While the original stars of The Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt have all returned for the upcoming sequel, the director of the follow-up, David Frankel (who also directed the 2006 original), is explaining why Adrian Grenier, who played Nate, the boyfriend of Hathaway‘s Andy, is not in the film.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Frankel revealed that he initially did consider having the Entourage star reprise his role.
“I had an idea about sneaking him into a cameo, and in the end, it was just too late in our production schedule to make it happen,” Frankel told the publication before also noting that the film completed filming less than a month before its slated release date, so there “wasn’t time.”
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed in July that Grenier wouldn’t return for the sequel. Months later, the actor eventually opened up about not returning for the second film, calling it a “disappointment,” and claimed that negative public perception of Nate was the reason his character didn’t come back.
“We’re all fans of the movie, whether or not we were in it,” Grenier told Page Six at the time. “Obviously, it was a disappointment that I didn’t get the call to be in the sequel. But I also understand there was some backlash with Nate, the character, so that might have something to do with it.”
Earlier this month, Grenier poked fun at not being asked to return in a Starbucks ad. “You might have seen the headlines — I wasn’t asked to be part of a certain sequel. But I’m good. Really. It’s all good energy,” he said. “So a toast to Nate. He made a mean sandwich. He loved his girlfriend, to a point. He wasn’t perfect. So let’s leave Nate in 2006 and keep this good energy going.”
When EW asked Frankel what Nate would’ve done in the sequel, he responded, “No, I probably shouldn’t say. But, I think I’m thrilled that he did a Starbucks commercial, which was really funny and so self-effacing. I love the humility and the comedy of it!”
The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters May 1. See the cast at the New York City premiere earlier this week, below.
