Two decades after The Devil Wears Prada turned a glossy magazine office into pop-culture scripture, its sequel arrives to something closer to hysteria: paparazzi-lined streets, fans staking out sets, and a cast rediscovering what it means to be watched. For Emily Blunt, who first slipped into Emily Charlton’s stilettos as a relative newcomer, the spotlight is sharper, the nostalgia thicker, and the scrutiny harder to ignore.
Fans are going crazy about The Devil Wears Prada 2. What was it like to shoot a sequel?
I have never experienced anything like that. We had paparazzi everywhere. There were fans there every day. It was difficult at times because, of course, you want to keep everything under wraps. But yeah, the level of interest has been just incredible.
How was the experience of shooting compared with the first film?
The first film was 20 years ago, which I cannot believe. It’s gone so fast. I was just a kid, and it was very different. It was nothing like this time because it was all so new to me on the first one.
What is your favourite memory from making the first film?
Working with Meryl Streep, of course, and Anne Hathaway. But mostly, meeting Stanley Tucci. We did a lot of giggling together. We became good friends, and then he married my sister and became more than a friend. He’s part of the family, which is just the best.
How did the role of Emily Charlton first come to you?
I auditioned for it. I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t the first choice. I may have been third or fourth! I know they had been trying for much bigger names than me, but I just completely hammed it up in the audition and got very, very lucky.
How much input were you, Stanley, Meryl Streep, and Anne Hathaway able to give on how your characters have evolved in the sequel?
Quite a bit. It was definitely a collaboration with everyone.
The tense relationship between Emily and Meryl Streep’s Miranda is one of the highlights of the first film. Are we going to be seeing more of that?
This is the fourth film I have done with Meryl, and she has been mean to me in all of them. I don’t know why that is, but we’ll see if that changes this time.
Fashion is a huge part of The Devil Wears Prada, of course. How important is fashion to you?
I like it, but I wouldn’t say it’s very important. People got that impression of me after the first film, maybe, but it’s not the case. I’ve always been happiest in jeans and flip-flops. I really don’t have much of an idea about fashion. I have a stylist who helps me if I have to go anywhere—a premiere or an awards show. I do think fashion can be an extension of your personality, but I don’t know if it should be any more than that. I don’t like it when I feel that the clothes are wearing me. I like to feel that I’m wearing them.
Do you get to keep any of your The Devil Wears Prada clothes?
No, none of them, which I’m particularly annoyed about (laughs).
What was it like going from a gritty drama like The Smashing Machine to shooting The Devil Wears Prada 2?
Wonderful. I feel fortunate that I get to enjoy that kind of variety. It’s exciting. I love getting to hop from one genre to another. I loved working with Dwayne (Johnson) on The Smashing Machine, and then this couldn’t have been more different.
How do you go about choosing what role to take?
I have always just tried to do something different. I went from The Fall Guy to The Smashing Machine, partly because it was so different. I actually took a year-and-a-half off after that. I think I just always want to be excited and a bit scared for the next challenge. I like characters who are quirky and after more than what their situation offers them. I like people who are struggling. I think that’s natural. Everybody struggles in this life. I like good writing, good people, and I love characters who are slightly against the grain.
How has motherhood changed your approach to work?
It’s made me think about when I want to work. It has to be worth it emotionally for me. I have to really love it. I feel like I used to pop in a few different films, and I loved doing those supporting roles. I would fly in and out and do it, but it just isn’t that way anymore.
A lot of actors hate to watch themselves on screen. How do you feel about that?
Something similar. That’s something I don’t enjoy. I don’t like watching myself because I get fixated on things I could have done better. I also don’t love the first day on any project and those jittery, first-day nerves. That’s what I don’t enjoy about filmmaking.
Is there a character that you have played that fans talk to you about the most?
Emily has always been the one. I get a few Emily lines being quoted and misquoted to me. “I’m one stomach flu away from my goal weight,” is one. “When I feel like I’m about to faint, I’ll have a cube of cheese,” is another. And that actually works, by the way!