Meryl Streep encouraged Anne Hathaway to go against everybody’s advice, giving her special recommendations during The Devil Wears Prada.

Anne Hathaway got her big break playing Princess Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi in Disney’s 2001 film The Princess Diaries. Following the success of this movie, she went on to star in several more family films, including The Princess Diaries 2 and Ella Enchanted, before to more adult roles in dramas such as Havoc and Brokeback Mountain. However, her career didn’t truly skyrocket until she landed the leading role in The Devil Wears Prada (2006), working alongside none other than Meryl Streep.

To this day, The Devil Wears Prada remains a fan favorite film. Even Hathaway has shown her love for this movie by recreating one of her most iconic looks in the film during 2022’s New York Fashion Week and by continuing to speak highly of her co-stars. In a resurfaced interview, Mery Streep revealed the one piece of advice she gave Anne Hathaway before they began filming The Devil Wears Prada, which went against everything the young actress had ever been told by Hollywood.

Meryl Streep Advised Anne Hathaway Not To Do Something Everyone Else Was Encouraging Her To Do

Despite not being the studio’s first choice, Anne Hathaway did a great job portraying Andrea “Andy” Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada. Some would say she was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 to play this role. In fact, Hathaway revealed that she wanted the role of Andy from the moment she first heard about the film. “It spoke to me. It made me feel,” Hathaway revealed in Entertainment Weekly‘s oral history of The Devil Wears Prada, adding that the film covered several topics she took “very seriously.”

Although her character had a complicated relationship with Miranda (Meryl Streep), Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep’s relationship behind the scenes was the complete opposite. In fact, Streep took the young actress under her wing and gave her plenty of useful advice while working together on this film.

While promoting the film on The View in 2006, Streep admitted that she encouraged Hathaway to go against everybody’s advice, telling her not to lose weight for The Devil Wears Prada.

“I said don’t lose weight because they were all telling her to,” the actress admitted. Hathaway jokingly added that the Academy Award winner even told her to go eat a hamburger instead.

One of the hosts of the show then asked Streep if anyone suggested she lose weight for her role, to which she responded: “They wouldn’t dare.” However, the Mamma Mia! star revealed that she did lose a couple of pounds for the film, adding, “I lost 7 pounds and it 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed me, but it’s almost all back.”

Despite Meryl Streep’s Advice, Anne Hathaway Had To Undergo An Extreme Diet For The Devil Wears Prada

Anne Hathaway worked really hard to get the leading role in The Devil Wears Prada, but preparing for this movie was extremely demanding. Back when the movie was first released, the actress revealed that she was initially asked to gain weight for the role. “The director and producers asked me to gain 10 lbs.,” Hathaway told People Magazine in 2006.

Before the filming for the movie began, Hathaway was happy eating pizza, ice cream, and pretty much anything she wanted. But, when it was time to begin filming, costume designer Patricia Field later told her to “lose 10 pounds” because she needed to “fit into couture” when Andy transformed into a Runway girl.

This physical transformation took about three months, according to Hathaway. “It was a nightmare. It took me about a month to gain it and two months to lose it!” Hathaway explained, adding that Field sometimes added padding to Hathaway’s clothes to make her appear as though she didn’t lose anything, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

But Hathaway wasn’t the only one who was asked to lose weight for this film. Emily Blunt also had to diet to prepare for her role.

“I was thin for my height. I was basically stuck with fruit, vegetables, and fish. I wouldn’t recommend that. Emily Blunt and I would clutch at each other and cry because we were so hungry,” she once told US Weekly (via Contact Music). Ultimately, the two actresses bonded over this.

Anne Hathaway Doesn’t Want To Do A Devil Wears Prada Sequel

Although the movie still is a fan favorite, Anne Hathaway has admitted she wouldn’t want to do a Devil Wears Prada sequel. However, she would be happy to reunite with her co-stars for that film.

In fact, Hathaway revealed that she’ll be thrilled to work with Mery Streep once again. When asked about this prospect during the big screen at the premiere of her new film She Came to Me, she was asked if she’d be willing to work with the Mamma Mia! star once again.

“Oh my gosh, I would love that,” Hathaway responded. “I wish. I wish. I wish. She’s very busy.” Hopefully, fans will get that The Devil Wears Prada reunion sooner rather than later!