Biography
Date of Birth
23 December 1983, Roehampton, London, England, UK
Birth Name
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt
Nickname
Em
Boop
Snath
Height
5' 7" (1.7 m)
Mini Biography
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is a British actress known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Young Victoria (2009), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), and The Girl on the Train (2016), among many others.
Blunt was born on February 23, 1983, in Roehampton, South West London, England, the second of four children in the family of Joanna Mackie, a former actress and teacher, and Oliver Simon Peter Blunt, a barrister. Her grandfather was Major General Peter Blunt, and her uncle is MP Crispin Blunt. Emily received a rigorous education at Ibstock Place School, a co-ed private school at Roehampton. However, young Emily Blunt had a stammer, since she was a kid of 8. Her mother took her to relaxation classes, which did not do anything. She reached a turning point at 12, when a teacher cleverly asked her to play a character with a different voice and said, "I really believe in you". Blunt ended up using a northern accent, and it did the trick, her stammer disappeared.
From 1999 - 2001, Blunt went to Hurtwood House, the top co-ed boarding school where she would excel at sport, cello and singing. She also had two years of drama studies at Hurtwood's theatre course. In August 2000, she was chosen to perform at the Edinburgh Festival. She was signed up by an agent, Kenneth Mcreddie, who led her to the West End and the BBC, scoring her roles in several period dramas on stage as well as on TV productions, such as Foyle's War (2002), Henry VIII (2003) and Empire (2005). In 2001, she appeared as "Gwen Cavendish" opposite Dame Judi Dench in Sir Peter Hall's production of "The Royal Family" at Haymarket Theatre. For that role, she won the Evening Standard Award for Best Newcomer. In 2002, she played "Juliet" in "Romeo and Juliet" at the prestigious Chichester Festival.
Blunt's career ascended to international fame after she starred as "Isolda" opposite Alex Kingston in Warrior Queen (2003). A year later, she won critical acclaim for her breakout performance as "Tamsin", a well-educated, cynical and deceptive 16-year-old beauty in My Summer of Love (2004), a story of two lonely girls from the opposite ends of the social heap. Emily Blunt and her co-star, Natalie Press, shared an Evening Standard British Film award for Most Promising Newcomer. In 2005, she spent a few months in Australia filming Irresistible (2006) with Susan Sarandon and Sam Neill. Blunt gave an impressive performance as "Mara", a cunning young destroyer who acts crazy and surreptitiously provokes paranoia in others. She also continued her work on British television, starring as "Natasha" in Stephen Poliakoff's Gideon's Daughter (2005), opposite Bill Nighy, a role that won her a 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
She continued the line of playing manipulative characters as "Emily", a caustic put-upon assistant to Meryl Streep's lead in The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Blunt's performance with a neurotic twist added a dimension of sarcasm to the comedy, and gained her much attention as well as new jobs: in two dramas opposite Tom Hanks, then in the title role in the period drama, The Young Victoria (2009). Her most recent works include appearances as antiques dealer "Gwen Conliffe" in The Wolfman (2010) and as the ballerina in The Adjustment Bureau (2011).
Emily is a highly versatile actress and a multifaceted person. Her talents include singing and playing cello; she is also skilled at horseback riding.
On August 28, 2009, Blunt and Krasinski announced their engagement. The couple married on July 10, 2010, at the estate of their friend, George Clooney, on Lake Como in Italy. Blunt and Krasinski live in the Los Angeles area, California, and have two children.
Trivia
Bought a $2.2 million new house in Vancouver where she lived with her boyfriend at the time, pop singer Michael Bublé.
Named Best Female Scene-Stealer for her performance in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) by Entertainment Weekly.
She was told to lose weight for her role as Emily in The Devil Wears Prada (2006). She revealed this in a 2006 interview with Craig Ferguson. Co-star Anne Hathaway tells a similar story, and reports that she and Emily were always hungry on-set due to being kept on strict diets to maintain the rail-thin "super-model" look.
