“I’m not gonna play a model, I do that every day.”
Gisele Bundchen almost didn’t accept her role in The Devil Wears Prada — but she’s glad she did!
Stefanie Keenan / Getty Images for UCLA Institute of the Environment & Sustainability
Back in 2006, the model was approached about the role when the film’s writer noticed Gisele on her the plane in the middle of a flight.
“The way I got this, I was flying to Los Angeles and the lady who was writing this movie came to me and said, ‘I’m doing this movie Devil Wears Prada,” Gisele explained in a Life in Looks interview with British Vogue.
The writer, Lauren Weisberger, explained that the film was all about fashion and she was planning on casting some models — but Gisele immediately turned her down.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
“I’m like, ‘I’m not interested,'” Gisele said, adding, “‘I’m not gonna play a model, I do that every day; that’s already a role I play.'”
Picture Alliance / picture alliance via Getty Images
Lauren persisted, telling Gisele she would still love to have her and suggested she could write a unique part just for the model — and that’s exactly what she did.
Pretty soon, Gisele’s team got a phone call explaining they had a role for her playing an assistant in the office.
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox / Courtesy Everett Collection
While Gisele was still hesitant because she wasn’t an actress and would be working aside Meryl Streep, she eventually agreed.
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox / Courtesy Everett Collection
“I am not an actress, I’ve never had an acting class. It was Meryl Streep, which I think is the best actress of all time. It was Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway, all of them, incredible,” Gisele said.
20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox / Courtesy Everett Collection
She added, “And that’s the scene I was doing, with those three ladies and me. So I was like, ‘Okay, I hope I don’t screw this up.'”
Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images / Getty
Thankfully, everything turned out great and Gisele says her nine-year-old daughter Vivian now loves the film too!
