Emily Blunt tells airbrushers not to make her thinner

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I know some of you don’t really give a crap about Emily Blunt, but I like her and I think she’s one of most talented young actresses out there. Even though she didn’t end up getting an Oscar nomination for her lead role in The Young Victoria (in which she played the young Queen Victoria, obviously), Blunt’s career is still going full steam ahead. Next up for her is Wolfman, where she plays the girlfriend (I think) of Benicio del Toro’s wolf-y character. Blunt was profiled in the LA Times Magazine (these are those photos) this week, and she professes that she tells “the airbrusher” not to make her any thinner for photo shoots:

Gossip reporters are often complaining that there are disappointingly few paparazzi shots of you doing anything naughty. Is there an art to staying off the tabloid radar?
People are like, “We want to see her fall on her face not wearing underwear.” That sounds just awful. They can clamor for those pictures, but I am determined not to reveal any of that. I did manage to smash the front of my Prius the other day. I hit a curb.

Did the paps nail you?
I don’t think so. But they are sneaky. They will get you when you least want to be gotten.

During shooting for The Devil Wears Prada, you had a habit of showing up on set whether you had a call time on that day or not. Is directing in your future?
It was my first really big feature. To see things move like a well-oiled machine is so interesting. But I was lonely as well. I knew no one [in the area] apart from people on the set—and it was a riot. I was in heaven every day working on that movie.

I found a headline from that year. I’ll read it, and you give me your reaction: “Devil Wears Prada Forced Emily Blunt to Emaciate Herself.” Yeah, that’s another story I thought got blown out of proportion. With Hollywood, you say one thing, and that’s what can happen. I was definitely encouraged to lose weight—not because I was overweight but because I was playing a character who was edge-of-ill thin. She literally doesn’t eat. I couldn’t turn up with love handles, but it wasn’t like doughnuts were snatched out of my hand.

You admire the Denches and Mirrens, of course, but you really desire to be like Cate Blanchett. Why?
Well, I want to do my own thing and not emulate anyone else, but I am fully admiring of what Cate has done. She is so compelling to watch, so chameleon-like, that she is able to lose herself in any part. And there is no vanity—not a shred of self- consciousness. There are people out there who make really brave choices. That’s why I singled out Cate. That’s also why I like Benicio Del Toro and the choices he has made.

Is he the main reason you signed on for The Wolfman?
Yeah, Benicio and Anthony Hopkins. Those two guys are top of my list—favorite actors, favorite performances. When I heard they were both doing it, it was a double-whammy of intrigue. I knew it was a commercial script, and I knew exactly what I was getting into. I actually liked the script. Sometimes it’s not only about the story, the character, the director. It is often about who I am working with. You really are only as good as your costars.

I heard you once instructed a photographer not to airbrush you—that can’t be right, can it?
I told him not to make me thinner. I hate when your legs are three times the length they actually are. I heard they could raise your nipples if you have a slightly see-through top, lift your bum—they can do everything. I can understand there are things like shadows they need to fix after a shoot, but it’s unfair to represent an image of yourself if it’s not true. They’re gonna see what you look like on film anyway, so why try to cover all your wobbly bits in a photo?

[From The Los Angeles Times]

She comes across as very down-to earth, doesn’t she? Also, she has that sort of stereotypical (but still charming) English sensibility of “I don’t take myself too seriously, and neither should you.” I love what she says about her “wobbly bits” although I think she has a very healthy, lean figure. Sure, she’s slender, but she looks like a girl who eats and drinks beer and will fight you for the last onion ring. Which is nice!

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Photos courtesy of the Los Angeles Times Magazine.

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41 Responses to “Emily Blunt tells airbrushers not to make her thinner”

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  1. bite me says:

    whats up with the fourth picture

  2. Sumodo1 says:

    What are these faces she’s making. They’re going to give me nightmares.

  3. Ruby Red Lips says:

    I love the pics!

  4. Kolby says:

    Look at those perky pre-baby boobs. Color me jealous.

  5. Dorothy says:

    Those are some really odd pictures, very artistic I guess.

    I think she is very pretty and I would rather watch her over say Clair Danes any day!!!!

  6. Feebee says:

    Thankfully it’s the likes of the Emily Blunts in the world that saves us from being overrun by the Jessica Biels of the world. She sounds like a proper person not in need of an attitude adjustment.

    Excessive photoshopping needs to fall under False Advertising (see latest Madonna and Demi Moore campaigns for ‘pro’ arguments).

  7. RhymesWithSilver says:

    This whole photo shoot looks like fluorescent beige death.

  8. wif says:

    The photo shoot is horrible.

  9. heb says:

    I love her, and Young Victoria was a good movie, I don’t think Oscar worthy though, it ended pretty abruptly

  10. Huma says:

    I don’t mind her at all. She’s not the most interesting person out there, but that’s better than being a crazy! 😛

    And mad kudos to her for insisting on them not digitally slimming her down. That shows confidence and that she’s secure and comfortable with her looks and body. What a great stance to take. Love it.

  11. Obvious says:

    Not digging the shoot, which is a shame because Emily is gorgeous and talented.

