Twenty years after ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ became a pop culture phenomenon, most of the original cast have reunited for the sequel. The film played a pivotal role in Emily Blunt’s career with her turn as fashion assistant Emily Charlton, who hazed Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs into finding her footing at Miranda Priestley’s ‘Runway’ magazine.
“This character in this film completely changed my life in no uncertain terms,” Blunt told theGrio. “I think playing someone as outrageous as she is was such a cool thing early on in my career because it kind of opened up a lot of avenues to playing a full range of characters rather than… [the] ingenue type donning the bonnet in period dramas. It broke the back of all of that. It really informed the type of roles I wanted to play going forward. So I’m grateful. And it was surreal and moving to be back with all these dudes.”
Another remarkable element about the original ‘Devil Wears Prada’ is that Stanley Tucci, who plays Andy’s other in-office ally, Nigel Kipling, first met his wife, Emily Blunt’s sister Felicity, at the film’s premiere. The couple has been married since 2012 and shares two children, son Matteo and daughter Emilia, alongside Tucci’s three children from his previous marriage.
“It’s brought me my little nephew and niece, and it’s just got very surreal, very far-reaching arms to it. The effect this film has had for all of us,” Blunt added.
Despite the family relationship, or perhaps because of it, Blunt and Tucci’s characters do not share many scenes together in the sequel.
“They kept us apart most of this film, which I’m still livid about,” Blunt shared. “They thought we’d have too much fun. We’d be too distracting.”
“We’d probably still be shooting if that happened,” Tucci surmised. “It was very hard. Even the few scenes that we had together, it was very hard to keep a straight face.”
“We know each other too well,” Blunt agreed. “It’s been 20 years, and now endless familial gatherings and vacays together.”
Still, Blunt shared that in two decades of knowing Tucci, she has yet to see her brother-in-law shoeless.
While ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ will undoubtedly have you paying close attention to the actors’ wardrobes, Tucci has a strict connection to his footwear, on or off set, and revealed that he will not remove his shoes, even when he is a guest in other people’s homes.
“No, I don’t care,” Tucci responded when prodded by Blunt.
“I’d have a tough time in Japan,” Tucci admitted, recognizing that shoe removal is a common practice in many cultures.
Even in the swimming pool, Blunt joked, Tucci would wear a full loafer.
“I can only be barefoot when I’m in bed. That’s it,” Tucci said.
Considering how many cultures consider shoes in the house a hard no, Tucci’s stance may be the most controversial thing to come out of the “Devil Wears Prada” universe yet. Would you make an exception to your house rules for Stanley Tucci?
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” is in theaters now.
