I'm not sure why it's different. Meryl played the definition of a supporting role to Hathaway in a definition of a leading role. Meryl has also been nominated as Supporting several times while she was a big star, as recently as 2015 in a lead role (The Witch -- yes, Baker's Wife is probably more of the Lead Actress role but they both are, and not because the Witch is a showy role but it also has a TON of stage/screen time and many songs and a crushing emotional arc... and was place as the lead for the Tonys, Drama Desks, and Oliviers), after she was in Prada.
And beyond how her role is easily definably "supporting" in Prada, the role also doesn't even compare to the other actually lead roles nominated that year (Volver, Little Children, Notes On a Scandal, and The Queen which won). It's like the reverse William Daniels situation. |
