Devil Wears Prada Bombshell: Clint Eastwood Inspired Miranda, Confirms Meryl Streep!

Among the array of characters portrayed by Meryl Streep, Miranda Priestly holds a special place. The tyrannical editor-in-chief of Runway has become a cult anti-heroine for audiences, and she marks her return in the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, once again directed by David Frankel, 20 years after the original film.

Based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Lauren Weisberger, which itself was inspired by the author’s experience as a former assistant to the famed Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine, many assume that the character of Miranda Priestly is modeled after the American journalist.

Meryl Streep’s Explanation

However, Meryl Streep has a different take on her inspiration. During her appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the actress revealed that she looked to two men she knows well: Clint Eastwood and director Mike Nichols, both Hollywood legends.

The former, who co-starred with Streep in “The Bridges of Madison County,” is well known. As for the latter, he was one of the greatest filmmakers in Hollywood. Nichols, who passed away in 2014, directed Streep in three films: “Silkwood,” “Heartburn,” and “Postcards from the Edge.”

“If Clint Eastwood and Mike Nichols Had a Baby…”

From Clint Eastwood, Streep adopted his natural authority. She elaborated, “Clint never raised his voice. He would give directions and people had to lean in to hear what he was saying.“

Regarding Mike Nichols, she borrowed his sarcastic and sometimes misunderstood sense of humor: “He commanded the set and he did it with a bit of mischievous humor. People took it the wrong way, but it was funny. I found it funny,” she added, “If Clint Eastwood and Mike Nichols had a baby… it would be Miranda.“

The Devil Wears Prada 2, now in theaters