Meryl Streep Almost Walked Away from The Devil Wears Prada

Meryl Streep, the iconic actress behind Miranda Priestly, revealed she almost skipped the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada.

In a recent interview, Streep shared that she initially declined the role, citing that she wanted to test the waters and see if the producers would meet her demands.

Streep, who was 56 at the time, had a hunch the film would be a hit and decided to double her asking price.

To her surprise, the studio agreed without hesitation. “I wanted to see if I doubled my ask, and they went right away and said, ‘Sure’,” Streep recalled.

This experience taught Streep a valuable lesson about knowing her worth and advocating for herself.

“I was ready to retire, but that was a lesson,” she said. The film went on to gross over $326 million worldwide and earned Streep a Golden Globe nomination.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters on May 1, 2026, with Streep reprising her role as Miranda Priestly alongside Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci.