Emily Blunt says ‘Devil Wears Prada’ opened doors for her

British actress Emily Blunt was finally seen as more than a “British period drama girl” after her role in The Devil Wears Prada.

In the interview, published by Elle on Wednesday, November 12, Blunt revealed how her role as Emily Charlton impacted her career and opened doors for her.

“It did leave the door open for people to see me as more than a British period drama girl,” she said. “It paved the way for character roles, which is all I wanted.”

The versatile actress said she didn’t want to be an “ingenue” and was eager to work on different techniques and tricks as an actor. Therefore, The Devil Wears Prada played a pivotal role in her career.

Blunt also shared that she finds it “terribly moving” to return to 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada now with a sequel, nearly 20 years later.

“Because it changed everything,” she claimed. “David Frankel [the director] changed my life by casting me when I was an unknown.”

Despite working as a multi-skilled actress, Blunt said she wasn’t seen beyond a corseted British drama actress, and no one knew who she was.

But she said the director, Frankel, “was so sure that he wanted me in the movie, from a taped reading. That meant a huge amount to me.”

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is coming in theaters on May 1, 2026

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