Emily Blunt reveals why her daughters skip her movies and why she 'loves' the school run
The world views Emily Blunt as the accomplished beautiful Oscar-nominated actress that she is. However, at home with her two young daughters, she is just mum.
The girls, Hazel, 10, and eight-year-old Violet, who she shares with her husband of 14 years, actor and producer John Krasinski, don't even like watching her many celebrated films including The Devil Wears Prada, Jungle Cruise or Mary Poppins Returns.
Not that Emily, 41, finds this in anyway discouraging.
"I've spoken to other actors who all say the same thing - your children don't like watching you. They just don't want to see mummy like that. It's weird for them. They don't like me when I put makeup on, let alone a wig or a different voice," she says while recently attending the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
"There was a scene in Jungle Cruise where I'm almost drowning and they just ran out of the room. I don't think they've ever finished watching it.
"I met one of Cate Blanchett's sons recently. He's so divine, this amazingly impressive young man, and he goes: ‘Don't take it personally. I've hardly seen any of my mum's films - and I'm sure they're very good.' Then he goes, 'So don't take it personally'," she laughs.
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Aside from their two daughters, Emily and her husband's most famous collaboration is their hit horror movie, A Quiet Place. Written and directed by John, 45, they also co-starred as husband and wife in the film which led to two sequels.
Yet Emily initially vetoed appearing in her husband's film. "I'd just had a baby and knew I was going off to do Mary Poppins. Also, I was a little nervous to work with him.
"You hear horror stories about married couples working together, so I didn't know if it would be a good move. Then I read this extraordinary script. I'd already suggested a friend for it, and I said [to John], you have to call her and tell her I want to do it!"
Fortunately, Emily's friend was understanding.
"She was great about it, but that's what friends are for."
The births of the couple's daughters will always be inextricably entwined with their film schedules: Emily was pregnant with Hazel during Into the Woods and with Violet while filming psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train.
"It was bizarre to be playing a raging alcoholic while pregnant with my precious second child.
"But that's always the strange, bizarre juxtaposition of when your life is one thing and the character you're playing is the complete opposite. It's like a parallel life," she says.
Combining her career with motherhood is an ever-changing odyssey for Emily who - in common with most showbusiness couples - tries to make sure that one of them is always at home for the children. However, in the case of A Quiet Place when the children were both tots they brought them both to set.
It's the simplest moments that bring her the most happiness.
"I love the school run. I love the way you're like falling out the door. I feel sometimes families are held together by duct tape just trying to get out the door in the morning. But I love that kind of thing so much."
Emily has become such a major part of the Hollywood zeitgeist that its remarkable to consider she only made her film debut 20 years ago in the romantic drama, My Summer of Love.
One of her most popular films was The Devil Wears Prada, proving herself as a consummate character actress with her portrayal of a permanently-dieting assistant – also called Emily - to Meryl Streep's haughty high priestess of fashion.
When she thinks of her Prada co-stars - Meryl, Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci - the word ‘family' comes to mind.
"Stanley is my brother-in-law - that's what the movie means to me. He's a wonderful cook too, and cooks fantastic Christmas dinners," she says of the actor who's married to Emily's older sister, literary agent Felicity Blunt.
"I just adore everything about him and my little nephew and niece - and my other nephew and nieces from his first relationship.
"I've done three movies with Meryl now," she continues. "We're all bonded for life, forever."
To read the full interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