  12. gloaming says:

    She looks really creepy in most of these pics.

  13. Nicole says:

    I loved her in Devil Wears Prada, but have yet to see her in anything else. She’s so stunning and beautiful! Just from reading a few of her interviews, she sounds like a very cool and funny person. Very down to earth too. I look forward to seeing more of her in the future. She’s a talented young woman and I think she’ll be big.

  14. Goosie says:

    LOVE her! I love to look at her face. I first saw her in The Jane Austen Book Club and couldn’t take my eyes off of her when she was on screen. Heart!

  15. Strawberry says:

    I loved her and Amy Adams in Sunshine Cleaning. Nobody saw that movie but I loved it! She does an American accent like nobody’s business..

  16. Peanut says:

    She doesn’t really look like she’d fight for the last onion ring. 😉

    I do like her, though. And I loved The Devil Wears Prada!! 😀

  17. javelin says:

    those photos are breathtaking! so odd yet daring. Emily Blunt definitely has some Meryl spark in her.

  18. hatsumomo says:

    The pics are certainly odd, but I cant imagine her doing some ‘normal’ until I actually see it. I think she’s a pretty cool actress, and me and my man will more than likely see the wolfman this weekend.

  19. Tia C says:

    I don’t think she looks like she’d fight for the last onion ring, either, lol, but she is sexy and beautiful. She has always been excellent in everything I’ve seen her in. She seems to pick interesting projects as well. And Strawberry, I saw Sunshine Cleaning! Recommend to all – slice of life/drama/comedy – all around good movie. This photo shoot is kind of meh. Looking forward to seeing more of her!

  20. Novaraen says:

    Oh…no digital slimming?? Because she needs it right?…lol…the girl is already a waif.

  21. Alarmjaguar says:

    @ Strawberry — I loved it, thought the acting was incredible (and it was filmed in my hometown, woot Albuquerque), but was surprised that many people didn’t.

  22. fizXgirl314 says:

    where would they even take off anything? she’s super thin…

    I think she looks like a young Isabella Rossellini…

  23. Ling says:

    Does she? Does she look like she would fight you for the last onion ring?
    The answer is, no. She does not. Girl is tiny. Which is fine, but let’s not pretend she looks like the girl on the street.

  24. EMV says:

    She’s cute…

  25. denise says:

    she was in a movie about about a month ago on lifetime, where they get stuck in the snow in a car in the middle of nowhere, her and guy from college i believe. it was a thriller/scary type film. very good in my opinion. anyone remember the name of it??

  26. funnygirl says:

    She is awesome in Sunshine Cleaners…she’s one of my favs

  27. Hm says:

    No, this is not a beer-drinkin’, onion-ring-fightin’ gal. I think even “healthy” is an underhanded compliment in celebrityland. EB is obviously very slim, but seems sensible and self-confident enough not to starve herself.

  28. lucy2 says:

    I like her, but I don’t like those photos.
    I saw Sunshine Cleaning too, I thought it was good!

  29. Maritza says:

    These photos did her no favors, she is much prettier than this. Awful pictures!

  30. Emily says:

    What the fuck were they thinking with these photos? She looks ill-like, a week from losing hair from chemo ill. I hate it when photographers fug up someone who I normally find really pretty.

  31. orion70 says:

    @ Strawberry etc..I saw Sunshine Cleaning too, and loved it. I tried to check it out when it was on the film festival circuit but missed it, only got around to seeing it on video. But I do kind of get your “no one else has seen it”….it wasn’t one of the big releases, and some of my friends likely wouldn’t even know what I was talking about if I mentioned it.

    I doubt she has any wobbly bits yet, although most if not all women have the bits they don’t like so much.

    I don’t get why she is propped up on crutches …..

  32. archiepelago says:

    I think they got the wrong memo. Hers said “Please make sure you don’t make me look like rigor mortis has set in”. Heads will roll for this!

  33. Ana says:

    I love, love, love her!

  34. Kelly says:

    I don’t love her, I think she’s smugness embodied, and her performance in TYE was dullness itself. Like these awful fucking pictures.

    She is static, cheek-clenching whitebread. There, I’ve said it.

  35. ashley says:

    i loved sunshine cleaning, and imagine my suprise when i found it at best buy this week for only 4.99

  36. NicoleAM says:

    Before The Devil Wears Prada, I saw her in My Summer of Love (pretty sure I got the title right), and she was great. I didn’t know any of the actors in the movie, it was just on cable one day and I ended up watching it. Worth seeing!

  37. canadianchick says:

    I like her, she stole the show in Sunshine Cleaning, not whitebread at all-glad she kicked Michael Buble to the curb.

  38. Meimei says:

    Actually… I think she does look like “the girl on the street” around here in the cold Nordic wasteland.

    Pity about the styling, though.

  39. Jessica says:

    She is already thin??? WTH??

  40. Maria says:

    I’m watching Sunshine Cleaning right now, and it is reminding me of what a great actress she is. She can play so many different and diverse characters, I believe she is amazing!! She has a non-broken American accent in this movie, yet she is English born, with a pure English accent! She is amazing to watch!