The Devil Wears Prada is one of the best movies from the 2000’s, and has remained a vital part of pop culture to this day. The book to screen adaptation remains super popular, and fans are looking forward to its long-awaited sequel. Over the years there’s been discourse among fans, some of whom think Andy’s boyfriend Nate is the true villain of the movie. And now actor Adrian Grenier has weighed in on that chatter.
What we know about The Devil Wears Prada 2 is limited, but a number of members of the original cast are set to return. While Grenier isn’t set to return as Nate, he recently spoke to People about the idea that he was actually playing the first movie’s villain. The Entourage star said:
I can understand the sentiment. But I have to stand [up] for my character. If Nate is actually the devil in The Devil Wears Prada, I’d like to see what his character does beyond, as a spinoff movie.
Well, he threw down that gauntlet. It sounds like Grenier doesn’t think Nate is actually a villain. What’s more, he’d like a spinoff for his character if that’s what the general public is going with. Honestly, I’d watch just to see more of that epic grilled cheese he made during the first film.
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Later in the same conversation, the Drive Me Crazy actor went to address one big moment of contention from the movie: Nate’s birthday that Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs ends up missing because of her commitment to Miranda Priestly. Grenier explained his perspective on that conflict, offering:
I think it depends on if you care about birthdays. I personally don’t look to a birthday as a big, meaningful thing — but agreements, I do. If someone makes a commitment, I do take it seriously that the commitment gets upheld. So it’s not so much about the birthday per se.
Points were made. Even if you don’t care about birthdays, having your partner blow off a commitment like that is grounds for some hurt feelings. So even if he made mistakes like judging Andy’s makeover, he had some legs to stand on regarding the birthday fight. Adrian Grenier offered more about why he thinks they ultimately broke up, saying:
One thing that I will say is, I did think that his reaction felt a little bit meek and weak, which was not attractive, and perhaps was not attractive to her, that he was wounded by her missing his birthday, as opposed to being clear about his expectations and his boundaries. I think clarity and strength and standing up for himself as opposed to feeling sorry for himself. So he had some growing up to do, I suppose, and manning up, so to speak.
Points were made. Clearly this was an interesting relationship to unpack, since folks are still talking through Andy and Nate’s issues all these years later. And while Grenier doesn’t think he played the villain, he can see where things went wrong for the fictional couple.
The Devil Wears Prada is streaming on Disney+ and the sequel will arrive on May 1st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Unfortunately, Adrian Grenier won’t be there for the fun.