Meryl Streep’s ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Casting Got Pushback, Producer Was Told: ‘Are You Out of Your Mind? She’s Never Been Funny a Day in Her Life’

It’s impossible to imagine “The Devil Wears Prada” without Meryl Streep’s icy, Oscar-nominated performance as Miranda Priestly, but it turns out there was initial resistance to casting the acting icon in the 2006 classic. During a recent appearance on the “Hollywood Gold” podcast, producer Wendy Finerman revealed Streep was almost passed over for the role because some people thought “she has never been funny a day in her life.”

“Meryl, people thought we were crazy,” Finerman said. “I mean, I had people call me up and say, ‘Are you out of your mind? She’s never been funny a day in her life.’”

More from Variety

• Amanda Seyfried Says 'Mamma Mia 3' Likely Depends on Universal Paying Cast Fair Salaries: They 'Probably Can't Afford Us to Be Honest'

• 'Death Becomes Her' Musical Starring Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard Coming To Chicago

• 'Only Murders in the Building': All the Meryl Streep Easter Eggs Inside Loretta's Apartment

“She has been funny and they were wrong,” the producer said, calling out Streep’s comedy work in films such as “Death Becomes Her.” “But this was clearly a different kind of world for her.”

Streep’s dramatic work in “Sophie’s Choice,” “The Deer Hunter,” “Out of Africa” and more made her a star, which is part of the reason Finerman was so interested in casting her in a lighter comedy like “Prada.” As the producer explained, getting Streep to play Miranda Priestly “was part of the fun of the unexpected.”

“The Devil Wears Prada” landed Streep an Oscar nomination for best actress, and she won a Golden Globe for her work in the film. Streep’s co-stars Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt recently reunited for Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series to discuss the making of the film. Hathaway was cast before Blunt, with Finerman saying she always wanted “The Princess Diaries” favorite for the lead role because “she’s a real all-American girl.”

“I was so green coming into that situation,” Blunt told Hathaway during the discussion. “And you were like the warmest embrace. Even though you were a colossal movie star at that time, you treated me like a complete equal. You are one of the people I’ve known longest. We’ve known each other for 18 years.”

Blunt continued, “We just had a joy bomb of a time on that movie. I don’t know if any of us knew it was going to become what it did. It’s quoted to me every week. It will be the movie that changed my life.”

“The Devil Wears Prada” is available to stream on Max.

Best of Variety

• New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 

• What's Coming to Netflix in December 2023

• Oscars Predictions: Best Actress - Lily Gladstone's Big Week Brings Her to the Forefront for 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.