For her breakout performance in The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Emily convinced David Frankel that her character should be British rather than American. Emily also improvised many of her lines and told interviewers that she based the character on people she's met, but would never want to associate with.
In 2004, Emily shared the prestigious Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer with Natalie Press.
Acting and adopting new accents helped her to overcome a debilitating speech impediment at age 12.
Admits she and her The Devil Wears Prada (2006) co-star Stanley Tucci competed to see who could be more over-the-top in their scenes. Tucci admits his young co-star won "hands down".
At the 2002 Chichester Festival, Emily earned rave reviews playing Juliet in a production of Romeo and Juliet.
Favourite actresses are: Cate Blanchett, Emma Thompson, Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman.
Made her theatrical debut alongside Dame Judi Dench in The Royal Family. She had only six months of formal acting training before gaining the role of Gwen for which she was paid £350 per week.
Susan Sarandon asked her to audition for the role of Mara in Irresistible (2006) after seeing My Summer of Love (2004).
Upon filming their first scene together for The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Meryl Streep laughed that Blunt should be given the film carbon copy, rather than steal the movie.
She is not related to singer James Blunt.
She is the great-niece of actor and retired Major-General Thomas Anthony 'Tony' Richardson.
Grew up in Roehampton, London.
The new face of Max Mara ad campaign (2007).
Her ex-boyfriend Michael Bublé wrote the hit single "Everything" for her. She is also on his album "Call Me Irresponsible", where she sings briefly at the end of the song "Me and Mrs. Jones".
Was named as one of Screen International's "Stars of Tomorrow" alongside James McAvoy, Noel Clarke, Michelle Ryan and Rupert Friend.
Attended the 2008 Park City - Kari Feinstein Sundance Style Lounge.
Broke up with longtime boyfriend Michael Bublé in July 2008. They had been together since 2005.
Best friends with actress Anne Hathaway. Emily refers to Anne as "her rock".
Is a strong alto singer.
Is a grade 8 cellist.
At 16, was offered a record deal after a producer spotted her in the musical 'Bliss' at the Edinburgh Festival.
Had a hamster named Tigger.
Was in consideration to replace Katie Holmes in the role of Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight (2008), but Maggie Gyllenhaal was cast instead.
Was in consideration for the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady after Keira Knightley dropped out of the project, but Carey Mulligan was cast instead.
Was in consideration for the role of Madolyn in The Departed (2006), but Vera Farmiga was cast instead.
Was originally cast as Natasha Rushman/Black Widow in Iron Man 2 (2010), but dropped out due to a scheduling clash with Gulliver's Travels (2010). As a result Scarlett Johansson was cast instead.
Was in consideration for the role of Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), but Hayley Atwell was cast instead. Her husband John Krasinski was considered for the part of Steve Rogers/Captain America in the same movie, but Chris Evans was eventually chosen.
Niece of Crispin Blunt who is a Member of Parliament (MP) for the British Conservative Party and also holds the post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Justice.
Used to be neighbors with Jimmy Kimmel.
Her grandfather was Major General Peter Blunt CB., MBE., GM., FCIT. Emily read a piece, beautifully, at his funeral in 2003. MG Blunt won the George Medal for rescuing a soldier from a truck soaked in petrol after an accident in Germany.
Ranked #8 in the 'Women We'd Love To Love' by a poll of 4,000 gay women.
Ranked #73 in the 2009 FHM list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World".
Ranked #53 in the 2010 Ask Men list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women.
Ranked #58 in the 2009 Ask Men list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women.
Ranked as having one of the most "Beautiful Famous Faces" by "The Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces From Around the World." She was ranked #19 in 2010 and #34 in 2009.
Has three siblings: Felicity Blunt, Sebastian Blunt and Susannah Blunt.
Sister-in-law of Stanley Tucci, her co-star in The Devil Wears Prada (2006). He is married to her sister Felicity Blunt.
