Meryl Streep Reveals Miranda Priestly’s Origin — And It’s Not Anna Wintour

Since The Devil Wears Prada hit theaters in 2006, the assumption has been that Meryl Streep modeled Miranda Priestly exclusively after then-Vogue editor-in-chief and fashion icon Anna Wintour.

Streep visited The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday, and she informed the world we’ve gotten it all wrong.

“I mean, I was just basically imitating Mike Nichols that whole time,” the three-time Oscar winner said, adding, “It’s a cross between if Mike Nichols and Clint Eastwood had a baby, it would be Miranda Priestly. The command on the set, and Mike would do it sort of with a sly humor. Miranda, she knows that what she’s saying is sort of snide, but she knows it’s kind of funny, too. That way of doing things, people take as mean, but it’s funny.”

Streep continued, “Clint never would raise his voice. He would direct, and people had to lean forward to hear what he was saying. He’d say, ‘Well, that was alright. I think let’s move on.'”

Eastwood directed and starred alongside Streep in the 1995 film The Bridges of Madison County and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Streep starred in several Nichols-directed projects.

Streep said she has never told Eastwood that he inspired Miranda, but she told the late Nichols, who was “thrilled.”

Streep’s portrayal of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada earned her another Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

The iconic movie followed aspiring journalist Andy (Anne Hathaway) after she unexpectedly got a job as Miranda’s assistant at the high-fashion magazine Runway.

Andy jockeys for Miranda’s favor with Emily (Emily Blunt) with the tough-love guidance of Nigel (Stanley Tucci), all while her relationship with Nate (Adrian Grenier) crumbles due to the demands of her new job and glamorous lifestyle.

David Frankel returned to direct The Devil Wears Prada 2, which also returns its star-studded cast from the original. The sequel hits theatres on May 1. Watch the trailer below.