February 23: Actress & “singer,” Emily Blunt is 30-years-old today.

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Emily Olivia Leah Blunt was born in Roehampton, East Sussex, England. She is the second of four children born to Joanna, a teacher and former actress, and barrister Oliver Simon Peter Blunt, QC, one of the highest-profile barristers in the United Kingdom.

Blunt attended Ibstock Place School and, at the age of 16, went to Hurtwood House, a private sixth-form college known for its performing arts programme.

Blunt made her professional debut in The Royal Family, a play opposite Judi Dench in Sir Peter Hall's production. Hailed by critics for her performance, she was named "Best Newcomer" by The Evening Standard. She went on to perform as Eugenie in Nicholas Wright's Vincent in Brixton at the National Theatre, and as Juliet in Indhu Rubasingham's production of Romeo and Juliet at Chichester Festival Theatre, both in 2002.

In 2003, Blunt made her screen debut in the British television drama Boudica, about the life of the ancient Celtic warrior-queen who fought the Romans. In 2004, Blunt delivered her breakout performance as Tamsin in the dark British film, My Summer of Love, a story of deception and lesbian love in the English countryside. She shared an Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer with co-star Natalie Press.

In 2005, Blunt co-starred with Bill Nighy and Miranda Richardson in the British television drama Gideon's Daughter, in which she played the troubled only child of New Labour spin doctor Gideon Warner, played by Nighy. Blunt won a Golden Globe for her performance and sang in the film.

In 2006, Blunt appeared opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in the box-office success The Devil Wears Prada. That same year, Blunt co-starred with Susan Sarandon in the independent drama Irresistible. In 2007, Blunt appeared in four films: Wind Chill, The Jane Austen Book Club, Dan in Real Life, and Charlie Wilson's War.

In 2008, Blunt appeared in two films, Sunshine Cleaning, and The Great Buck Howard. In 2009, Blunt played Queen Victoria in The Young Victoria, and also starred in the short film Curiosity. She was director Jon Favreau's first choice to play the Black Widow in Iron Man 2 but scheduling conflicts with Gulliver's Travels forced her to cede the role to Scarlett Johansson.

In 2010, Blunt co-starred with Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins in The Wolfman, in Gulliver's Travels and in The Adjustment Bureau, alongside Matt Damon, as a ballet dancer "being mysteriously kept apart" from Damon's character. Blunt was offered the female lead in Captain America: The First Avenger but turned it down.

Blunt starred in the 2011 British comedy film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. She starred in the 2012 films The Five-Year Engagement - co-starring Alison Brie -  and Looper.

In 2013, she is set to star alongside Tom Cruise in the film adaptation of the Japanese novel, All You Need Is Kill and in, Golf Pro with Colin Firth.

From the ages of 7 to 14, Blunt struggled with stuttering. She credits a school teacher for helping her overcome the stutter through acting. She now sits on the Board of Directors for the American Institute for Stuttering. After a three-year relationship with Canadian singer Michael Bublé, in November 2008, Blunt began dating American actor John Krasinski. The couple married on July 10, 2010 in Como, Italy.

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For more about Emily, visit her fan club Website at -
 
http://emilybluntfans.com/

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