Emily Blunt

Emily Olivia Laura Blunt is an English 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 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 in Roehampton. However, young Emily Blunt had a stammer since she was eight years old. Her mother took her to relaxation classes, which did not help. 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 to 2001, Blunt attended Hurtwood House, a top co-ed boarding school where she excelled 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 opposite ends of the social spectrum. 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 John 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.