Movies

Meryl Streep almost didn’t play Miranda Priestly for a reason that sounds absurd today

Producer Wendy Finerman recalled the doubts raised by the actress’s casting as Miranda Priestly, a role that went on to become iconic.

Francisco Alberto Serrano Acosta

Update: May 5th, 2026 23:03 CEST

Looking back from today, there seems to be little doubt. Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ not only works, but defines the entire film. Her soft voice, her slightly downward gaze, and the way she turns a “that’s all” into a death sentence ultimately created one of the most recognizable characters in commercial cinema of the past twenty years. But before filming began, not everyone was so sure.

Producer Wendy Finerman, who spearheaded the adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s novel, recalled that Streep’s name met with resistance when she was considered for the role of the editor-in-chief of ‘Runway’ magazine. The objection had nothing to do with her prestige, which was already undisputed, but rather with a very specific perception of her acting range. “Are you out of your mind? She’s never been funny a day in her life,” Finerman was told when she defended her choice.

Meryl Streep almost didn’t play Miranda Priestly for a reason that sounds absurd today

Viewed in hindsight, the line says almost more about Hollywood than it does about Streep. At that point, the actress was already one of the great dramatic figures of her generation, associated with films of immense dramatic weight and characters marked by emotional depth. What some people didn’t understand was that Miranda Priestly didn’t need to be “funny” in the conventional sense. Her humor didn’t depend on jokes, but on gestures, silence, and a cruelty delivered with icy elegance.

A comedy that didn’t need to make a splash

Finerman ended up arguing that Streep had indeed been funny and that those who questioned her were wrong, though he also admitted that this was a different kind of role for her. That difference was, in fact, the key. Miranda doesn’t enter the scene to seek a connection with the audience, but to assert her authority. Everyone around her changes their posture, tone, and breathing when she appears.

The performance ultimately proved the production company right. Streep received her 14th Oscar nomination for ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, a fact that the Academy highlighted at the time as a historic record for an actress. The film, released in 2006, also made Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci essential cogs in a finely tuned comedic machine, but the center of gravity remained Miranda.

Years later, Hathaway would recall Streep’s ability to improvise lines on set, while Tucci and Blunt also contributed nuances that ultimately shaped the film’s tone. It was a comedy, yes, but a comedy about hierarchies, professional anxiety, and power.