Kate Hudson reflects on saying no to ‘Devil Wears Prada’ lead role

Kate Hudson was offered the lead role in Devil Wears Prada in 2006, which she said no to, but looking back at it now, the actress regrets the decision.

During an appearance on Capital Breakfast (via Entertainment Weekly), Hudson admitted that turning down the iconic 2006 film wasn’t exactly her best decision.

“That was a bad call,” she confessed. “It was a timing thing, it was one of those things where I couldn’t do it, and I should’ve made it happen, and I didn’t.”

Of course, everything worked out just fine for Anne Hathaway, who ended up landing the role of aspiring journalist-turned-fashion-assistant Andrea “Andy” Sachs. 

The movie was a massive hit, raking in $327 million at the box office and scoring two Oscar nominations. But that doesn’t mean Hudson doesn’t have a little regret.

“That was one where when I saw it I was like, ugh,” she admitted, before adding, “everything happens for a reason.” Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she “should’ve made that work.”

As it turns out, Hudson wasn’t the only A-lister in the mix. 

Director David Frankel previously revealed to Entertainment Weekly that several stars were considered for the lead, including Rachel McAdams, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, and Kirsten Dunst. 

The studio, in particular, had their heart set on McAdams. 

“We offered it to Rachel McAdams three times,” Frankel said. “The studio was determined to have her, and she was determined not to do it.”

While Hathaway went on to make the role unforgettable, the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star explained that Hollywood scheduling conflicts are often to blame for passing on great scripts. 

“It’s funny, it’s waves of things that are happening and people shooting at different times,” Hudson said. “It’s not like you don’t do them because you don’t want to do them. It’s like, oh, you’re doing something else. And it just sucked, you know?”

On the bright side, fans of The Devil Wears Prada have something new to look forward to. 

Last year, news broke that Disney is developing a sequel to the beloved film. 

The follow-up will reportedly see Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly navigating the changing landscape of magazine publishing while facing off against Emily Blunt’s character, now a major executive in the luxury industry holding the advertising dollars Miranda desperately needs.

For now, Hudson might just have to settle for watching the sequel like the rest of us—while quietly wondering what could have been.