Meryl Streep Critiques Modern Movie Characters
Meryl Streep, the 76-year-old Oscar-winning actress, has shared her thoughts on the current state of movie characters, expressing concerns about their lack of complexity. During a recent interview on Hits Radio to promote The Devil Wears Prada 2, she discussed how the superhero genre has simplified character portrayals.
Streep was joined by co-stars Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt when asked about the softer side of her iconic role as Miranda Priestly in the original film. She responded, “I feel like you get a realistic view. I think we tend to Marvel-ize the movies now. We got the villains and we got the good guys, and it’s so boring.”
She added, “What’s really interesting about life is that some of the heroes are flawed and some of the villains are human and interesting and have their own strengths. So that’s what I like about this [movie]. It’s messier.” This sentiment highlights her appreciation for more nuanced storytelling.
The Devil Wears Prada 2: A Sequel with Depth
The Devil Wears Prada 2 premiered in theaters on Friday, serving as a follow-up to the 2006 hit. The film sees Anne Hathaway reprise her role as Andrea Sachs, the former Runway magazine assistant who returns to work with editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly.
Priestly, the character, was inspired by real-life Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who is also 76 years old. In anticipation of the movie’s release, Streep and Wintour collaborated on the May issue of Vogue. Wintour expressed her trust in Streep, saying she “trusted her implicitly” when it came to shooting the second movie.
Streep reflected on returning to the film after 20 years, noting, “I do think they’ve located something true about the [fashion] business now.”
AI and the Changing World
When asked by Hits Radio reporter Fleur East if her onscreen persona would use artificial intelligence (AI), Streep said no, pointing out that she has assistants for such tasks. Meanwhile, Hathaway shared a humorous anecdote about job applicants using ChatGPT to write thank you notes. “The first one arrived and I’m like, ‘That’s so nice and so professional.’ Then the second one arrived and I’m like, ‘Oh no.’ So I just want to warn you: If you think you’re getting away with something, you might be revealing yourself. It was hilarious.”
Streep then joked, “There are so many Anne Hathaways that you’re going to apply to that you can’t write it yourself?” She added, “That would be an absolute killer – nobody on that list gets that job. That’s just tragic, in my opinion. Don’t let the human get away girls. The future is female, so you better hold on.”
The Original Film’s Legacy
The initial Devil Wears Prada film was based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger, a former Vogue intern. She described her time working with the renowned publication as “crazy.” Although she only worked there for less than a year, her experiences inspired the hit movie.
Film critic Brian Viner praised the sequel, calling it “smart and funny,” and noted that “there are plenty of satisfying one-liners indicating how the world has changed in 20 years.”
The film continues to spark conversation about the evolution of storytelling in cinema, with Streep at the forefront of these discussions.
