Meryl Streep reveals true inspiration behind Miranda Priestly

Meryl Streep broke silence on years of speculations about her iconic role, Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada.

The hit fashion film fans, over the twenties years since its release, has long theorised that Streep's icy, commanding fashion editor character was inspired by fashion icon, Anna Wintour.

However, the Mama Mia! star set the record straight during her appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

The Oscar winner revealed that instead of Wintour, she drew inspiration from two Hollywood A-Listers, Mike Nichols and Clint Eastwood.

“I was basically imitating Mike Nichols that whole time,” she said. “If Mike Nichols and Clint Eastwood had a baby… it would be Miranda Priestly.”

She went on to explain that Nicholas directing style helped shape the character’s tone on set.

"The command on the set. And Mike would do it sort of with a sly humor,” she said. “People take it as mean, but it’s funny. I think it’s funny.”

Meanwhile, Eastwood inspired her quitter kind of authority.

“Clint would never raise his voice,” Streep said. “He would direct and people had to lean forward to hear what he was saying.”

Streep also revealed that Nicholas knew about her taking inspiration from him and was “thrilled” but Eastwood didn’t know about the connection.

In the upcoming sequel, Streep will star opposite Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt.

The film will see Streep’s Miranda Priestly and Hathaway’s Andy Sachs reuniting amid changes in the modern fashion and journalism worlds.

The new faces starring in the project includes, Kenneth Branagh, Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, Patrick Brammall, Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen and Conrad Ricamora.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is slated for release on May 1.

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