Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt
Blunt in 2014
Born	Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (1983-02-23) 23 February 1983 Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom
Nationality	English
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2001–present
Spouse(s)	John Krasinski (m. 2010)
Children	2
Relatives	Peter Blunt (paternal grandfather) Crispin Blunt (paternal uncle)

Emily Olivia Leah Blunt (born 23 February 1983)^[1] is a British-American actress.^[2] Blunt made her professional debut in a 2001 London production of the play The Royal Family. Two years later, she appeared on screen for the first time in the 2003 television film Boudica (Warrior Queen). Her performance in the 2004 drama film My Summer of Love garnered her the Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer. For her performance in the TV film Gideon's Daughter (2006) she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. That same year, she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture and a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Devil Wears Prada.

In 2009, Blunt received the BAFTA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year.^[3] She received more acclaim for portraying Queen Victoria in The Young Victoria (2009), receiving a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. 2009 also saw Blunt appear in the crime caper comedy "Wild Target" with Bill Nighy and Rupert Grint. She found commercial success for roles in the romantic science-fiction thriller The Adjustment Bureau (2011), the science-fiction action thriller Looper (2012), and the sci-fi film Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Blunt received her fourth and fifth Golden Globe Award nominations for her roles in the romantic comedy-drama Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012) and the musical fantasy Into the Woods (2014) in the Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical category. In 2016, Blunt starred in the fantasy-action film The Huntsman: Winter's War and The Girl on the Train, the latter based on the international best-selling novel of the same name.

Early life

Blunt was born in Wandsworth, London,^[4][5] the second of four children.^[6] She is the daughter of Joanna (née Mackie), a former actress and teacher,^[7][8] and barrister Oliver Simon Peter Blunt.^[9][10][11] Her siblings are Felicity, Sebastian, and Susannah.^[9][12] Her grandfather was Major-General Peter Blunt, and one of her paternal uncles is Crispin Blunt,^[13] Conservative Member of Parliament for Reigate.

From the age of seven to 14, Blunt struggled with stuttering.^[14] She credits a school teacher for helping her overcome the stutter through acting.^[15] She went on to sit on the board of directors for the American Institute for Stuttering.^[16] Blunt attended Ibstock Place School and, at the age of 16, went to Hurtwood House, a private sixth-form college known for its performing arts program. There, she was discovered by an agent.^[17]

Career

In November 2001, Blunt made her professional debut opposite Judi Dench in Sir Peter Hall's production of the play The Royal Family. Hailed by critics for her performance, she was named "Best Newcomer" by The Evening Standard. She went on to perform as Eugenie in Nicholas Wright's Vincent in Brixton at the National Theatre, and as Juliet in Indhu Rubasingham's production of Romeo and Juliet at Chichester Festival Theatre, both in 2002.^[17]

In 2003, Blunt made her screen debut in the British television drama Boudica, about the life of the ancient Celtic warrior-queen who fought the Romans. That same year, she was praised for her performance as the 16th-century queen Catherine Howard in the two-part British television drama Henry VIII.^[17]

Blunt at the 2007 BAFTAs

In 2004, Blunt delivered her breakout performance as Tamsin in the drama film, My Summer of Love, a story of deception and lesbian love in the English countryside.^[17] She shared an Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer with co-star Natalie Press.^[18]

In 2005, Blunt co-starred with Bill Nighy and Miranda Richardson in the British television drama Gideon's Daughter,^[17] an original screenplay written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, in which she played the troubled only child of New Labour spin doctor Gideon Warner, played by Nighy. Blunt won a Golden Globe for her performance.^[19]

In 2006, Blunt appeared opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in the box-office success The Devil Wears Prada. Her role as Emily garnered her nominations for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She attended the 79th Academy Awards where she co-presented the award for best costume design with her Prada co-star Hathaway.^[20] That same year, Blunt co-starred with Susan Sarandon in the independent drama Irresistible.

Blunt at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012

In 2007, Blunt appeared in four films: Wind Chill, The Jane Austen Book Club, Dan in Real Life, and Charlie Wilson's War.^[17] In 2008, Blunt appeared in two films, Sunshine Cleaning in the role of Norah Lorkowski, and The Great Buck Howard as Valerie Brennan.^[17] In 2009, Blunt played Queen Victoria in The Young Victoria, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes. She also starred in the Toby Spanton-directed short film Curiosity. She was director Jon Favreau's first choice to play the Black Widow in Iron Man 2 but scheduling conflicts with Gulliver's Travels forced her to cede the role to Scarlett Johansson.^[21] She voiced Angelina's mother, Matilda Mouseling, in the television series, Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps.

In 2010, Blunt co-starred with Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins in the big-budget horror film The Wolfman. She also starred in Gulliver's Travels and in The Adjustment Bureau, alongside Matt Damon, as a dancer "being mysteriously kept apart" from Damon's character.^[22] Blunt was offered the female lead in Captain America: The First Avenger but turned it down.^[23] In 2011, Blunt was named the ambassadress of the new Yves Saint Laurent fragrance, Opium.^[24]

Blunt starred in the 2011 British comedy film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, directed by Lasse Hallström and co-starring Ewan McGregor and Kristin Scott Thomas.^[25] Also that year, she briefly appeared in Disney's The Muppets, as Miss Piggy's receptionist. She starred in the 2012 film The Five-Year Engagement, directed by Nicholas Stoller and co-starring Jason Segel. In January 2011, Blunt began filming an American science-fiction film, Looper, directed by Rian Johnson and co-starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt; the film was released in September 2012. Also that year, she starred in Arthur Newman with Colin Firth.^[26]

In 2014, she starred alongside Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow, the film adaptation of the Japanese novel All You Need Is Kill, by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.^[27] Also that year, Blunt again worked with Disney, playing the Baker's Wife in their film adaptation of the musical Into the Woods, which also features her Devil Wears Prada co-star Meryl Streep as the Witch.^[28][29]

In 2015, Blunt starred in the action crime-thriller Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve and co-starring Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin. She came 98th in FHM's Sexiest Women of 2015.^[30]

In 2016, she co-starred alongside Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron and Jessica Chastain in The Huntsman: Winter's War, directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan; and headlined the film The Girl on the Train, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Paula Hawkins, directed by Tate Taylor, and co-starring Luke Evans, Rebecca Ferguson, and Justin Theroux. Blunt has officially signed on to play the title character in the 2018 film, Mary Poppins Returns, which will serve as the sequel to the 1964 film.^[31]

Personal life

Blunt with husband John Krasinski at the 70th Golden Globe Awards

Blunt had a three-year relationship with Canadian singer Michael Bublé. They met in 2005, while backstage at the Australian television Logie Awards in Melbourne. They later shared a home in Vancouver, Canada, before breaking up in 2008.^[32]

In November 2008, Blunt began dating American actor John Krasinski. They became engaged in August 2009,^[33] and married on 10 July 2010 in Como, Italy.^[34] They have two daughters, Hazel (born 2014)^[35][36][37] and Violet (born 2016).^[38][39]

Blunt's brother-in-law is her The Devil Wears Prada co-star Stanley Tucci. In 2012, Tucci married Blunt's sister Felicity, who works as a literary agent. Blunt introduced the couple.^[40][41] Her brother Sebastian is also an actor.^[42]

In August 2015, Blunt became naturalized as an American citizen.^[43] She took dual-citizenship in the United States, suggesting the status helped her tax and visa situation. She said she felt conflicted over abandoning her sole allegiance to the United Kingdom.^[44]

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Radio

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Emily Blunt.

• Emily Blunt at the Internet Movie Database
• Emily Blunt at AllMovie