In a surprising revelation, acclaimed actor Meryl Streep has disclosed that she initially turned down her now-iconic role in The Devil Wears Prada, only agreeing to star after successfully negotiating a higher salary, a move she says took decades of confidence to achieve.

As per Deadline, the three-time Oscar winner recently shared in an interview that despite being impressed by the script of the 2006 film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, she declined the initial offer outright.

“I read the script. Script was great,” she said, adding, “And they called me up and they made an offer, and I said, `No, not going to do it.`”

Streep explained that her decision was strategic. “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,” as quoted by Deadline.

The actor, who portrayed the formidable fashion editor Miranda Priestly, admitted she was even considering stepping away from acting at the time.

“They needed me, I felt. … I was ready to retire. But, you know, that was a lesson,” she said, reflecting on the turning point in her career.

Now, nearly two decades later, Streep is set to reprise the role in The Devil Wears Prada 2, returning alongside co-stars Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. The sequel also brings back Tracie Thoms and Tibor Feldman.

Joining the expanding ensemble are Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Brammall, Conrad Ricamora and Lady Gaga.

The movie will release in theatres on May 1.

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