woman,’” said Streep.

Stanley Tucci also weighed in on Streep’s statement, noting that “our society has conditioned women to see the world through men’s eyes so often, and particularly in cinema and literature. And this [film] started to make that change.”

Asked his thoughts on the debate over whether his character was the true villain of the film, Grenier said: “Nate had not grown up, but Andy was, and she needed more out of life than Nate, and she was achieving it!”

The possibility of a sequel was also discussed during the interview – but director David Frankel was quick to shut that down, pointing out that the movie’s conclusion was clear.

“We really felt like, no, this story has been told,” he said.

The iconic film is based on the 2003 book of the same title written by Lauren Weisberger. The story follows Runway magazine editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs, an aspiring journalist who is unexpectedly hired as Miranda’s junior personal assistant. Andy struggles with the politics and dynamics of the fashion and magazine industry, even as she figures out her own path in life.

The Devil Wears Prada received both critical and box office acclaim upon its release. Meryl Streep earned a Best Actress Oscar nod for her role. – with reports from Angelica Burlaza/Rappler.com

Angelica Burlaza is a Rappler intern.