‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Faked Miranda’s Paris Presence
Fifteen years ago, a movie hit the theaters that was destined to become a beloved classic. The Devil Wears Prada offered an inside look at the fashion industry.
It told the story of Andy (Anne Hathaway), an outsider to the world of couture. In the movie, she was fresh out of school and looking for a job. Despite her lack of knowledge about fashion, she was hired by Miranda, the editor of a major fashion magazine.
Miranda (Meryl Streep) was a demanding, cold figure who rules her office without pity. She was terrifying, powerful, and unapologetic. Viewers loved the peek inside the cut-throat world of a career in fashion.
Meryl Streep played the iconic Miranda
Initially, Streep wasn’t sure she wanted to take on the role of Miranda. She was unimpressed by how much money the producers offered her, and she only reconsidered when they doubled that amount.
According to Entertainment Weekly, once that was settled, Streep was fascinated by Miranda. She loved how the script didn’t shy away from showing the worst parts of her. Streep dyed her hair white to give herself a more severe, striking look, and she immersed herself in Miranda’s cold attitude.
The character, a demanding editor of a fashion magazine, is largely thought to be patterned after Anna Wintour, who is the editor for the US version of Vogue. Miranda is powerful, passionate about fashion, and relentlessly demanding of the people who work for her. She lives a life of hard work, a single-minded focus on success, and dazzling luxury.
But at least one pampered perk Miranda enjoyed in the movie was an illusion.
A fake trip to Paris
The film’s producers had a $35 million budget, but it was an expensive movie to make. Since it was set in the world of ultra-high fashion, the costume expenses were very steep.
According to Mental Floss, budget constraints meant that a Paris trip shown in the movie wasn’t what it seemed. Hathaway and Simon Baker, who played her love interest, were able to make a quick, two-day trip to shoot some scenes in France. But Streep wasn’t so lucky.
For the scenes of Miranda in Paris, the film’s directors instead put Streep in front of a green screen. In some of the shots, they used carefully disguised New York settings to make it look like she was in France.
Fortunately for Streep, that wasn’t her only opportunity to visit Europe. And for fans of The Devil Wears Prada, the magic works, even if all is not what it seemed.
‘The Devil Wears Prada’ had a big impact on the stars’ lives
According to Insider, the film was not only inspired a cult following, but it was also a big boost to some of the people who appeared in it. Emily Blunt played Emily, a sharp-tongued assistant who cannot believe that the fashion naive Andy is going to work alongside her. She was so good that many said she stole the scenes she was in. The role tipped Blunt over into widespread fame, making her a star.
Hathaway had to fight for her role, but she eventually convinced the movie’s producers to give her a chance. Her performance helped her transition fully from her early work in films like The Princess Diaries, and people began seeing her as a serious actor.
But one star needed no added boost to her career. Streep played the deliciously nasty Miranda, and she owned the role.
