Emily Blunt’s onscreen fear of Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada came from a very real place, the actress revealed.
In the newest episode of Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Blunt, 40, told to Brian Cox that Streep, who played bigwig fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly in the iconic 2006 film, was “slightly terrifying” on set.
“She’s amazing and was slightly terrifying on that film,” Blunt said of the three-time Oscar winner. “But it made her so miserable, playing Miranda.”
Blunt added that the Anna Wintour-inspired character was “one of the first times” the legendary actress attempted method acting.
According to Streep, however, it was also her last.
“It was horrible!” Streep, 73, said in a reunion interview with Entertainment Weekly for the comedy’s 15th anniversary in 2021.
The Mamma Mia! actress told EW while she was “miserable” in her trailer, she could hear the rest of the film’s cast — which included Blunt, Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci — “rocking and laughing.”
“I was so depressed!” Streep continued. “I said, ‘Well, it’s the price you pay for being boss!’ That’s the last time I ever attempted a Method thing!”
In his chat with Blunt, Cox, who played Logan Roy (a similarly feared media mogul to Streep’s Priestly) on HBO’s Succession, shared his admiration for The Devil Wears Prada — and Streep.
Cox said that he “loved” the film, which Blunt said marked “an extraordinary overnight shift” in her life.
“And to work with one of the greatest screen actresses of all time, I so envy you,” the 77-year-old actor continued, adding that one of his ambitions before he “snuffs it” is to work with Streep.
“I met her once and I said, ‘I never liked you,’” the Succession actor said. “And she went, ‘What?’ I said, ‘I never liked you because I was jealous.’ How can anybody be that good?”