Best friends with actress Amy Adams. The two became very close while shooting Sunshine Cleaning (2008) in 2008.
Counts Jaws (1975) as her all-time favorite movie which she first saw at age 10.
Stuttered severely as a young girl and ultimately overcame her problem by finding a different 'voice' (acting). Cites friend Colin Firth's stammering King George VI in the The King's Speech (2010) as an accurate depiction of how she actually spoke as a youth.
Father Oliver Blunt is a top UK criminal defense barrister/lawyer.
She and her husband, John Krasinski, have a red fox Labrador named Finn.
In various locations across Europe filming The Wolfman (2010) with Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. [July 2008]
Filming Wild Target (2010) with Bill Nighy and Rupert Grint. [September 2008]
Filming The Great Buck Howard (2008) with John Malkovich and Tom Hanks. [October 2006]
(July 10, 2010) Married her boyfriend of 20 months John Krasinski following an 11-month-long engagement.
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 30, a daughter named Hazel Krasinski on February 16, 2014. Child's father is her husband, John Krasinski.
Was 6 months pregnant with her daughter Hazel when she completed filming Into the Woods (2014).
Daughter-in-law of Ron Krasinski and Mary Ann Krasinski.
Appears in Wild Target (2010) with Martin Freeman. Freeman appeared in the original British series, The Office (2001). Her husband, John Krasinski, played the equivalent role in the American remake, The Office (2005).
Returned to work 4 months after giving birth to her daughter Hazel to begin filming Sicario (2015).
Found out about her Golden Globe nomination for Into the Woods (2014) while she was having a massage in Dubai, UAE. She served as a jury member of the Dubai Film Festival at the time.
When she was a guest on Lip Sync Battle (2015), LL Cool J called her and Anne Hathaway two of the most powerful stars of the big screen; he called it a "Devil Wears Prada reunion battle"; he said Blunt "had some swagger, was incomparable and breathtaking".
Edge of Tomorrow (2014) was Blunt's first action movie; Tom Cruise thought she was screwed because she was thrown in at the deep end. Blunt had never done a film of this magnitude before but felt it lived up to all of the buzz.
During filming Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Blunt took Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman out for karaoke one night; she terrified Liman by getting to see her in that different light; she later competed against her Devil Wears Prada co-star Anne Hathaway in an episode of Lip Sync Battle (2015).
Blunt thought it was fun to work with Tom Cruise on Edge of Tomorrow (2014) because it was a challenging shoot and the exo-suits were arduous to wear everyday.
It was Tom Cruise's idea to do three film premieres for Edge of Tomorrow (2014) all in one day; Blunt said it was harder on her because she needed a new dress, makeup and hairdo for each one, while her co-star just needed a new suit, but still said they were a lot more fun. One of the premieres was at 5am and it was wet; director Doug Liman said it was a testament to Cruise's star power.
Has been in three film about characters trying to change the future, The Adjustment Bureau (2011), Looper (2012) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014).
Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 33, a daughter named Violet Krasinski in mid-June 2016. Child's father is her husband, John Krasinski.
Was 4 months pregnant with her daughter Violet when she completed filming The Girl on the Train (2016).
Returned to work 6 months after giving birth to her daughter Violet to begin filming Sherlock Gnomes (2018).
Best friends with James Corden.
During both of her first two pregnancies, Blunt was in the midst of shooting films in which she played women struggling with infertility: the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods (2014) and Rachel in The Girl on the Train (2016).
Became a U.S. Citizen in 2015. However she likes to be identified as British. She was sworn in on the same day as friend Matthew McConaughey's wife Camila Alves McConaughey.
Began filming Mary Poppins Returns (2018), just 6 months after giving birth. The production of the movie was postponed to accommodate Blunt's pregnancy.
Emily's secret party trick is her ability to replicate a pigeon's trill-she demonstrated the unusual talent in an interview with ELLE Canada in 2011.
