Yes, Gisele Bündchen Was in 'The Devil Wears Prada'

If you’ve ever rewatched ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and thought you recognized a familiar face leaning over Emily Blunt’s desk, you’re not mistaken. Gisele Bündchen made a memorable appearance in the film as Serena, one of the fashionable “clackers” working at the fictional Runway magazine. Though it’s a small role, it has gained significant traction in pop culture, and the story of how she landed it is nearly as captivating as the film itself.

Gisele nearly missed the chance to be part of one of the most quoted movies ever. The opportunity didn’t arise through traditional Hollywood avenues. She recounted, “I was flying from Los Angeles and the lady who was writing this movie [Aline Brosh McKenna] came to me. And she said, ‘I’m doing this movie, ‘Devil Wears Prada’, and it’s all about fashion and everything. And I’m getting some models to act on it.'”

Initially, her instinct was to decline. Bündchen told British Vogue, “I’m like, ‘No, I’m not interested. I’m not gonna play a model, I do that every day.'” However, McKenna returned with a different approach, offering her the role of Serena, a behind-the-scenes character rather than a runway model. This distinction was significant enough to change her mind.

Even after accepting the role, Gisele felt intimidated by her co-stars. She explained, “I am not an actress, I never had an acting class. It was Meryl Streep, [who] I think is the best actress of all time. It was Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway, all of them incredible… So, I was like okay, ‘I hope I don’t screw this up.'”

She was also intentional about transforming into her character. Bündchen shared with Entertainment Weekly that she “really wanted to make sure she looked nothing like herself,” which is why she wore glasses — hoping that audiences would “forget she was Gisele.”

Serena shares a friendly rapport with Miranda’s assistant Emily and, alongside her, pokes fun at Anne Hathaway’s Andy when she first starts as the second assistant. However, the character’s most memorable moment occurs later when Andy walks into the Runway offices fully transformed.

During a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bündchen revealed that she improvised her character’s supportive words about Andy’s new outfit while acting alongside Hathaway and Blunt. “We did it a few times and I literally had one sentence or two sentences, but I think I added one because Emily was being mean and I thought, ‘She looks good!'”

That small moment of kindness, delivered almost as an aside, became one of the most quoted lines from the supporting cast. Years later, Gisele’s daughter Vivian watched the film and exclaimed, “Mom, I saw you in a movie, you were wearing glasses. Was that you?” Gisele remarked, “It was cute to have my daughter recognizing me for the two seconds I was onscreen.”

With ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ now in theaters, fans were hopeful for a Serena return. The sequel features Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, along with returning director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna. However, Gisele is not among the familiar faces.

Entertainment Weekly reached out to inquire about Bündchen’s potential return as Serena, and her agent responded with a sad, crying emoji. When pressed for further details, the response was simply that they were not in a position to comment.

The reason for her absence had nothing to do with any disagreements. Director David Frankel confirmed he had tried to bring Gisele back, stating, “I think we reached out to Gisele, who had a really memorable part in the original film. When we were shooting last summer, she was having a baby and out of town, so it was hard to schedule it.” Gisele welcomed her first child with her husband, Joaquim Valente, in February 2025.

Frankel noted that Bündchen was the only original cast member directly offered a return who couldn’t participate. It seems the door was genuinely open, but the timing simply didn’t align.

So yes, Gisele Bündchen was indeed in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, she improvised one of its most charming lines, and she almost didn’t show up at all — making her brief but beloved role feel even more like a happy accident in fashion film history.

Let us know in the comments if you think Serena deserves a proper comeback in a potential third installment.