The Devil Wears Prada was a star-making film for Emily Blunt, but there was more to the process than a simple audition. In other words, that's not all.
The 38-year-old A Quiet Place Part II star visited The Late Late Show on Thursday, May 27. During their chat, host James Corden asked what she remembered about starring as Emily opposite Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in the Oscar-nominated movie, given that this summer marks its 15-year anniversary.
"I remember being in L.A. for pilot season—or something terrifying like that—and I went and met with Fox Studios, and I was reading for this other project," Emily explained. "And just they randomly said, 'Oh, we've got this Devil Wears Prada movie—you want to read for this movie?' And I was like, 'Yeah, sure.'"
She continued, "But I was rushing for the airport, and I remember just being kind of flustered. So I read it, but I was wearing sweatpants, and I did not look the part at all."
As it turned out, her audition made quite an impression as the fashion-conscious character. However, there was one key aspect of her moment that didn't quite sit right with the film's team, which she learned when she was back in London and received an unexpected phone call from director David Frankel.
"And he was like, 'We need you to do it again, but can you, like, not wear sweatpants? Because the studio needs to see you look more stylish—more like the character,'" the Mary Poppins Returns performer recalled with a hearty laugh.
She went on to say that she "never thought in a million years I would get it," but that she auditioned again and soon got yet another call letting her know the gig was hers.
"It all happened within like a week—it was mad," the mom of two added.
Given that it's impossible to imagine the film without Emily playing Emily, it's a relief that athleisure wear didn't prove to be a dealbreaker.