Why Emily Blunt Once Asked For One Of Her Characters To Be Written Like A Man
Though Emily Blunt is an instantly recognizable star to most viewers today, there was a time when she was an up-and-comer, just like everyone else. While early roles in movies like "My Summer of Love" and "Sunshine Cleaning" showed that Blunt is a force to be reckoned with on the screen, it wasn't until later roles that the talented performer became a household name.
With her action-heavy portrayal as the unstoppably heroic Rita in "Edge of Tomorrow" and her understated performance as the conflicted FBI agent Kate Macer in "Sicario," it was clear how much charisma Blunt had even before she showed up in the horror megahit "A Quiet Place." Today, though, Blunt is starring in "The English," a daring neo-western that challenges stereotypes at every turn. With this sentiment in mind, the actor has been doing the rounds to promote the new Amazon Prime series, and she's had more than a few interesting anecdotes to share along the way.
Blunt once told a writer to pretend they're writing a male character
Emily Blunt sat down with Porter to discuss her career and how tough it can be to find a solid part as a woman, one that doesn't fall into easily pigeon-holed categories of representation. Still, one thing she said about her earlier roles in the entertainment industry was particularly resonant with the problems faced by women in film and television today.
"'Write me like a guy, and I'll do the "girl" stuff. Just write me as you would a man: fallible and complex and difficult and shady,'" she remembers once saying to a writer. All the same, it seems Blunt isn't overly impressed with the progress that has been made in the industry since then. "We are still having to remind people to not hold women to a certain ideal," she said.
Blunt is not shy about criticizing the way women are written or represented in film and television. While speaking to The Telegraph about "The English," she praised the complexity of her character Cornelia while also declaring, "It's the worst thing ever when you open a script and read the words: 'strong female lead'. That makes me roll my eyes – I'm already out. I'm bored." She went on to explain that these types of roles often end up being one-note.
If the critical response is any indication, Blunt definitely got the opportunity to dig deeper with "The English."