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Meryl Streep didn’t just become Miranda Priestly. She made sure she got paid like her. When The Devil Wears Prada landed on her desk, she knew the project had potential. The offer? A clean $2 million. Her response? No, thank you. Streep had been Hollywood royalty long before she stepped into Runway’s office. So when Fox offered her a paycheck that didn’t reflect her power, she shut it down.
“The offer was to my mind slightly, if not insulting, not perhaps reflective of my actual value to the project,” she said (via Biography). Not many could say that and have the studio double their offer, but that’s exactly what happened. She walked away with $4 million. And the role was iconic.
Based on Lauren Weisberger’s bestselling novel, The Devil Wears Prada hit theaters in 2006 and took off like a runway model on caffeine. Critics and fans fell hard for its slick visuals, juicy drama, and whip-smart dialogue. It didn’t just adapt the book. It leveled it up. According to The Washington Post, the movie delivered better character arcs, a stronger ending, and tighter tension than the original pages.
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And yes, it crushed the box office. The film raked in over $326 million worldwide, which is not bad for a movie about a fashion magazine. Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Miranda Priestly, loosely inspired by Vogue’s Anna Wintour, became the gold standard for ice-cold authority. She didn’t shout; she whispered and was destroyed. That performance didn’t just anchor the film. It defined the film.
So it’s no wonder the studio folded quickly. They needed her. Everyone did. She knew it. The difference? She didn’t settle. Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway, who played fresh-faced Andy Sachs, scored her first million-dollar payday. Not bad, but still four times less than her intimidating boss. By that point, Streep had already built a stacked résumé – Sophie’s Choice, Kramer vs. Kramer, Out of Africa, just to name a few. She was more than a box-office name. She was a guarantee.
And she kept proving it. Streep went on to slay musicals like Mamma Mia!, dabble in courtroom drama with Doubt, and bring home many major awards. BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Emmys, and Oscars were all in her corner. Her net worth? Around $160 million per Celebrity Net Worth.
But her Prada power play wasn’t just about money. It was a reminder that value matters even in an industry built on glam and glitz. And when you’re Meryl Streep, you don’t just earn respect. You negotiate it. Bottom line: the studio offered a lowball. Streep turned it into a checkmate.
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