Best Friend Anne Hathaway set up Emily with John Krasinski in 2008 who went on to be her future husband.
She was offered the role of Sister James in Doubt (2008). She suggested Amy Adams for the role as she felt the role suited Amy more. Amy went on to not only getting the role but also was nominated for an Oscar at the 81st Academy Awards.
She was offered a role in Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 (2017) which she had to decline due to her pregnancy. They had worked together before in Sicario (2015).
Lives in New York with husband John Krasinski and their two daughters Hazel and Violet since 2016.
She has a fear of wearing Gloves. She says, "I don't know why but I find them repulsive. I'd scream if my mother tried to make me wear them as a child - it must be a phobia.".
She has a phobia of heights. She says, "I'm not amazing with heights and it was one of those things where they kind of [get] you up there and there's the moment before they bring you down for the shot, and it seems like that moment extends for a forever time frame."She explained: "You're so high that if you look out you're higher than the trees and you look down. But it was an incredible moment, you know. Very disarming.".
Had originally planned to go to university and study languages, hoping to become a U.N. translator.
Has stated her dislike for "method acting", calling it actors "trying to justify their paychecks".
Does not participate in social media.
Decompresses through daily sessions of transcendental meditation.
Is allergic to cats.
Nominated for the 2019 Golden Globe Award in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy category for her role as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns (2018), but lost to Olivia Colman for The Favourite (2018).
Board member of the American Institute for Stuttering.
Has a horrible fear of Cockroaches (katsaridaphobia).
Trademarks:
Rich, full voice
Bawdy sense of humor
Quotes
I'd love to be exciting and say that I was the rebel at school, but sadly I wasn't.
(On her manipulative character in My Summer of Love (2004)) "Whether they like to admit it or not, everyone's got a bit of "Tamsin" in them".
(On being an actress) "You feel very much like a puppet, but it had been what I was accustomed to - so you just get on with it and try to find something that rings true."
(On why she is often cast as the bad-girl) "I have sly eyes. When I was in school they always said, 'Emily can never be elected Head Girl because you never know what she's thinking."
(On Susan Sarandon) "She's just a force of nature. Amazing to work with. We just had such a laugh. And, she's frighteningly smart".
(On becoming a successful actress) "It was just crazy. It just sort of fell into my lap. It's an awful story for people who've struggled and waited. It's a horrible thing to hear. It was just incredibly fortunate. And now I can't believe I was so casual about it, because I really wouldn't want to do anything else."
(On her childhood) "My head was occupied all the time. I was confused about what I wanted to do or who I was; I didn't really feel I had an identity growing up."
(On performing period-drama dialogue) "I mean, you try to make it as real as possible but when you have lines like 'The fallen eagle is Caesar; the vulture Octavius, and there is one, yet to be decided, who will betray them all'. And you're just like, 'Great, how am I going to make that work?'."
(On accepting her Golden Globe in 2007 without a written speech) "The Globes night was a frenzy: I hadn't written anything. I looked down at the audience and Jack Nicholson was staring up at me and I couldn't even remember what my bloody name was. So I have learnt my lesson!".
I couldn't talk as a kid because I stammered all the time, so I would just watch. I'm fascinated by human behavior. People surprise me all the time. And I love being able to morph into different characters.
[on playing her second lesbian character in a film] I'm going to become a gay icon. Have I ever flirted with that side? No, never [but] I do remember girl crushes on other girls in my year group [at school]. There are these girls who are magnetic and beautiful and sooo cool. You just feel yourself shrink in their presence.
[on acting] I guess it's not really a job, is it? I was speaking to Billy Connolly the other day and we were talking about the work he's done for Comic Relief and all that he's done in Africa and I was saying 'Gosh, sometimes I just wonder if I have a worthwhile job', and he said: 'I'm going to stop you there. You have an incredibly important job. You offer people an escape, you offer people a way out and some relief from anything they might be going through and it's a very important job.' Because he was so adamant about it and spoke very passionately about why it was an important job, it's the first time I've realised that it might be that.
