When The Devil Wears Prada 2 hit theaters, audiences expected plenty of glamour, sharp one-liners, and the kind of high-fashion chaos that made the original a cultural touchstone. What many viewers did not expect was just how thoroughly Justin Theroux would disappear into his role — to the point where even fans who knew he was in the film struggled to spot him on screen.
A Tech Billionaire With an Orange Glow
Theroux’s name appears in the opening credits alongside returning heavyweights Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Emily Blunt. Yet when he finally shows up roughly midway through the movie, many viewers had to double-check the cast list. He plays Benji Barnes, a tech billionaire who has started dating Emily Blunt’s character, Emily Charlton. Benji is the kind of guy who funds ambitious career moves as casually as most people order coffee — and who announces, without a shred of self-awareness, that artificial intelligence is about to make everyone’s job obsolete.
To bring this character to life, Theroux went full method. An unmistakable orange fake tan, a bald head that seems to be actively shedding its remaining hair, and a wardrobe of clashing luxury brands all combine to create a figure that is almost cartoonishly out of touch. It is the kind of performance that blurs the line between satire and reality — which is precisely what makes it so hard to recognize the actor underneath all that bronzer.
Fans Couldn’t Believe It Was Him
The internet had a collective moment of disbelief. One viewer took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote that they saw Theroux’s name in the credits and spent the entire movie waiting for him to appear, only realizing afterward that he had been on screen for quite some time. Another fan posted a simple but telling reaction:
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