Meryl Streep Secured Double Pay for 'The Devil Wears Prada'—Here’s How She Did It

Meryl Streep didn’t just deliver a powerhouse performance in The Devil Wears Prada—she also secured a powerhouse paycheck. The three-time Oscar winner revealed that before accepting the iconic role of Miranda Priestly, she asked for—and received—double the salary initially offered.

Speaking to Today while promoting the highly anticipated sequel, Streep explained that her decision was driven by confidence in the film’s potential. The offer, she said, simply didn’t match the project’s promise.

“I read the script [for the original], the script was great. They called me up and they made an offer, and I said, ‘No, not going to do it.’ I knew it was going to be a hit, and I wanted to see if I doubled my ask … And they went right away and said, ‘Sure.’ I thought, I’m 50-60 [years old] — it took me this long to understand that I could do that! They needed me, I felt. I was ready to retire. That was a lesson.”

Streep returns as the formidable editor-in-chief in The Devil Wears Prada 2, which hits theaters on Friday, May 1.

Streep’s Evolving Approach to the Role

In a separate interview during the press tour, co-stars Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci noted a shift in Streep’s approach to the character. While she embraced a Method style for the first film, her performance in the sequel felt more relaxed—allowing her to enjoy time with her co-stars off-camera.

Tucci playfully teased that Streep would “sometimes” join him for his famous martini hours while filming the sequel.

“We had a few with Meryl, yeah!” Blunt added. “She was more Method-y on the first one. And then I think she kind of got bored with that on this one. I think she knew us too well.”

Streep herself admitted that her Method approach in the original film hindered her enjoyment on set. Reflecting in a 2021 Entertainment Weekly oral history for the movie’s 15th anniversary, she called the experience “horrible.”

“I was [miserable] in my trailer,” she recalled. “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!”