Though it’s now one of her most well-known roles, Anne was the ninth actor chosen to play Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada. David Frankel, who directed the film, told Entertainment Weekly in 2021 that Rachel McAdams was offered the part three times but continuously declined. He also stated it “didn’t go well with the studio” when they began to approach Anne about the part. In spite of this, she remained determined to portray Andy in the 2006 film.

“I remember her sitting on my sofa in my office and explaining why she wanted to do this, why she had to play this role, and … Annie never gave up,” Elizabeth Gabler, former Fox 2000 president, said in the same interview. “She never stopped campaigning, calling, she came into [Fox executive] Carla Hacken’s office and wrote in her zen garden, ‘Hire me.'”

Meryl Streep then watched a scene of Anne’s from Brokeback Mountain and met with the actor. After this, Meryl said Anne was “great” and believed they would “work well together,” which helped seal the deal for her to secure the job. Anne called it “the easiest yes in the world” when she was finally given the opportunity to play Andy.

“I patiently waited until it was my turn, and I got the call,” Anne said. “I remember the moment I found out I got the part, I just ran screaming through my apartment. I had a bunch of friends over at the time, I just jumped up in the living room and screamed, ‘I’m going to be in The Devil Wears Prada!'”