Emily Blunt’s Best Roles

Emily Blunt is an actress who has consistently captured the attention of audiences and critics alike with her remarkable range and captivating performances. From her early beginnings in British theater to becoming a major Hollywood star, she has demonstrated an incredible ability to disappear into a wide variety of characters. Whether she’s playing a sharp-tongued assistant, a determined FBI agent, or a magical nanny, Blunt brings a unique blend of wit, warmth, and strength to every role she undertakes. Her filmography showcases a deliberate choice of diverse and challenging projects that have solidified her reputation as one of the most versatile actresses of her generation.

Her journey through different genres is a testament to her talent and dedication to her craft. She has successfully navigated the worlds of comedy, drama, action, and musicals with seamless transitions that feel both natural and compelling. This ability to adapt has not only earned her numerous awards and nominations but also a loyal following of fans who eagerly anticipate her next move. Exploring her best roles offers a glimpse into the depth of her skills and the memorable characters she has brought to life on the big screen, each one leaving a lasting impact.

‘Mary Poppins Returns’ (2018)

In this musical fantasy, Emily Blunt steps into the iconic role of the magical nanny Mary Poppins. The story is set in London during the Great Depression and follows the now-grown-up Banks children, Michael and Jane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, Mary Poppins re-enters their lives to help the family, and his three children, rediscover joy and wonder. The film brings back the familiar magic of the original, with new songs and adventures.

Blunt’s character is practically perfect in every way, just as the original stories describe her. She takes the Banks children on a series of whimsical adventures, from an underwater world in their bathtub to a lively dance sequence with lamplighters. Through her unique blend of sternness and warmth, she helps the family heal and reconnect with their inner child. Her performance captures the spirit of the beloved character while making it entirely her own.

‘My Summer of Love’ (2004)

This film tells the story of two young women from different social classes in a Yorkshire town who form an intense bond over a summer. Emily Blunt plays Tamsin, a well-off and worldly teenager who is suspended from boarding school. She meets Mona, who comes from a working-class background and is dealing with her brother’s recent religious conversion. The two quickly become inseparable, sharing their secrets and dreams.

Their relationship deepens as they escape their dissatisfying home lives, spending their days together in the idyllic countryside. Tamsin introduces Mona to a world of literature, music, and new ideas, but as the summer progresses, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur. The film explores themes of obsession, deception, and the complexities of first love, all leading to a dramatic and emotional conclusion.

‘Salmon Fishing in the Yemen’ (2011)

In this romantic comedy-drama, Emily Blunt portrays Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, a sharp and determined investment consultant. The film’s plot revolves around a visionary sheik’s dream of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert country of Yemen. Harriet is tasked with making this seemingly impossible project a reality, which requires her to enlist the help of a skeptical fisheries expert from London.

As Harriet works to manage the ambitious and expensive project, she finds herself navigating political hurdles and cultural differences. At the same time, she deals with personal turmoil when her boyfriend, a soldier, goes missing in action. Her professional relationship with the fisheries expert slowly blossoms into a deeper connection as they both pour their efforts into achieving the impossible task before them.

‘Sunshine Cleaning’ (2008)

This comedy-drama features Emily Blunt as Norah Lorkowski, a somewhat irresponsible young woman trying to find her way in life. She teams up with her older sister, Rose, a single mother, to start an unusual business venture. The sisters create a company that specializes in cleaning up crime scenes, trauma sites, and other messy situations that regular cleaning services won’t handle.

As they get their new business off the ground, Norah and Rose encounter a variety of eccentric clients and challenging jobs. The work forces them to confront their own complicated family history and personal issues. While dealing with the often gruesome reality of their profession, the sisters begin to build a stronger bond and find a new sense of purpose and respect for one another.

‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (2006)

Emily Blunt plays Emily Charlton, the perpetually stressed and fashion-obsessed senior assistant to the formidable editor-in-chief of a high-fashion magazine. She takes her job very seriously and is initially disdainful of the newly hired second assistant, who knows nothing about the fashion world. Her character is known for her sharp wit, ambition, and an unwavering dedication to her demanding boss.

Throughout the film, she desperately tries to maintain her position and earn her boss’s approval, all while preparing for the most important event of the year, Paris Fashion Week. Her character provides much of the film’s comedic relief as she navigates the high-stakes environment of the fashion industry. Despite her often-prickly exterior, moments of vulnerability show the immense pressure she is under.

‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ (2007)

In this biographical comedy-drama, Emily Blunt has a supporting role as Jane Liddle. The film is based on the true story of a charismatic Texas congressman who, along with a determined socialite and a maverick CIA operative, orchestrates a massive covert operation to arm the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. The story follows their efforts to secure funding and weapons for the cause.

Blunt’s character is involved in the political world that the congressman navigates. She is part of the inner circle and witnesses the behind-the-scenes dealings and elaborate schemes that drive the covert operation forward. Her role contributes to the film’s depiction of the complex and often-unseen side of political maneuvering and international relations during a pivotal moment in history.

‘The Adjustment Bureau’ (2011)

This science-fiction romance features Emily Blunt as Elise Sellas, a talented and free-spirited contemporary ballet dancer. The story follows a rising politician who has a chance encounter with Elise and is immediately captivated by her. However, their budding relationship is thwarted by a mysterious group of men who reveal that their being together is not part of a predetermined plan for their lives.

