From drama and horror to musicals and comedy, actress Emily Blunt has made it clear that she has a wide range of skills under her belt. Her acting ability has earned her roles in dozens of movies, not to mention multiple awards and nominations, including six Golden Globes, one of which she won for her role as Natasha in the BBC drama Gideon’s Daughter. Before Blunt even made her way to the silver screen, the British tabloid Evening Standard named her “Best Newcomer” after her debut performance in the play The Royal Family.
From there, Blunt made her transition to film in 2004’s My Summer of Love, and since then has become a household name in the movie business. Whether appearing as the haughty assistant in The Devil Wears Prada or the wholesome musical nanny that is Mary Poppins, Blunt has a long line of work behind her. With her talent, she naturally has a series of movies to look forward to as well. In fact, Blunt is set to appear in Christopher Nolan’s biographical film Oppenheimer. Until then, here’s a look at Emily Blunt’s best movies so far.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Edge of Tomorrow
Blunt joined Tom Cruise for the sci-fi thriller Edge of Tomorrow about an alien invasion. After Cruise’s character Major William Cage is made to combat the extraterrestrials, he discovers that after dying, he awakens and relives the same day again and again, à la Groundhog Day. Blunt’s character Sergeant Rita Vrataski trained Cage to use his daily repetition to win the war against the alien invaders, contradicting the typical male commander narrative. Blunt said it’s typically the woman holding the hand of the man as he leads her to safety, but she wanted to do the opposite. Entertainment Weekly called it “the most feminist summer action flick in years.” It showed an impressive side of action from the actress, earning her an award for Best Female Action Star from the 2014 Alliance of Women Film Journalist Awards.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 The Young Victoria
Momentum Pictures
Blunt starred as Queen Victoria in the 2009 period drama The Young Victoria. A remake of the 1963 film of the same name, the movie tells the story of the aforementioned queen and her romance with King Albert. Because this was Blunt’s first role in a major dramatic film, it drew her to many nominations, including a Golden Globe and Satellite Award for Best Actress. Though the movie only made roughly $31 million on a $35 million budget, it won nine out its 24 nominations from Academy Awards, EDA Awards and Golden Trailer Awards, to name a few. It currently holds a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes as well as a 7.3 on IMDb.
6 My Summer of Love
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382189/
Blunt’s film debut occurred in the British drama My Summer of Love, where she starred as Tasmin, a young upper-class woman who fell in love with Natalie Press’ working-class character Mona. The movie was nominated for multiple awards, and wound up winning a BAFTA. Having premiered almost 20 years ago, the film will always be known as the jump-start to Blunt’s prosperous career.
5 The Devil Wears Prada
https://variety.com/video/john-krasinski-watches-the-devil-wears-prada/
Though not her debut film, many people first saw Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada as Emily Charlton, the malicious assistant to Miranda Priestly, played by the legendary Meryl Streep. With unrequited sass and memorable one-liners, including, “I’m just one stomach flu away from my goal weight,” Blunt brought captivating life to a background character making her one of the best parts of the movie. Based on a 2003 novel of the same name, the comedy-drama premiered in 2006 and currently holds a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.
4 Into the Woods
In 2014, Blunt reunited with Meryl Streep in this musical adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s 1986 stage production as The Baker’s Wife. The two starred alongside a renowned cast including Anna Kendrick, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine and James Corden, who played The Baker. Into the Woods won a Satellite Award for Best Ensemble Cast, and also earned Blunt a nomination for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.
3 Jungle Cruise
Walt Disney
Most recently, Blunt and Dwayne Johnson took on the leads of Jungle Cruise, a Disney film based on the popular theme park attraction, similar to Tomorrowland and The Haunted Mansion. Blunt played Dr. Lily Houghton, an adventurous botanist, martial artist and expert lock-picker. Despite the film having been released to theaters amidst the pandemic, it still made 20 million dollars more than its budget and earned Blunt a nomination for a People’s Choice for Comedy Movie Star of 2021. In August 2021, it was announced that a sequel is underway.
2 Mary Poppins Returns
After Into the Woods, Blunt and director Rob Marshall worked together again on this sequel that premiered over 50 years after the original. Blunt took on the role Julie Andrews made famous, as the beloved babysitter Mary Poppins, while famous songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda starred as Jack, a modern interpretation of Bert from the 1964 film. The movie earned Blunt her fifth Golden Globe nomination, as well as her second SAG Award nomination. As for wins, Mary Poppins Returns took home two Annie Awards, a Satellite Award, and a Saturn Award among others.
1 A Quiet Place
In 2018 Blunt and her husband, John Krasinski, worked together in a film in which Krasinski directed. A Quiet Place took place in a post-apocalyptic world where the two struggle to raise their children among monsters with acute hearing. The film is known for being close to silent, as there are only around 25 lines of dialogue in the entire hour and a half. A sequel was released in 2021—with a third in the works—and not only are both certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, but both have acquired hundreds of millions in the box office against a two digit million-dollar budget.
