Meryl Streep said she gave up method acting after 'The Devil Wears Prada' because being Miranda Priestly made her 'depressed'

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Meryl Streep said she gave up method acting after 'The Devil Wears Prada' because being Miranda Priestly made her 'depressed'
Meryl Streep played Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada."20th Century Fox
  • In "The Devil Wears Prada," Meryl Streep played Miranda Priestly, the fearsome editor of Runway.
  • Streep used method acting, never breaking character while shooting the film.
  • Streep said that it made her miserable on set and that she never method acted again.
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Meryl Streep said her iconic role as Miranda Priestly in 2006's "The Devil Wears Prada" made her so depressed that she gave up method acting entirely.

The controversial style of acting involves the actor remaining in character for the full shoot of the movie or TV show. Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, and Heath Ledger are some of the most famous method actors, but Streep, a three-time Oscar winner, has also used the style.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly published on Monday, Streep said that remaining in character as Priestly, the cold and ruthless editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, for the film's entire shoot made her miserable.

"It was horrible! I was [miserable] in my trailer," Streep said. "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!"

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Her costars Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt also spoke in the interview about their experiences on set with Streep.

"Meryl is so gregarious and fun as hell, in some ways it wasn't the most fun for her having to remove herself," said Blunt, who played Priestly's assistant.

Blunt added that Streep was never "unapproachable" on set and that she could still have discussions with her.

Hathaway, who played Andy, Priestly's newly hired second assistant who dreams of being a journalist, said that while she felt "intimidated" by Streep as Priestly on set, she also "always felt cared for."

"I knew that whatever she was doing to create that fear, I appreciated [because] I also knew she was watching out for me," Hathaway said.

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Hathaway recalled shooting the scene where Priestly berates Andy and says Andy disappointed her "more than any of the other silly girls." Hathaway said she'd been struggling to find the right emotion for the scene and feeling the pressure every time the camera was on her. It was Streep who saved the day, she said.

"I remember having the experience of watching [her] watch me, and [she] altered [her] performance ever so slightly, and just made it a little bit different, and brought more out of me and got me to break through whatever barrier I had," Hathaway said.

Streep's method acting wasn't in vain - her sublime performance earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress. While she didn't win (Helen Mirren won for "The Queen"), Streep had already won two Academy Awards: best supporting actress in 1980 for "Kramer vs. Kramer" and best actress in 1983 for "Sophie's Choice."

Streep would go on to win a third Oscar, in 2012, for best actress for 2011's "The Iron Lady" (which could have been a nickname for her iconic "Devil Wears Prada" character).

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