Emily Blunt Biography

INFORMATION | BIOGRAPHY

Born in Feb. 23, 1983 in London, England, the proper British lady was one of four children in a family headed up by her barrister father and teacher mother. While growing up, she excelled at singing and playing cello, as well as horseback riding. In her teens, she switched her focus, studying acting in London and beginning her long history of playing strong, confrontational young women, starting with her memorable turn as Juliet in ShakespeareÕs "Romeo and Juliet" at the Chichester Festival in 2002. Previous to that, she had made her stage debut opposite Dame Judi Dench in Sir Peter Hall's production of "The Royal Family" in 2001.

Making her foray into television on the 2003 UK television series "Boudica," she played warrior queen Alex Kingston's daughter (the series was broadcast on PBS in the United States). More television roles followed, including the fifth wife of Henry VIII, Catherine Howard, opposite Ray Winstone in the title role of "Henry VIII" (2003, Granada Television), and a spoiled socialite who meets an unpleasant fate while on her Eygptian honeymoon in the Agatha Christie thriller, "Death on the Nile" (2004, A&E).

Blunt's big breakthrough came shortly thereafter with the independent feature "My Summer of Love" (2004), in which she played a manipulative young woman who begins a romance with working-class tomboy, Mona . The BAFTA-winning film shone the spotlight brightly onto Blunt, leading to the inevitable shift toward more substantial roles in larger productions. She played a vestal virgin with psychic abilities in the overripe ABC historical miniseries "Rome" (2005), and gained more positive reviews when she starred opposite Susan Sarandon and Sam Neill in the Australian film "Irresistible" (2005), in which she played a young woman whom an overworked Sarandon believes is attempting to seduce her husband (Neill).

Jumping back and forth across the pond, Blunt also returned to BBC TV in 2005 for high-profile, star-driven projects including the title role in Stephen PoliakoffÕs "Gideon's Daughter," with Bill Nighy as a powerful PR exec struggling to maintain relationships with his daughter and a grief-stricken woman (Miranda Richardson).

"The Devil Wears Prada" marked Blunt's Hollywood debut, and her turn as Emily, who alternately fears and worships Meryl Streep's steely boss while making life miserable for her co-worker (Anne Hathaway) garnered much positive press for the film. In fact, she was often singled out as the best thing in the movie. While doing press for the film, Blunt was refreshingly honest in her comments to the media about her experience in Hollywood. During an interview with Craig Ferguson, she admitted that a producer had advised her to lose weight for the role (which she refused to do).

Since "Prada," Blunt lined up several film projects, including the female lead in "The Great Buck Howard," a drama starring Tom Hanks and John Malkovich. The in-demand actress, who continued to reside in London, also made the celebrity gossip pages for her relationship with popular Canadian vocalist Michael Buble, whom she met back stage at his concert.

In a film as rich with larger-than-life performances as "The Devil Wears Prada," English actress Emily Blunt managed to steal every scene she was in from cinematic veterans Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci with her icy portrayal of Streep's high-strung senior assistant in the 2006 film.

Last edited on 10/31/06
Edited from Yahoo! Movies