“He was determined not to do it”: This actress turned down The Devil Wears Prada three times

No matter how much time passes, the legacy of 2000s movies remains more alive than ever among millennials (or Generation Y), who will always have a special love for films from that era. And without a doubt, one of the most memorable titles is The Devil Wears Prada, which continues to influence an entire generation 18 years after its release. However, the feature film starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt could have been very different, as the film crew tried three times to convince Rachel McAdams to take the lead role.

Lauren Weisberger’s adaptation of the bestseller tells the story of Andrea “Andy” Sachs, a young journalist who, almost without looking, lands a job as a personal assistant to the formidable fashion editor Miranda Priestly. At the time, 20th Century Fox wanted to Rachel McAdams plays Andy, so the production team insisted on hiring him due to his growing popularity thanks to hits such as Lolita Despite Me and Never Forget – to no avail, Rachel McAdams Decided to change careers and seek less commercial roles. The studio did not insist, but the actor rejected the offer three times in a row.

On the film’s 15th anniversary, director David Frankel explained to Entertainment Weekly that they didn’t throw in the towel that easily: “We started negotiating with Anis to sign a deal, but it didn’t work out with the studio. Rachel McAdams was offered three times. The studio was determined to have him and he was determined not to.“

Faced with this rejection, the studio had to evaluate other possibilities, such as Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson and Kirsten Dunst, among others. finally, Anne Hathaway He was the one who pushed the hardest for the role, to the point that, despite being the ninth choice, he managed to catch the attention of the team and ended up portraying one of the most popular characters of his career.

A decision that made him doubt

over time, Rachel McAdams shared his thoughts on the decision at the time, saying that while it caused him anxiety, it was a personal choice. In an April 2023 interview with Bustle, the actress admitted that she felt “Guilty of not taking advantage of the opportunity” which was offered to him while he was in his prime.

“I felt guilty that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity I was given because I knew I was in a very lucky situation. But I also knew it didn’t fit my personality and what I needed for sanity. There were moments of anxiety when I thought I was throwing everything away and why I was doing it. It took me years to understand what I was doing intuitively.“

All these doubts forced Rachel McAdams to return to Canada with his family for a vacation. After turning down the project, the actor took a break from acting and returned to the big screen years later, regaining fame with projects such as Sherlock Holmes, Midnight in Paris and Spotlight, the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination. . Her career has taken off again, but the question remains of what might have happened if she had agreed to participate The Devil Wears Prada.

On the other hand, for Anne HathawayThe film changed his career, leading him to increasingly prominent roles and eventually winning him an Oscar in 2013 for Les Misérables.

The Devil Wears Prada can be seen again on Disney+.