By Sondra Barr
In Hollywood, where stars are born and legends are made, actress Emily Blunt stands out as something of a rarity. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she navigates the demanding, churning waters of stardom with grace and authenticity.
Raised in southwest London, Blunt’s early life was marked by a struggle that shaped her future in ways she never imagined. As a child, she had a prominent studder, a challenge that could have silenced her. Instead, it became one of her greatest teachers, instilling in her a resilience and empathy that has come to define her both as a person and an actress.
“My stutter really started to take hold around 6 or 7 and then kind of got progressively more challenging for me, and as I reached about 11 or 12, it was pretty ingrained,” she explained in a heart-to-heart with 11-year-old Sammy Blatstein, the son of former Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Anne Fulenwider. Blatstein, who also studders, interviewed the actress about the condition for an article in Marie Claire.
“School was interesting because there were certain things I couldn’t do and wanted to, like read out my poem in class. I would never want to do that. I would hate it if the teacher called on me to answer something,” explained Blunt to Blatstein.
“I was a smart kid, and had a lot to say, but I just couldn’t say it. It would just haunt me. I never thought I’d be able to sit and talk to someone like I’m talking to you right now,” Blunt told W magazine in 2008.
It was this very struggle that inadvertently opened the door to her acting career, transforming a perceived weakness into her greatest asset. Although her parents took her to speech and relaxing coaches, her stutter persisted. The turning point came when a teacher suggested she try acting in a school play, not in her own voice, but in an accent. This method helped her manage her stutter, revealing not only a hidden talent but also a passion for performing. Acting became a space where she could articulate freely and embrace a range of emotions and characters without the constraints of her stutter.
While she had no firm intention of pursuing acting as a career path, destiny had its script written for Blunt. At the age of 18, following an audition that would pivot her life’s direction, she found herself sharing the stage with the legendary Judi Dench in a 2001 West End production of The Royal Family.
“I was completely wowed and starstruck by the whole thing,” Blunt said during an interview for Harper’s Bazaar. “I remember being in Judi’s dressing-room every night and thinking, my God, Pierce Brosnan is here – this is crazy!”
Her immersion into the world of theatre was both enchanting and surreal, a sentiment she echoed in a candid reflection to Vanity Fair, “I was drinking champagne and pretending I knew what anyone was talking about.”
This early exposure to the realms of professional acting and the intoxicating allure of the stage set the foundation for Blunt’s burgeoning career. Transitioning from theatre to film, she soon found herself in front of the camera, embarking on a path that would introduce her to a global audience. Her early roles in films like My Summer of Love (2004) showcased her ability to convey complex emotions and create compelling, multifaceted characters, earning her critical acclaim and signaling her as a talent to watch.
It was, however, her role as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) that catapulted Blunt into Hollywood stardom. Opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, Blunt delivered a performance that was both hilariously sharp and poignantly vulnerable. This role not only solidified her status as a versatile actress capable of navigating the intricacies of both drama and comedy but also demonstrated her scene-stealing presence on screen.
From there, Blunt’s career trajectory soared, leading her to a series of roles that would further cement her place in Hollywood. In Edge of Tomorrow (2014), she showcased her physicality and strength alongside Tom Cruise, while her portrayal of the titular character in Mary Poppins Returns (2018) brought a beloved classic back to life with grace, warmth, and a modern twist.
One of her most recent projects, Oppenheimer, directed by the acclaimed Christopher Nolan, presents Blunt in yet another challenging role that highlights her versatility and dedication to her craft. In this historical drama, she delves into the complex world of Kitty Oppenheimer, the wife of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” Blunt’s portrayal explored the emotional and psychological nuances of a woman caught in the tumultuous times of World War II, shedding light on the personal struggles behind historical figures.
“She wasn’t an easy woman – she definitely didn’t conform to the 1950s housewife ideal, and yet she found herself confined to an ironing board in New Mexico’s Los Alamos, which must have driven her mad,” Blunt revealed to Harper’s Bazaar. “Even now, I see women in their 70s whose whole identity has been caught up in motherhood, and then once that’s done, there’s this sense of, well, who am I and how do I reclaim myself?”
Off-screen, Blunt challenges the conventional expectations of her roles. Seamlessly blending motherhood with her duties as a wife, she navigates her personal life with the same grace and complexity she brings to her characters. Married to actor and director John Krasinski, their relationship is often celebrated as one of Hollywood’s most endearing love stories. The couple, who share two daughters, Hazel and Violet, appear to navigate the complexities of Hollywood well.
Blunt has openly shared the swift and undeniable connection she felt with Krasinski, saying she knew “disarmingly soon” that he was the one. “We were discussing how much I was enjoying being single. And then [my friend] goes, ‘Oh, my God, there’s my friend John.’ And that was it,” she recounted to People. “We were engaged within 10 months, but I think we probably knew before that.”
This bond between Blunt and Krasinski is evident in their professional lives as well, most notably through their collaboration in the critically acclaimed horror film A Quiet Place and its sequel, where their incredible chemistry and teamwork was on full display.
As a mother and wife, Blunt places value on family time, adhering to a strict personal rule to never be away from her daughters for more than two weeks. “Because even though they’re hardy, and they’re used to this strange life, it’s still rough on them when I have to go away,” she admitted to Harper’s Bazaar, highlighting the emotional toll her career can sometimes take on her family.
Blunt is aware of her privileged position to be able to prioritize her family in a profession that is not always accommodating to women’s personal lives. She candidly shares her apprehensions about the acting world, especially for young women. “My toes curl when people tell me, ‘My daughter wants to be an actress.’ I want to say, don’t do it!” she’s said in interviews.
Despite her reservations about the challenges of acting, especially for women, Blunt herself has navigated these waters with remarkable success and she shows no signs of slowing down. She’s starring alongside Ryan Gosling in The Fall Guy. Additionally, Blunt is reprising her role in Jungle Cruise 2 with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a sequel eagerly anticipated by fans of their infectious on-screen chemistry. The duo is also slated to headline Netflix’s Ball and Chain, playing a superhero couple.
She also finds time to be an advocate for the American Institute for Stuttering (AIS), a cause close to her heart given her own experiences with stuttering. Her work with AIS reflects her desire to use her platform for positive impact, helping to destigmatize stuttering and support others who face similar challenges. Through public speaking, fundraising, and raising awareness, Blunt has contributed significantly to the organization’s mission, demonstrating that her contributions to society extend beyond fame and family.
