The Original Casting Considerations for The Devil Wears Prada Have Officially Resurfaced
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is finally here, with the highly-anticipated sequel hitting cinemas this month.
And following a blockbuster press tour, everything from Anna Wintour's surprising input to Anne Hathaway shutting down misinformation around the sequel has been going viral.
It is the star-studded cast list that has of course been making the most headlines, with The Devil Wears Prada 2 seeing Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci return to their iconic characters.
However, the original casting considerations for The Devil Wears Prada resurfaced this week, and it turns out that multiple A-list names were being considered for the three leading roles.
Andy Sachs casting considerations
Anne Hathaway, who stars in the franchise as Andy Sachs, has previously opened up about her casting, confirming that she was actually the ninth choice for the role.
Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, Juliette Lewis, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson are all known to have auditioned for the part, with Kate Hudson even turning down an official offer.
So too did Rachel McAdams, with the Mean Girls actress widely reported to have been the producers' first choice. But despite being offered the part three times, she declined to work on the project.
"I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot," McAdams reflected of the situation in a 2023 interview with Bustle. "But I also knew it wasn’t quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane.
"There were definitely some anxious moments of wondering if I was just throwing it all away, and why was I doing that?," she continued. "It’s taken years to understand what I intuitively was doing."
Miranda Priestly casting considerations
Meryl Streep was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal as Runway editor in chief, Miranda Priestly. But according to reports, her casting wasn't immediate, with multiple Hollywood heavyweights considered for the role.
These included Glenn Close, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Michelle Pfeiffer. However, producers have reportedly claimed that Streep was always their first choice.
Nigel Kipling casting considerations
The role of Runway's creative director Nigel Kipling appears to have been the most difficult character to cast, with Stanley Tucci only hired three days before filming.
And before securing the part, he was reportedly up against major names, including Carson Kressley, Thomas Lennon, Denis Leary and TV presenter Graham Norton.
Romeo + Juliet star John Leguizamo has even revealed that he was officially offered the part, but he turned it down - a decision that he has called one of his biggest career regrets.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is out in UK cinemas now.
