Emily Blunt: 'Overcoming my stutter paved the way for my adult life'

Actress Emily Blunt's hatred of bullies comes from being teased about her stutter when she was a child.

The 33-year-old star has overcome her speech impediment to become one of Hollywood's most talked about actresses, with her latest role in The Girl on the Train looking set to solidify her star status.

But as she grew up, Emily's struggles with her stutter led to her being the target of many cruel remarks from her peers - something which has dramatically affected the way she looks at the world today.

“I think whatever you have to overcome in life ultimately paves the way (for who you become as an adult),” she told InStyle magazine. "I got teased a lot, and to this day, I hate unkindness in people and bullies."

Emily has turned her life around since then, and is now an advocate for the American Institute for Stuttering’s annual gala. However, if she's feeling tired or run down, there are certain words that can still prove challenging for her to say - her name in particular.

“Names are always tricky because you can’t substitute a different word and there’s so much pressure attached to it," she explained. "Even nowadays, when I’m tired or I feel put on the spot, I still sometimes struggle to get the words out. When I make a phone call - especially if I’m calling someone I don’t know - I have to mentally prepare myself. There’s always a big pause between when they ask ‘Who’s calling?’ and when I say ‘Emily Blunt.’”

Emily and her husband John Krasinski recently welcomed daughter Violet, their second child, into the world. While they are already parents to two-year-old Hazel, the reality of having another child was something the actress was entirely unprepared for.

“It’s a zoo!” Emily laughed of her family life. “When there was just one kid, somebody would get to sit down. Now nobody gets a break. But John is the most unbelievable daddy. He prioritises Hazel so she doesn’t miss me too much because I’ve been so consumed with the baby.”