In a new oral history commemorating the 15th anniversary of The Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep has revealed that she swore off method acting after spending the production maintaing the icy demeanor of her iconic character Miranda Priestly. According to Streep, the experience was not very fun as she kept her distance from her co-stars, who were apparently having the time of their lives.
“It was horrible! I was [miserable] in my trailer,” Streep told Entertainment Weekly during the cast reunion. “I could hear them all rocking and laughing. I was so depressed! I said, ‘Well, it’s the price you pay for being boss!’ That’s the last time I ever attempted a Method thing!”
However, it doesn’t seem like Streep was that hard on co-stars Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway, who said the famed actress was still approachable. But Blunt acknowledges that it probably wasn’t fun for Streep to be that closed off considering she’s normally “so gregarious and fun as hell.” As for Hathaway, she appreciated what Streep was trying to do.
Via EW:
There’s this scene where [she says], “You’re just as disappointing as the rest of those silly girls.” I remember when the camera turned on me, the pressure really got to me, and I’d had such emotional fluidity in the day up to that point, but it just wasn’t there anymore. I remember having the experience of watching [her] watch me, and [she] altered [her] performance ever so slightly, and just made it a little bit different, and brought more out of me and got me to break through whatever barrier I had.
While The Devil Wears Prada is now considered a modern classic with outstanding performances all-around, that was enough pretending to be Anna Wintour for Meryl Streep, thank you.
(Via Entertainment Weekly)