Elise becomes the central figure in the politician’s fight against the powerful forces controlling their destinies. Despite being repeatedly separated by the agents of the Bureau, their connection remains strong. The film follows their struggle as they defy fate itself, with Elise’s career as a dancer and her relationship with the politician hanging in the balance.

‘The Young Victoria’ (2009)

Emily Blunt takes on the lead role of Queen Victoria in this historical drama that focuses on her early years as a monarch. The film chronicles her ascension to the British throne at the age of 18 and the political turmoil that surrounded her reign. It also delves into the power struggles she faced within the royal court and her own family as different factions vied for influence over the young queen.

A central part of the story is her passionate and enduring romance with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The film explores how their relationship developed from a politically arranged match into a deep and loving partnership that provided her with the support she needed to rule effectively. Blunt’s portrayal captures Victoria’s strength, determination, and vulnerability as she navigates the complexities of her role as both a queen and a young woman in love.

‘A Quiet Place Part II’ (2020)

Reprising her role as Evelyn Abbott, Emily Blunt continues to fight for her family’s survival in a world overrun by deadly creatures that hunt by sound. Following the events of the first film, the remaining members of the Abbott family are forced to venture into the unknown. They quickly discover that the creatures they’ve been hiding from are not the only threats that lurk beyond their ravaged home.

Evelyn must lead her children, including her newborn baby, through a perilous landscape in search of other survivors and a new place to call home. She is driven by a fierce determination to protect her children and find a way to fight back against the monsters. The film expands the world, showing more of the societal collapse and introducing new characters who have found different ways to survive.

‘Looper’ (2012)

In this science-fiction action film, Emily Blunt plays Sara, a tough and resourceful single mother living on a remote farm. The story is set in a future where time travel exists but is illegal, used only by criminal organizations to send targets back in time to be eliminated by assassins called loopers. One such looper’s life is turned upside down when his future self is sent back as his target.

Sara’s farm becomes a crucial location when the looper seeks refuge there. She is fiercely protective of her young son, who possesses powerful telekinetic abilities that make him a target. Sara finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict that spans decades, and she must decide who to trust to ensure her son’s safety from forces that see him as a threat to the future.

‘A Quiet Place’ (2018)

Emily Blunt stars as Evelyn Abbott, a mother trying to protect her family in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by blind creatures with an acute sense of hearing. The family must live in near-total silence to avoid being hunted. They communicate using sign language and have developed intricate, soundless routines to survive their daily lives on their secluded farm.

Evelyn’s character faces the immense challenge of keeping her children safe while also being pregnant and preparing for the birth of a new baby. The film builds tension around the dangers of making any sound, from a creaky floorboard to a scream of pain. Her strength and resilience are central to the family’s fight for survival against the constant threat that surrounds them.

‘Sicario’ (2015)

In this intense action-thriller, Emily Blunt plays Kate Macer, an idealistic FBI agent who is enlisted to join a top-secret government task force. Her team is assigned to take down a powerful and ruthless leader of a Mexican drug cartel. As she is drawn deeper into the covert operation, Kate finds herself in a morally ambiguous world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred.

Kate’s by-the-book approach clashes with the unorthodox and often brutal methods of her new colleagues, particularly a mysterious operative with a dark past. She is forced to question everything she believes in as she witnesses the grim realities of the war on drugs. The film explores her struggle to maintain her principles in a world that operates outside the law.

‘The Wind Rises’ (2013)

In the English-language version of this animated historical drama, Emily Blunt provides the voice for the character Nahoko Satomi. The film is a fictionalized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed the Mitsubishi A5M fighter aircraft, which was used by the Empire of Japan during World War II. The story follows his lifelong passion for aviation and his journey to becoming a renowned aircraft designer.

Nahoko is a beautiful and kind young woman who Jiro meets during a train journey that is interrupted by a massive earthquake. They cross paths again years later, and a gentle romance blossoms between them. Their relationship provides a source of inspiration and comfort for Jiro as he navigates the professional and ethical challenges of designing warplanes.

‘Edge of Tomorrow’ (2014)

Emily Blunt stars as Sergeant Rita Vrataski, a celebrated war hero known as the “Angel of Verdun,” in this science-fiction action film. The story is set in a future where most of Europe has been invaded by an alien race. Rita is a highly skilled and formidable soldier who becomes a symbol of hope for humanity’s resistance. She is instrumental in training an inexperienced public relations officer who finds himself caught in a time loop.

Rita was once trapped in a similar time loop herself, which allowed her to become an expert in fighting the alien invaders. She guides the officer, teaching him how to use the loop to his advantage to learn the enemy’s weaknesses and find a way to win the war. Her character is tough, determined, and a central figure in the fight to save the world from an overwhelming extraterrestrial threat.

‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)

In this biographical thriller, Emily Blunt portrays Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer, the wife of the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. The film chronicles her husband’s pivotal role in the Manhattan Project, the top-secret undertaking during World War II that developed the first atomic bomb. The story explores the immense pressure, moral dilemmas, and political intrigue surrounding the creation of the world-changing weapon.

Kitty’s character is a complex figure, a biologist and botanist who struggles with her husband’s intense focus on his work and the immense secrecy surrounding it. She is shown to be a fiercely intelligent and loyal partner who supports him through the project’s development and the subsequent political fallout. The film delves into their turbulent relationship and her personal battles while standing by one of history’s most consequential figures.

Let us know which Emily Blunt role is your favorite in the comments below.