Best Emily Blunt Performances: ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ ‘Into the Woods’ and More

Emily Blunt’s first Oscar nomination is for the type of role the actress doesn’t usually play. Over the course of her career, the London-born actress has played badass action heroes, musical heroines, and even delightfully helpful comic parts. But in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” Blunt goes into a completely different mode to play a boring and humorless long-suffering wife. It is an unmistakable change; But, given her versatility, a predictably excellent one.

Born in London to a former actress and barrister, Blunt studied acting at boarding school and began her professional career at the age of 18, when she made her debut in the West End production of the play “The Royal Family”. In 2003 she transitioned to screen acting with the British miniseries “Boudica” and “Henry VIII”, before making her theatrical film debut in 2004 as a haughty, haughty rich girl in the independent drama “My Summer of Love”.

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2006 was his breakout year; She won a Golden Globe for her performance in the BBC drama “Gideon’s Daughter”, opposite Bill Nighy. And, in the acclaimed comedy “The Devil Wears Prada,” she arguably stole the show from established stars Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, playing the comedic role of a sharp-tongued, materialistic and rude fashion assistant. She got all the best lines in the film, and her work made the minor part a launchpad for an A-list career.

Since her breakout in “The Devil Wears Prada,” Blunt has been a presence in blockbusters and dramas alike, and has shown impressive interest in a variety of genres and parts. She has made for a badass and multifaceted action star in several films including “Edge of Tomorrow” and “Sicario.” Working with her husband John Krasinski, she created the incredible Scream Queen in the “A Quiet Place” series of horror thrillers. Although she lacks formal musical theater experience, she has proven to be charming in movie musicals such as “Into the Woods” and “Mary Poppins Returns”. Blunt has a stinker on her resume — the Disney adventure “Jungle Cruise,” the bleak romantic drama “Wild Mountain Thyme” — but she’s never been wrong in movies. Her versatility helps her fit any style like a glove, and the results are usually terrific.

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In celebration of Blunt’s first Oscar nomination, IndieWire decided to revisit her 20-plus years in the spotlight to see which performances stand out as the best. In choosing the films, we based our ranking on the strength of Blunt’s work, rather than the overall quality of the movie. With that said, read on for Indiewire’s list of Emily Blunt’s 10 best film performances.

With editorial contributions by Kate Erbland and Alison Foreman.

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