20th Century Fox
- In "The Devil Wears Prada," Meryl Streep played Miranda Priestly – the fearsome editor of Runway.
- Streep used method acting while shooting the film – and never broke character throughout the shoot.
- Streep said the experience made her "miserable" on set, and she's never method acted again.
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Meryl Streep said that her iconic role as Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada" made her so depressed that she gave up method acting entirely.
The controversial style of acting involves the actor remaining in character for the full shoot of the movie or TV show. Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, and Heath Ledger are some of the most famous method actors, but three-time Oscar winner Streep has also utilized the method.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Streep said that remaining in character as Miranda, the cold and ruthless editor-in-chief of Runway Magazine, for the film's entire shoot made her "miserable."
"It was horrible! I was [miserable] in my trailer," Streep said. "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!"
Her costars in the movie, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, were also in the interview and spoke about their experience on set with Streep method acting.
Blunt, who played Miranda's assistant in the movie, said: "Meryl is so gregarious and fun as hell, in some ways it wasn't the most fun for her having to remove herself."
However, Blunt clarified that Streep was never "unapproachable" on set and she could still have discussions with her.
Meanwhile, Hathaway, who played the lead role of Andy- Miranda's newly hired second assistant who dreams of being a journalist - said that while she felt "intimidated" by Streep as Miranda on set, she also "always felt cared for."
"I knew that whatever she was doing to create that fear, I appreciated [because] I also knew she was watching out for me," Hathaway said.
Hathaway recalled a moment shooting the scene where Miranda berates Andy and says that she "disappointed [her] more than any of the other silly girls." Hathaway said she was struggling to find the right emotion for the scene and was feeling the pressure every time the camera was on her. It was Streep who saved the day.
"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," Hathaway said.
Fortunately, Streep's method acting wasn't in vain. Her sublime performance earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress. While she didn't win on that occasion (Helen Mirren won for "The Queen"), Streep had already won two Academy Awards by then: best supporting actress in 1980 for "Kramer vs. Kramer" and best actress in 1983 for "Sophie's Choice."
Later, Streep would go on to win a third Oscar - in 2012 for best actress for "The Iron Lady," which, coincidentally, could have been a nickname for her iconic "The Devil Wears Prada" character.