I wonder if I'll be alive? God knows. I'm not very good at looking that far ahead. I'd love to not have a walker at 80. I'd love to still be upright. And children and grandchildren, I'd love that. I'd love not to be a cantankerous old bat. I'd love to be a fun-loving nana. -- on what will she be like at age 80.
Yes. I heard a conversation with a studio head who said that they're willing to make an Adam Sandler film or a Will Smith film and maybe one $20m film a year and that's it. That's quite worrying that the studios are only going to be willing to spend money on films that are no risk, with the big stars that everyone is going to flock to see. So, unfortunately, there's a lot of films with a very human heartbeat that aren't getting seen or made. I think there's a great sadness in that. -- on if she worries about independent, offbeat films will struggle to get made because of the economic climate.
I think it's embarrassing to hear people talk about their process because you always sound a bit wanky. You always imagine people are reading the article going: 'Oh, get a real job.'
I learned very early on to reel everything in. Sometimes you just shouldn't do anything because the camera sees everything - like the smallest flick of your eye and it catches it and it reads as something. The performances I enjoy are the ones that are hard to read or ambiguous or left-of-centre because it makes you look closer and that's what humans are like - quite mysterious creatures, hard to pinpoint.
It's a film where human behavior is so fascinating that I could watch someone making pancakes with their child all day because of everything that's going on between them. That little boy - I want to cry thinking about it - he was just magical in it. It's the best performance by a kid I've ever seen -- on one of her favorite films, Kramer vs. Kramer (1979).
It's not like people say, "Oh my Gosh, are you Emily Blunt?" It's more like "Are you the girl in The Devil Wears Prada (2006)?". I'm defined by it and that's okay.
[on her parents, enthusiastic gardeners]: I've never shoveled mud before, but I should.
I just love the whole story of having faith in ludicrous ideas. Each character from Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011) is on a real journey and at the end of the film, you see all their journeys collide and it's just magical.
[on filming Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)] In London everyone just went back to their own house and did their own things. We were so tired,shooting six days a week most of the time. Then we went to Morocco and it was heaven. All the crew and the cast were in the same hotel. People would have drinks at night and then we'd wander across the street to this French restaurant. It was just great. It was like being at camp.
I'm a freak for cooking shows. If I'm home on a Saturday, I can watch the Food Network all day. just thinking about it, I'm getting all giddy!
[Tom Cruise] He's got that magnetism and charisma of the old school Hollywood stars. He really knows acting. He knows what he's doing.
[Tom Cruise] People go absolutely crazy for him. He genuinely loves people. He loves meeting them. He wants to connect with them even if it's hundreds of thousands. He'd be on there for hours if he could.
He is someone willing to take risks which is unusual for an actor of that magnitude. I think the older they get, the safer they get. Tom (Cruise) is the opposite - a force of nature.
[Edge of Tomorrow director Doug Liman] Heaven, adventurous, spontaneous.
[Tom Cruise] He's willing to discover that whole bag of tricks. He's a character actor.
[after her competitor Anne Hathaway's first performance on Lip Sync Battle] I'm not concerned. I thought it was cheap to have done all that stuff. It's easy.
I live to give.
[she and Tom Cruise at one of three film premieres for Edge of Tomorrow all in one day] We like doing premieres this way. It's much more fun.
[Edge of Tomorrow] We hope you love the movie. We loved making it so much. We made it for you guys. We make to entertain you and to give you the best ride ever and I'm thrilled you're going to see it finally.
[when they were competitors on an episode of Lip Sync Battle] Anne (Hathaway) has a very, very secretive process. I called her once and she just picked up and went shh. She called me and said I'm doing Beethoven's 5th and I said there are no words and she hung up.
[to Tom Cruise at a premiere for Edge of Tomorrow] You're the Chatty Cathy.
