• Emily Blunt had to dress better in real life to book the role of the first assistant in The Devil Wears Prada
• Emily Blunt described her audition experience for The Devil Wears Prada as “heaven” and “exquisitely fun”
• The film version of The Devil Wears Prada started production ahead of the book’s release and faced challenges with wardrobe and securing locations due to Anna Wintour’s influence.
Here is what happened:
Before landing her iconic role in The Devil Wears Prada, Emily Blunt was asked by director David Frankel to dress nicer for her next audition, as the studio was looking for something more stylish. In her first audition, she had worn loungewear and, while she felt that her outfit for the second audition was fairly chic, she doubted its impressiveness. However, landing the role was a dream come true for Blunt, who describes the experience as “heaven” and one of the best times of her life. She remembers how fun it was to film alongside Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway and how the film was just “exquisitely fun.”
In a recent interview, Blunt and Hathaway reminisced about the beloved film, stating how they appreciated each other’s warmth and treatment of one another despite Hathaway being a colossal movie star at the time. The two actresses also hopped on Variety’s Actors on Actors series to discuss their meeting before Devil Wears Prada.
Before it was even released, the film version of The Devil Wears Prada was already in the works and took inspiration from author Lauren Weisberger’s brief stint at Vogue as editor-in-chief Anna Wintour’s assistant. However, the lore of Wintour presented many difficulties during production, with the film’s crew having to borrow locations and set designs to replicate Wintour’s office and obtain designer pieces for the wardrobe. Streep was the only choice to play Miranda, and her portrayal was enhanced by her insistence on keeping two specific scenes and her characteristic white hair, created with her icy locks.
In the end, Emily Blunt’s journey from dressing in loungewear to land the role of a lifetime shows that sometimes, life does indeed imitate art. This behind-the-scenes and casting process offers an insightful look into the making of a beloved film and the effort it took to bring it to life.
