Anne Hathaway Reacts To Devil Wears Prada Theory About Nate Being The Villain

Was Nate the real villain of The Devil Wears Prada? Anne Hathaway has finally weighed in on the fan theory about the 2006 movie — and the hate that Adrian Grenier’s character received. During the Oct. 24 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, a fan asked the Oscar winner whether she thought Nate was the true villain of the classic film. Host Andy Cohen responded, “Yes he was!” Hathaway, however, felt differently about the aspiring chef/boyfriend of Andy Sachs.

“No, I’m sorry, I don’t,” Hathaway said. “I think that they were both very young, and figuring things out. He did behave like a brat, but I also behaved like a brat in my 20s and I hopefully grew out of it. I think that that’s what we all do. And I wouldn’t want to be defined by my worst moment in my 20s, certainly, so I don’t hold Nate as a villain, actually.”

For years, fans had labeled Grenier’s character as the villain, a hot take considering Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly is widely considered the antagonist through and through. Many complained that Nate was an unsupportive significant other to his ambitious partner (and only cared about his $8 worth of Jarlsberg cheese on a sandwich). He spends the film focused on port-wine reductions and calling out Andy as she changes, increasingly embodying Runway’s way of life with high fashion and trips to Paris. She works late at the Runway office on the night of his birthday, which seems to be the nail in the coffin of their ill-fated relationship.

Fans past and present have aired their grievances against Nate online (and the grilled cheese — nothing is sacred anymore).

The Entourage star also weighed in on his controversial character in 2021. He initially didn’t understand where all the hate was coming from, but in time realized where fans were coming from. “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 told Entertainment Weekly. “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 realize the truth in that perspective.”

Grenier also took the opportunity to call out people that could be more supportive of their significant others. “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!”

In the meantime, we’ll be rewatching The Devil Wears Prada with Hathaway’s take in mind.