Emily Blunt is one of the most celebrated and beloved figures in Hollywood, an actress with an array of awards and nominations to her name.
She first came to global attention in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ in 2006, the role that really made her a star. But that breakthrough moment also led to one of the darker experiences of her acting career.
In an interview with David Stern, Blunt revealed that her decision to take the part of Emily Chorlton in that comedy film directly led to her being enlisted by 20th Century Fox for another, less successful title.
Blunt explained: “I actually do want to clean up the story on ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. I was contracted to do ‘Gulliver’s Travels,’ I did not want to do ‘Gulliver’s Travels’.
“It was a bit of a heart-breaker for me, because I take such pride in the decisions that I make and they mean so much to me, the films that I do.”
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“They kind of have a bit of a hold over you, because there were other movies that I really wanted to do… At some point, it just become evident that I needed to get rid of this optional picture deal because it was hanging over me for a long time, and I didn’t want that.
Stern then explained to the audience that Blunt had signed a deal as part of her contract to work on ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ which tied her to the studio on an “optional picture deal”. In ‘Gulliver’s Travels she plays Princess Mary, alongside co-star Jack Black.
Blunt continued: “I don’t think anyone expected for the hand to be forced, I think you kind of hope that it isn’t. But I care deeply, very much, about the choices that I make.”
Making the ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ experience even tougher, taking the role meant that missing out on a major opportunity. She was offered the role of Black Widow in ‘Iron Man 2’, but was busy with ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ and could not fit it into her schedule. Instead, Scarlett Johansson took the role.
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