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Emily Blunt and Jason Segel seem like an odd pairing to us, but since we love them both, we are eager to see their film The Five Year Engagement this weekend. Emily wows us every time she’s onscreen — even in flops like The Adjustment Bureau — and our anticipation of her performance in The Five Year Engagement got us wondering just how and when the talented young starlet began her career as an actress. Here is what we discovered about Ms. Blunt’s background:

Emily Blunt was born in Roehampton, London, in 1983. Fun fact: Roehampton is also famous for being the hometown of William Harvey, who discovered the principles of blood circulation. Woo hoo!
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Emily’s mother, Joanna, is a former actress. Her father is a famous lawyer, who once defended mass murderer Peter Tobin. Emily grew up with three siblings, one of whom is now engaged to actor Stanley Tucci.
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As a student at Ibstock Place School, rumor has it she stuttered until the age of 8. At that time, one of her teachers asked her to speak in an accent and, after doing so, Emily lost her stutter.
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At 16, Emily went off to attend Hurtwood House, a boarding school known for its performing arts program. In 2000, she was chosen to perform at The Edinburgh Festival, and it was there that she was signed by an agent. He quickly managed to get her onto British television. Then, in 2001, she joined Dame Judi Dench in a stage production of The Royal Family and was awarded for her efforts the title of “Best Newcomer.”
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In 2004, Emily took on the role of Tamsin in the film My Summer of Love and received high praise for the performance. In fact, she and co-star Natalie Press shared the Evening Standard Film Award for “Most Promising Newcomer.”
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The following year, Blunt starred opposite Bill Nighy in the British television drama Gideon’s Daughter. For her performance, Emily was awarded a Golden Globe.
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Emily didn’t truly achieve worldwide fame, however, until her film The Devil Wears Prada was released in 2006. For her supporting performance, she was named “Best Female Scene-Stealer” by Entertainment Weekly.
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Since The Devil Wears Prada, Emily’s been a steady fixture on the red carpet. She moves easily between commercial and independent films, and just as easily between drama and comedy. Here she is in a clip from The Five Year Engagement:
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It’s clear that Emily was born talented, but it’s not surprising that she’s also been training at her craft since she was quite young. In fact, she can attribute her success today to that earliest acting teacher, who asked for an accent and eradicated a stutter.
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Are you a fan of Emily’s? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!