Meryl Streep Reveals How Playing The Iconic Miranda Priestly Impacted Her

Meryl Streep and memorable characters go hand in hand. But her iconic Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada is frequently talked about even after over a decade of the film’s release. The role got her a well-deserved Oscar nomination but playing the character wasn’t a piece of cake.

Playing Miranda Priestly Was Depressing

Meryl Streep revealed in an interview that playing the character took a toll on her mental health. She chose to apply method acting to the role; it is a common industry practice that requires an actor to be in the shoes of the character, even off-camera.

The actor in her seventies revealed that keeping herself aloof from all the other actors on set wasn’t an easy thing to do. She could hear her co-actors laughing and chilling while she felt utterly miserable all alone in her trailer. Meryl Streep felt “depressed” and did not like paying the price for being the “boss.”

Her co-star Emily Blunt revealed that she understood Meryl’s challenge in playing a fearsome boss-lady. Blunt did not like how Meryl had to prevent herself from indulging in some fun on the set. Meryl Streep also went on to reveal that was the last time when she opted for method acting.

Method Acting

Meryl Streep isn’t the only actor/actress to feel the stress of method acting. It takes a strong mind and heart to overcome the depression of method acting and hold true to oneself throughout. We can only admire her character (Meryl, not Miranda) for staying strong!