Simon Baker confirms long-held rumour
Aussie actor Simon Baker has had an awkward experience while being interviewed on Today Extra.
The 52-year-old was asked by co-hosts David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys whether he’d ever watched the 2006 Oscar-nominated movie The Devil Wears Prada, which he played a starring role in.
“I need you to set the record straight on this, that you have never watched the film,” Jeffreys began.
After a long pause while looking away from the camera, Baker said, “No I haven’t. That’s true.”
Without elaborating on his answer, a stunned Jeffreys responded, “Oh, it’s a cracker. You should definitely change that.”
Again looking off camera, Baker added, “I’ve heard. It’s clearly been … quite successful.”
When Jeffreys asked The Mentalist star why he hadn’t seen the film since it premiered 15 years ago, Baker simply said, “I haven’t gotten around to it.”
The hosts burst into fits of laughter, and Jeffreys joked, “We’ve been under lockdown orders! There’s been nothing else to do.”
Baker gave a longer explanation, saying, “Oh look I don’t know, you’ve got to get a bit of distance from films sometimes.”
Since its release, The Devil Wears Prada has gained popularity among viewers and been labelled as a film that’s stood the test of time.
In 2016, the film’s legacy was described by Vanity Fair as more pervasive than other more profitable films such as Superman Returns, which beat it at the box office on its opening weekend.
“The degree to which The Devil Wears Prada has penetrated pop culture needs no explanation - as does the degree to which Superman Returns didn’t,” the publication wrote.
In total, the movie grossed $326 million against a $41 million budget, and saw Meryl Streep receive a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role.
Image: Channel 9