The Devil Wears Prada Cast: Full List and Behind the Scenes

More than fifteen years after it hit theaters, The Devil Wears Prada still sparks conversations that go beyond its sharp one-liners. What if Kate Hudson had walked into Miranda Priestly’s office instead of Anne Hathaway? What if Matt Damon had been the one rolling his eyes at Andy’s makeover? The casting almost went very differently—and that backstory is full of near-misses and unexpected bonds that shaped the film into the cultural touchstone it became. This article traces every confirmed cast credit alongside the roles that almost were, using production records and firsthand accounts.

Global box office revenue: $326 million ·
Anne Hathaway’s age during filming: 23 ·
Meryl Streep’s age during filming: 56 ·
Number of actors who turned down roles: At least 4 ·
Film budget: $35 million ·
Year of release: 2006

Seven core facts sum up the film’s production credentials — one pattern: the movie made over nine times its budget on a relatively modest $35 million outlay.

The implication: the film’s commercial success amplified interest in every casting decision, making the road‑not‑taken stories more compelling in retrospect.

What actress turned down the role of Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada?

Why did Kate Hudson turn down the role?

• According to behind‑the‑scenes accounts gathered from interviews, Kate Hudson was offered the part of Andrea Sachs but declined because of scheduling conflicts (Cast interview clip). No primary production document confirms the exact terms, but the story has been repeated by multiple industry sources.

Why did Matt Damon regret not taking a role?

• Matt Damon was in line to play Nate, Andy’s boyfriend, but chose to star in The Departed instead. He later publicly called it a “big regret” in interviews (Cast interview clip).

Who else was considered for the cast?

• Rachel McAdams was reportedly considered for Andy before Anne Hathaway was cast (Cast interview clip).
• Glenn Close was an early candidate for Miranda Priestly, though no official offer has been documented (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The pattern: each rejection opened a door for the actor who ultimately defined the role — Hathaway’s Andy and Streep’s Miranda are now inseparable from the film’s identity.

The casting near-misses confirm that serendipity played a bigger role than any production design.

Was The Devil Wears Prada based on a true story?

What real-life magazine inspired the novel?

• The Devil Wears Prada is adapted from Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel, which draws on her year as an assistant at Vogue magazine (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Who is the author Lauren Weisberger?

• Weisberger worked directly under Vogue editor‑in‑chief Anna Wintour, an experience that became the raw material for the novel (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

How accurate is the portrayal of Anna Wintour?

• Miranda Priestly is widely believed to be a fictionalized version of Wintour, although Weisberger has stated the story is fiction “inspired by real events” (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The trade-off: the film’s authenticity comes from that lived‑in detail, but key characters and plot points are dramatized — not documentary.

Did Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway get along?

How did their on-screen rivalry translate off-screen?

• Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway became close friends during filming. Blunt has said she helped Hathaway with her American accent for the role (BBC Culture).

Did the cast remain friends after filming?

• In later years, the entire principal cast — including Meryl Streep — has spoken warmly about the set’s camaraderie and has reunited for public events (BBC Culture).

What did the actors say about each other in interviews?

• Hathaway has called Blunt “one of my best friends,” and Blunt has described the experience as “a blast” with a tight‑knit group (BBC Culture).

Why this matters: the genuine off‑screen friendship adds a layer of warmth to the film’s famously cutthroat office dynamics, making the on‑screen tension feel even more theatrical.

“Emily Blunt is one of my best friends.”

— Anne Hathaway, BBC Culture

“The experience was a blast.”

— Emily Blunt, BBC Culture

The off-screen bond between the leads made the film’s tension purely theatrical, adding depth to every scene.

What is the age gap between Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep?

How old were the actors during the film?

• Meryl Streep was 56 and Anne Hathaway was 23 during filming — a 33‑year age gap (IMDb cast biographies).

How did the age difference affect their dynamic?

• The generational distance mirrors the power structure between Miranda (the seasoned boss) and Andy (the fresh hire). Both actresses have said the gap contributed to a natural mentor‑mentee respect on set (BBC Culture).

Has the age gap been a talking point?

• Critics often highlight the contrast as a visual shorthand for the industry’s generation divide, and it has been cited in retrospectives as a key casting decision that raised the film’s dramatic stakes (BBC Culture).

The pattern: the age gap wasn’t just coincidence — it was a deliberate casting choice that reinforced the film’s central conflict without a single line of dialogue.

What disability does Emily Blunt have?

How has Emily Blunt’s stutter affected her career?

• Emily Blunt developed a stutter in childhood. She has publicly described how acting — especially learning to speak in different accents — helped her manage it (BBC Culture).

Does she still stutter?

• Blunt says the stutter is still present but under control; she uses techniques learned in speech therapy and through character work to maintain fluent speech (BBC Culture).

How did she overcome it?

• Her breakthrough came when a teacher suggested she try acting to “think her way out of” the stutter. The method worked, and she now cites the stutter as a strength that sharpened her vocal discipline (BBC Culture).

The implication: Blunt’s stutter became an asset rather than a limitation, a detail that adds depth to her portrayal of the fast‑talking Emily Charlton.

The Devil Wears Prada succeeded not just because of its script or direction, but because the cast was assembled — and almost assembled — with a kind of serendipity that few productions capture. For fans who have watched the movie a dozen times, the near‑misses (Hudson, Damon, McAdams, Close) make each performance feel less like a default and more like a gift. And for the actors themselves, the real friendships and personal stories behind the roles prove that even in a cutthroat fashion magazine, chemistry matters more than any designer label. The sequel, now in development, will test whether that chemistry can be bottled twice — but the original remains the benchmark.

For those who want to revisit every actor and the sequel rumors, Britain Daily offers the full cast list for The Devil Wears Prada with detailed insights.

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