Charlize Theron’s stylist outs herself as the real-life Emily from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’

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“I know I am, yes. I am Emily.”

Leslie Fremar has revealed she was the basis for the character Emily in “The Devil Wears Prada.” Emily, Miranda Priestly’s highly-strung assistant, is portrayed by Emily Blunt in both the original film and its upcoming sequel.

Movies

Okay, after nearly two decades, Anna Wintour has finally given ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and Meryl Streep her seal of approval! As someone who’s followed the film and the rumors surrounding its inspiration for years, it’s great to hear the Vogue icon herself acknowledge the movie’s impact. It’s a little late, sure, but better late than never, right? This is definitely a win for fans of both the film and Streep’s legendary performance.

Fremar discussed the upcoming movie “The Devil Wears Prada 2” in a recent Vogue podcast interview, “The Run-Through,” with Chloe Malle. The interview was released on Wednesday.

Born and raised in Toronto, Elizabeth Fremar began her fashion career at Vogue and later worked with celebrities at Prada. Now, she’s a sought-after stylist for stars like Charlize Theron, Jennifer Connelly, and Julianne Moore. Early in her career, in 1999, she assisted Vogue’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, and even helped mentor the future author of the novel that inspired a popular film.

She wouldn’t be able to have a friendly conversation with Lauren Weisberger now, even if the author of “The Devil Wears Prada” walked in.

Fremar explained on the podcast that a meeting would be uncomfortable. He clarified he doesn’t harbor any ill will, but a situation arose where he became aware of something she wasn’t, and he believes there’s nothing further to discuss.

Fremar joined the magazine’s fashion team after working as Anna Wintour’s assistant, first as a junior and then as her main aide. She learned about a book when Wintour summoned her to her office and asked who Leslie Weisberger was. Fremar then reminded Wintour that Weisberger had been her second assistant for approximately eight months.

Wintour replied, “Well, she wrote a book about us, and you’re worse than me.”

The Vogue editor, who is now Condé Nast’s chief content officer and global editorial director of Vogue, shared an advance copy of the book with her former assistant to get their feedback.

Review

The hellishly hot trend in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ is pink slips for the media industry

Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and Meryl Streep are back in a new movie that focuses less on the glamorous world of fashion and more on the struggles of running a magazine.

Fremar described the original manuscript as harsh and unkind. She believes an editor significantly toned it down afterward, making the published version much gentler and more positive than what the author initially wrote. She felt this editing process was a kind of betrayal, as it changed the author’s original intent and voice. She recalled feeling hurt by the initial draft, noting its darkness.

Ouch.

Fremar admitted she likely contributed to the portrayal of the Emily character as unpleasant and anxious. She explained that she may have come across that way because she felt she was doing Emily’s job in addition to her own, which was very frustrating for her.

Fremar suspected Weisberger, who was openly pursuing her dream of becoming a writer and had been advised by HR at Condé Nast to take a specific writing course, wasn’t fully committed to the job. Fremar felt many other people would have taken the position more seriously, which she believed caused friction between them. She admitted to sometimes being short with Weisberger, feeling like Weisberger wasn’t willing to conform to office expectations.

I really enjoyed the movie! It had this fantastic, escapist quality that let me just relax and have fun, which was a welcome change from dealing with everything that actually happened. But honestly, working with them was the real deal – it wasn’t a fantasy at all, it was real life.

You know, I always felt like I was the one emphasizing how much this mattered. I really took it seriously, but she just…didn’t seem to. It was incredibly frustrating. To me, this wasn’t just some trivial thing – it was a real international business, and for a lot of people, it’s a genuine art form. People express themselves through what they wear every day. I understood it wasn’t life or death, but it was important to me. And the fact that she didn’t see it that way really bothered me.

If you’re a true Prada enthusiast, you’re probably picturing Emily Blunt right now. Interestingly, the stylist featured has a subtle Canadian accent, despite not being British.

Movies

For almost fifty years, Meryl Streep has consistently avoided being typecast, delivering powerful performances in films ranging from early successes like “Sophie’s Choice” and “Silkwood” to more recent projects like “The Post.”

Fremar says working with Wintour was crucial to her career success, describing her as a true mentor.

You know, looking back, I have to say Anna was absolutely instrumental in shaping who I am today – and I genuinely love my life, so that’s saying something! I’m incredibly grateful for her influence. What really stuck with me was her professional approach – she ran things so smoothly without letting things get personal, and it’s a style I still employ in my own work to this day.

Anna Wintour also invited Law Roach back to Vogue before the Biden administration took office, asking him to style Kamala Harris for her first Vogue cover as vice president-elect, completing a significant professional journey for both of them.

The stylist has proof she was treated like Emily to Anna Wintour’s Miranda in “The Devil Wears Prada.” Back in the 2000s at Vogue, assistants really did handle bizarre requests – like trying to get an unreleased “Harry Potter” book – and deal with Wintour’s personal errands, such as picking up her dry cleaning and arranging for rare steak and potatoes to be delivered. There was always a lot of stress before Wintour arrived each day. However, despite the movie’s portrayal, neither assistant ever joined Wintour on trips to Paris Fashion Week.

Anna preferred to travel alone, and when she arrived in Paris, a woman named Fiona from the magazine’s office there would help her. Fiona still works for the magazine in France, according to Malle.

Entertainment & Arts

For red carpet events and interviews promoting ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Emily Blunt cleverly incorporated elements of their characters’ styles into their outfits, but without being too literal.

Despite having worked with many assistants over the years, Fremar explained that she’s now publicly identifying as the assistant from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ two decades after the film’s release. She believes it’s a fun acknowledgment of the movie’s popularity and Anna Wintour’s apparent enjoyment of it, so she decided to simply confirm the connection.

“I’m not really worried about the repercussions. … That stuff really doesn’t bother me.”

It’s also possible this could give her the chance to be recognized as the creator of one of the film’s most famous quotes.

Fremar recalls telling Weisberger that many women would have jumped at the opportunity. She remembers saying this because she genuinely felt it was true, and she also believed Weisberger wasn’t enthusiastic about the position.

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2026-05-01 02:31