“She was determined not to do it”: Thrice a Marvel Star Rejected This $326M Movie, Anne Hathaway Took the Role and it Got 2 Oscar Nods

Anne Hathaway was the ninth choice to play Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada which made her a household name.

Actress Anne Hathaway, who is gearing up for her upcoming romantic-comedy movie, The Idea of You, opposite actor Nicholas Galitzine, is popularly recognized for her portrayal of Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada. The actress starred along with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt in the comedy-drama directed by David Frankel.

The movie, upon its release, received a positive response from the audience and the critics, with special mention for Streep’s performances. Both actresses; Hathaway and Blunt were also appreciated for their performances. Regarded as one of the iconic movies of all time could have had a different actress playing the role Anne Hathaway eventually got to play.
Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada

Rachel McAdams was offered ‘three’ times the role that eventually went to Anne Hathaway

According to EW, Anne Hathaway, who became a household name with her portrayal of Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada, was not the first choice of the studios. It was in fact the Marvel actress Rachel McAdams, widely known for her role in The Notebook opposite Ryan Gosling.

Director David Frankel shared during EW’s The Devil Wears Prada’s 15-year-anniversary reunion that the studio was adamant on getting McAdams on-board for the movie. He said,
“We started negotiating with Annie to make a deal, and that didn’t go well with the studio… We offered it to Rachel McAdams three times. The studio was determined to have her, and she was determined not to do it.”
Rachel McAdams was offered the role of Andy Sachs ‘three times’
The director further revealed that the other actresses who the studio thought could fit perfectly for the role were Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, and Kirsten Dunst. But eventually, it was Anne Hathaway who got the part, and during the reunion, she noted that she was desperate for the part and explained,
“It spoke to me. It made me feel. It was about a subject that I take very seriously but in such a wonderfully joyful and lighthearted way.”
Former Fox 2000 president Elizabeth Gabler mentioned during the interview that she wondered why Anne Hathaway wanted to play the part, adding that the actress never gave up. Hathaway added that she patiently waited until it was her turn, received the call, and recalled screaming and running through her apartment after she was picked up for the role.

Rachel McAdams explains why she passed on the role in The Devil Wears Prada

The Marvel actress, in her interview with Bustle, opened up about her choice of giving up on playing the part of an aspiring journalist who takes up a job assisting fashion editor Miranda Priestly. She said,
“There are certainly things like, ‘I wish I’d done that’. I feel guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given because I knew I was in such a lucky spot. But I also knew it wasn’t quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane.”
The actress added that there were some anxious moments of wondering if she was just throwing it all away, questioning herself about why she was doing that. McAdams noted that it has taken her years to understand what she was intuitively doing at the time.
Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada
She also shared that whenever she takes a look back at the roles she has passed on and sees how brilliantly the respective actress has performed, she always thinks that the actress was the right person for that part.

The 2006 movie was a success, and Meryl Streep was nominated for Best Actress at the 2007 Academy Awards, along with Patricia Field being nominated for Best Costume Design. Streep won Best Actress-Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards.

The Devil Wears Prada is available to stream on Apple TV+.