Anne Hathaway has reflected on her performance in the 2004 film *Ella Enchanted*, saying she was “acting too much” and trying too hard to appear tough. She believes this affected how director David Frankel viewed her suitability for *The Devil Wears Prada*, despite initially being his preferred choice for Andy Sachs.

Hathaway said personal difficulties and “offscreen drama” influenced her choices on *Ella Enchanted*, making her seem less natural than in *The Princess Diaries*. After considering other actresses, Frankel ultimately offered her the role because he believed she could recover the relaxed, free quality that had first impressed him; she reportedly had to wait for seven other actresses to reject it.