Meryl Streep is pulling back the curtain on one of the biggest surprises in “The Devil Wears Prada” sequel, revealing how she personally helped bring Lady Gaga into “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
The Oscar winner shared the behind-the-scenes story during a recent interview, just as the long-awaited sequel dropped on May 1, nearly 20 years after the original film became a cultural phenomenon.
Going down memory lane, Streep recounted how she and the late Robert Redford faced so much difficulty filming a romantic scene on the set of “Out of Africa” because of the presence of wild animals close by.
Streep has opened up about her role in securing Gaga to feature in the much-anticipated sequel. The Hollywood icon revealed during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that she personally reached out to the “Poker Face” singer to bring her into “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
According to Streep, the sequel’s script called for a major pop star to perform live during a high-profile runway show in Milan. Rather than wait for producers to make the call, she immediately thought of Gaga.
“I thought, why don’t I get Gaga?” Streep said, noting the singer’s deep love for fashion and her larger-than-life presence. Conveniently, she already had her number, and when she reached out, Gaga didn’t hesitate.
Lady Gaga And Miranda Priestly’s Icy First Meeting
In “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” Streep shared the screen with Gaga in one of the film’s frostiest moments. The singer stars as herself and is called on by Runway Magazine after a series of budget cuts render them unable to fly John Legend and his piano to Italy to perform for them.
After calling in the favor, Gaga and Streep’s character, Miranda Priestly, then run into a chilly encounter.
“I was surprised to hear from you,” Gaga quips, per USA Today. “You don’t like me.”
“Oh, what an absurd notion,” Priestly responds with a forced laugh. “You are such a favorite, and we are so grateful that you’re doing this for us.”
Meryl Streep Surprised By ‘Prada 2’ Frenzy
Elsewhere on the show, Streep disclosed that she didn’t know there was so much buzz and anticipation for the film. The three-time Oscar winner explained that she’s not on social media, which left her completely out of the loop when it came to the growing online buzz. That changed quickly once the press tour kicked off.
“Everywhere we went, it was just like this anticipation, affection, I mean, appetite for this movie, which I wasn’t aware of,” she explained. “I knew it was a popular movie 20 years ago, but I had no idea there was this sort of big, big, big feel for it.”
Streep Rejected Original ‘Prada’ Script Over Salary
Streep revealed during a recent appearance on “TODAY” that she almost didn’t take on her now-iconic role in “The Devil Wears Prada. The actress revealed that she initially rejected the offer, despite believing the film would be a major hit.
“I knew it was going to be a hit,” she said, recalling how she read the script and immediately saw its potential. Still, when the offer came in, she declined.
Streep explained that the decision was strategic. She wanted to test whether the studio valued her enough to meet a higher price.
“I wanted to see if I doubled my ask,” she said. “And they went right away and said, ‘Sure.’”
Meryl Streep Recounts Facing A Charging Hippo On Set
Streep also went down memory lane in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, recounting a scary experience with a raging hippopotamus on the set of “Out of Africa.”
In the film, Streep plays Danish baroness Karen Blixen, who falls in love with a game hunter, played by Robert Redford, while running a coffee plantation in colonial Kenya.
In one scene, Redford’s character got down to washing her hair by a river while reciting lines from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
“It’s not a sex scene. It’s a love scene… He was really amazing,” she gushed about the late actor.
Streep then explained that they had to film the infamous scenes several times as there were hippos in the river. In fact, one came raging at them with its mouth wide open, causing them to wrap up filming at the time.
