Anne Hathaway reveals not being the first choice for ‘Devil Wears Prada'

Anne Hathaway has revealed that she was far from the first choice for her career-defining role as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada, admitting she was actually the ninth person asked to play the part.

Speaking in a joint interview with co-star Emily Blunt for Capital FM, the 43-year-old Oscar winner joked that the names of the eight actresses who turned down the role before her are "tattooed on my brain" all these years later. 

Despite being so far down the list, Hathaway explained that she refused to take her eye off the prize because she could feel an almost "mystical magnetism" coming from the project.

While promoting the newly released sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Hathaway looked back at her determination to land a spot in the 2006 original alongside Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. 

She couldn't understand why so many other stars were passing on such an amazing part, leading her to believe it was ultimately a matter of destiny. 

Among the big names reportedly considered for the role of the aspiring journalist were Rachel McAdams, Juliette Lewis, and Claire Danes, with Kirsten Dunst and Scarlett Johansson also said to have been in the running.

The actress, who was recently named the world’s most beautiful woman for 2026, previously touched on this "tea" during an appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she used her experience to encourage others to never give up. 

Now 17 years into her marriage with Adam Shulman and a mother of two, she feels her life is in a much more complete place compared to those early days. 

Fans can see the original cast back together now, as The Devil Wears Prada 2 has officially arrived in theatres, exactly 20 years after the world first met the formidable Miranda Priestly.