‘The Devil Wears Prada’: Stanley Tucci Was ‘the Last Person to Be Cast in the Film’
The Devil Wears Prada reached its 15th anniversary this year. After its 2006 release, the movie elevated actors Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt’s careers. Additionally, the film made Meryl Streep demand more money for her roles moving forward. One actor some Devil Wears Prada fans admired was Stanley Tucci. However, the actor nearly missed out on playing the character, Nigel.
Stanley Tucci booked ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ three days before filming began
Tucci worked on several films and TV shows before The Devil Wears Prada. According to IMDb, some of the Peekskill, New York native’s earliest roles were on A Modern Affair, In Too Deep, and America’s Sweethearts.
In the early 2000s, 20th Century Fox acquired Laura Weisberger’s book, The Devil Wears Prada. The novel was a fictional depiction of the fashion magazine industry. Weisberger loosely based the book’s adversary, Miranda Priestly (played by Streep in the film), after her former boss and Vogue editor, Anna Wintour.
The Devil Wears Prada follows Andy Sachs’ (Hathaway) journey into the illustrious fashion world. Through the character, the audience met Miranda’s frustrated art director, Nigel (Tucci). According to Variety, Tucci booked the role of Nigel 72 hours before the movie started production. The Maid in Manhattan actor confirmed on The Drew Barrymore Show that he was “the last person to be cast in the film.”
One of Stanley Tucci’s iconic ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ quotes was improvised
The Devil Wears Prada premiered in theaters on June 30, 2006. Although the film left the cinema several months later, its impact remains after 15 years. Some of the actors, such as Blunt, even have their lines repeated to them while in public.
In honor of Devil Wears Prada’s 15th anniversary, the cast and crew reunited for an oral history with Entertainment Weekly. During the discussion, Tucci said he improvised Miranda’s grand entrance. At the beginning of the film, Nigel tells the Runway staff to “gird your loins” before the editor came into the office.
“We attempted [saying] ‘Tits in!’” Tucci explained. “That was one I made up, but every time we laughed. ‘Gird your loins!’ is better.”
Tucci met his wife by playing Nigel
After The Devil Wears Prada, Tucci appeared in more movies. In 2009, he and Streep teamed up again for the film Julie & Julia. That same year, Tucci starred in The Lovely Bones as George Harvey.
In 2010, the Easy A actor’s role on The Devil Wears Prada changed his life personally. During that time, he accepted an invitation to Blunt’s wedding to John Krasinski. While there, he met her sister, Felicity Blunt. Soon, the couple married in 2012, making him his co-star’s brother-in-law. Today, they share two children. Tucci also has three children from his first marriage to Kate Tucci, who died of cancer in 2009.
