Meryl Streep Says She Turned Down THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 Before the Studio Doubled Her Offer - "I Was Ready to Retire"

Three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep made The Devil Wears Prada 20 years ago, well into her career, but before the actress had fully honed her negotiating skills.

Streep revealed in an interview on Today that she originally turned down this year’s sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2, noting that “it took me this long” to gain the confidence to negotiate on her pay offer, saying, “I read the script. Script was great. And they called me up and they made an offer, and I said, ‘No, not going to do it.'”

Streep continued, “I knew it was going to be a hit, and I wanted to see if I doubled my ask. And they went right away and said sure. And I thought, I’m 50, 60 — it took me this long to understand that I could do that.”

Following her instantly classic performance in the first film, Streep said, “They needed me, I felt. … I was ready to retire. But, you know, that was a lesson.”

In addition to Streep’s Runway editor Miranda Priestley, The Devil Wears Prada 2 sees the fashionable return of Anne Hathaway’s Andi, Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton and Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling.

Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman will also reprise their roles from the original 2006 Aline Brosh McKenna-helmed film, with Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Brammall, Conrad Ricamora and Lady Gaga also joining the cast.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is now playing in theaters everywhere.

via: Deadline