Anne Hathaway and Rachel McAdams
(Picture: Shutterstock)Anne Hathaway shot to fame because of her depiction of Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada but she wasn’t first in line for the role.
Speaking in a 15-year reunion with Entertainment Weekly, Director David Frankel said that they initially wanted Rachel McAdams for the role, who turned it down three times.
“The studio was very determined to have Rachel star in that movie,” Frankel said during the online gathering. “And she was very determined not to do it.”
Hathaway wasn’t just the backup actress, either. She revealed on a February episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race that she was the ninth choice to play Andy. And Frankel confirmed that Kristen Dunst, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, and Kate Hudson were discussed for the part.
Speaking about the role, Hathaway said she had “a feeling it was going to be huge”. She said: “It spoke to me. It made me feel. It was about a subject that I take very seriously, but in such a wonderfully joyful and lighthearted way.
“I just kind of knew that it was the place to be, so I very patiently waited until it was my turn, and I got the call. It was the easiest yes in the world.”
Frankel added that Meryl Streep, who famously portrayed Miranda Priestly, helped Hathaway secure the part after she saw her in a small role in Brokeback mountain. He said:
“Meryl watched that scene from the movie, she met with her and called up Tom Rothman at Fox and said, ‘Yeah, this girl’s great, and I think we’ll work well together.’”
Hathaway reflected back on actually scoring the gig. “I remember the moment I found out I got the part: I just ran screaming through my apartment,” she said. “I had a bunch of friends over at the time. I just jumped up in the living room and screamed, ‘I’m going to be in “The Devil Wears Prada!” ‘ I just had a feeling that it was gonna be huge.”
If that isn’t inspiring, we don’t know what is.
