The Devil Wears Prada star finally acknowledges he was the real villain all along
Adrian Grenier has admitted that his character Nate was the real villain in The Devil Wears Prada. (20th Century Fox)
The Devil Wears Prada star Adrian Grenier has finally admitted that his immature, unsupportive character Nate was the real villain all along.
The 2006 film followed Andy (Anne Hathaway) as she worked herself into the ground at fashion magazine Runway in a desperate bid to kickstart her journalism career – but that wasn’t her biggest challenge.
No – her biggest challenge was dealing with her whiny boyfriend Nate, who failed at every turn to support her, refused to understand that her job came with inescapable commitments and then singled out her personal growth and development as a problem to be rectified.
You might have thought that Runway editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) was the film’s villain, but you were wrong.
Grenier joined the rest of the cast to reflect on The Devil Wears Prada 15 years on, and he finally admitted that Nate really was the absolute worst.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Grenier said he was aware that fans hated his character – and he revealed that he didn’t understand the criticism at first.
The Devil Wears Prada‘s real villain Nate ‘hadn’t grown up’
“When that whole thing [about Nate being the ‘real villain’ of the film] first came out, I couldn’t get my head around it,” Grenier said.
“I didn’t understand it. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t mature as a man, just as Nate probably could’ve used a little growing up. I was just as immature as him at the time, so I couldn’t see his shortcomings, but, after taking time to reflect and much deliberation online, I can realise the truth in that perspective.
“Nate hadn’t grown up, but Andy had… she needed more out of life, and she was achieving it. He couldn’t support her like she needed because he was a fragile, wounded boy… on behalf of all the Nates out there: Come on! Step it up!”
Hathaway also weighed in, saying: “I don’t think everybody’s being completely honest with themselves about their own poutines. Nate was pouty on his birthday because his girlfriend wasn’t there! In hindsight, I’m sure he wishes he made a different choice, but who doesn’t? We’ve all been brats at different points.
“We all just need to live, let live, and do better!”
