Top 10 Facts about Actress Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Photo By gdcgraphics – Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Facts about Actress Emily Blunt

Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is a British-born actress who has received critical acclaim for her roles in film earning accolades for her sterling performances. She was born in February 1993 and grew up in the leafy suburbs of London.

Blunt was the second born in her family and has 3 siblings. Her grandfather was an army officer while her uncle served as a Member of Parliament. 

In her childhood, Emily played the cello, participated in singing, and did horseback riding. While attending Hurtwood House Boarding School, she was scouted by an agent from McReddie Associates, Roger Charteris who took her in as one of their actors.

Emily made her film debut in The Royal Family (2001) and was named the Best Newcomer in Film by the Evening Standard Magazine. My Summer of Love (2004) brought Blunt substantial attention, but she became a household name after her outstanding performance in The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

Directors who had previously worked with Blunt said she was a breath of fresh air. They added that her authenticity, energy, ability to take up complex roles and conflicting attitudes made her stand out from the rest of the actors.  

Emily, who recently became a US citizen in 2015, has been married to John Krasinski for 12 years. Together they have two daughters, Hazel and Violet, who are 8 and 6 years old respectively.

Aside from acting, Emily has an eye for interior décor and design. Her favourite application to display this particular passion is Pinterest.

Read on the Top 25 British actresses here.

1. She Disliked Her Surname ‘Blunt’ While She Was Young

Growing up, Emily got teased a lot because of her surname Blunt. The name rhymed with common slang terms and the meaning itself got her nicknames such as ‘Blunt pencil’. She did not like her name for a long time saying it led to other imaginable soubriquets.

After school, Emily finally caught a break from all the teasing but was soon to be met with an even more hilarious ordeal. In 2005, You’re Beautiful, a single from the singer-songwriter James Blunt, became a hit and Emily kept getting commentary and ticket request from people who wanted to see ‘her brother’ perform.     

2. Emily Pursued Acting To Get Rid Of Her Stammering

When Emily was 7 years, she developed issues with her speech. Her stuttering progressed and grew worse when she was about 12 years. Her teacher put her in acting classes that required her to mimic different accents which in turn helped her to stop stammering. By the age of 14, Emily was able to speak fluently.

Emily is part of the America Institute for Stuttering and is an active board member. She is featured in the Stuttering Foundation’s list of Famous People Who Stutter alongside Marilyn Monroe.

Learn more shocking facts about Marilyn Monroe here.

3. She Starred In A Horror Movie With Her Husband

Husband and wife actors John Krasinski and Emily Blunt at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards. Photo By Jenn Deering Davis – Wikimedia Commons

Emily and John were both part of the 2018 movie A Quite Place. Unlike its title, the film is a chilling horror movie based on the post-apocalypse. Emily and her husband play the married couple that struggles to raise their children in a world of monsters. Aside from starring in it, John wrote and directed the film and its sequel.

A Quiet Place 2 surpassed the 100 million USD mark in ticket sales making it the first movie to do so past 2020.  Blunt won the Screen Actor Guild Award – Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie.

4. Blunt Learnt Israeli Martial Art For Her Role In Edge Of Tomorrow

“Krav maga” lesson in paratroopers school. Photo By Tzahal – Wikimedia Commons

In Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Emily played a special force warrior by the name of Sergeant Vrataski. For this particular role, Blunt took Krav Maga classes so she could completely get into character. She trained for 12 weeks and combined her classes with gymnastics and yoga.

The film was a success and Emily won Best Actress in an Action Movie at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.

5. She Is Not On Social Media

Emily is one of the very few celebrities, including Emma Stone and Jenniffer Lawrence, who don’t have any social media accounts. In a 2019 interview with Vogue, Blunt said she felt that it was not an organic form of socializing. She also said that it just isn’t for her and that showing too much personality will detach her audience from the characters she plays in her films.

 However, her supporters created a fan account on Instagram which has 230,000 followers. John also keeps both their fans abreast on how they are doing with plenty of photos on his social media accounts.

6. Blunt Displayed Her Childhood Skill Of Playing The Cello In My Summer Of Love

Cellist playing the cello. Photo By Alexa -Pixabay

As a young child, Blunt took up music recreationally and learnt how to play the cello. She was able to showcase her craft in the 2004 film My Summer of Love. Her character, Tasmin, forms a friendship with a Mona with whom she confides in. As their friendship grows, Tasmin gets to play the cello for Mona in their garden on a friendly visit to her place.

Blunt is not only instrumentally talented but also vocally. She was praised for her ability to sing and act in the musical adaptation of Into the Woods (2014). During the 72^nd Annual Golden Globe, Emily earned a nomination for Best Actress-Motion Picture/Musical but lost to Amy Adams.

7. She Gave Up A Role In The Most Anticipated Comic Film Of 2010

Emily turned down the role of Black Widow in Iron Man 2 due to a contractual agreement by Century Fox. After featuring in the comedy-drama film The Devil’s Wears Prada, she was bound to feature in the American version of Gulliver’s Travels.

Iron Man 2 and Gulliver’s Travels were shot simultaneously and Emily found it stressful and strenuous to juggle two roles. Eventually, she opted to fulfil her agreement and the role of Black Widow went to Scarlett Johnson.

Read on Scarlett Johnson and the other top 10 most popular American actress here.

8. Emily Had A Horrible Experience During Her Swearing In Ceremony

Five years after her matrimony with John Krasinski, Emily became a citizen of the United States. The actress who is originally from London received her citizenship in a court ceremony accompanied by her family. She expressed her mixed emotions saying she liked being Brit and that having to renounce the Queen during the swearing-in was quite distasteful. She is now a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom.

9. Blunt Hid Her Pregnancy To Fit A Film Role 

When Emily was filming the musical Into the Woods, she was pregnant with Hazel, her first child. Ironically, her character was a barren woman who yearned for a family with her husband. Emily had to be cautious not to display her baby bump and would hide behind trees on set. Their daughter was born later on in the year after filming had concluded.

10. Emily Wanted To Become A Spanish Translator For The United Nations

Gabriel Garcia Marquez Photo Source Wikimedia Commons

Though she can no longer speak Spanish fluently, Blunt was once interested in working as a translator of the language for the United Nations. She enjoys reading books by Spanish authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marques who happens to be one of her favourite authors.

Blunt has featured alongside Hollywood stars Dwayne Johnson and James Corden and hopes to work with Leonardo DiCaprio in the future.