For three decades, Meryl Streep was one of the world's most preeminent actresses. With roles in such films as The Deer Hunter, The Bridges of Madison County and The Hours, Streep won tons of awards and established her reputation as a great thespian. All that acclaim, however, didn't exactly translate into popular culture success. That all changed in 2006 with The Devil Wears Prada. In just five minutes, Streep created a character - Miranda Priestly - so identifiable and memorable that hardcore film buffs, casual movie fans and drag queens in 2025 still quote and imitate her today. A First Impression That Truly Mattered We're introduced to Miranda almost right away, around The Devil Wears Prada's 5-minute mark, when the protagonist, Andrea "Andy" Sachs (Anne Hathaway), arrives to interview for the second assistant position at Runway magazine. Andy's fresh out of college, desperate for work and, with her wrinkled beige blazer and "foul" briefcase, isn't fashionable at all. She's immediately at a disadvantage, and she hasn't even met Miranda yet. Speaking of Miranda, where is she? She's not at the office when Andy arrives; like all important people, she's fashionably late, even to her own job. Director David Frankel cleverly opts to tease her arrival in a montage that establishes just how important - and intimidating - she is without immediately revealing her face. Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Parada 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. As the office scrambles to look presentable and busy, we see Miranda in a series of quick scenes that show her stepping out of her luxury company car, walking confidently into the skyscraper where Runway is based, walking past security without even showing any identification and taking over an elevator from a model who quickly apologizes for being there in the first place and leaves. This sequence is scored like a heist thriller - the music builds and swells, further accentuating Miranda's importance. HBD, 'Devil Wears Prada'! See the 10 Outfits We'd Still Rock Today Taking Chances Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. When the elevator doors open, we finally see Miranda in full - silver-haired with perpetually pursed lips and wearing a modern NYC working woman's armor of choice: tinted sunglasses, chunky earrings, a chic designer handbag and a heavy coat that all say, "Back off!" As she slowly peels away this armor, she immediately begins telling her first assistant, Emily (Emily Blunt), what she needs her to do for the day. She barely notices Andy, and when she does finally interview her, she barely looks up from what she's doing. She immediately clocks Andy for "having no style or sense of fashion" and, when Andy is in the middle of listing her accomplishments, cuts her off by saying, "That's all." Every icon needs a catchphrase, and that's Miranda's. It's rude and dismissive, but Streep makes it funny because she delivers it softly and quickly. It's unexpected, and it catches Andy - and the audience - off guard. When Andy admits her flaws and insists she's a hard worker and smart, Miranda is intrigued enough to hire her despite her inexperience and disinterest in fashion. (As she says later, "Take a chance, hire the smart, fat girl.") The scene ends with the outsider Andy at Runway and Miranda established as a force to be reckoned with. An Introduction So Good It Became the Movie's Marketing Campaign In these five minutes, we know everything we need to know about Miranda: She's stylish, demanding, impossible to please and doesn't bother with pleasantries. We also know the basic setup of the movie and the central dramatic conflict that needs to be overcome - will Andy make it at Runway? These five minutes were so important - and so effective - that the movie's studio, 20th Century Fox, opted to use a trimmed-down version of the scene for the film's trailer. Anna Wintour 'Can't Believe' Meryl Streep Traveled to Milan for Fashion Week That never happens, but it worked for The Devil Wears Prada, which became a surprise counterprogramming hit in the summer of 2006. It didn't make as much money as some of its competitors, like Superman Returns, but it has had a longer life in pop culture. And let's give credit where credit's due: Hathway, Blunt, Frankel, screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna and costume designer Patricia Field (Younger) were all instrumental in the film's success. Vanessa Williams in Ugly Betty Eric Liebowitz / (C) ABC / Courtesy: Everett Collection But The Devil Wears Prada is Streep's show; without her, the movie just doesn't work. And without Miranda, Streep wouldn't be who she is today - a respected actress, yes, but also a culturally relevant one. Miranda has continued to live on in the cultural imagination, with small-screen clones like Ugly Betty's Wilhelmina Slater and The Bold Type's Jacqueline Carlyle, as well as gracing the stage in a musical adaptation written by Elton John. And so has Streep, w