'The Devil Wears Prada' Star Emily Blunt: How I Beat My Stutter

By PopEater Staff Posted Jun 7th 2010 09:30PM

It's hard to imagine Emily Blunt having a hard time talking-or yelling for that matter. After watching her insult and verbally abuse Anne Hathaway's character in 'The Devil Wears Prada,' it's hard to imagine her struggling at all. But the actress reveals to The Daily Beast that beginning at age 10 she suffered from a debilitating stutter.

"I remember that when it first started to kick in, I thought it was a habit," she tells The Daily Beast, "but when it really starts to ingrain itself upon you, it becomes an anguished situation to live your life in, especially when you're a kid, when you're only trying to appear very cool. I was definitely not cool."

And when Blunt was 12, her stuttering got even worse and she just stopped talking. She remembers thinking, "Why am I like this? Why have I got this stupid voice problem? Everyone else can talk, what's my problem?"

After unsuccessfully trying several different methods and therapies to solve her stutter, it was acting that ultimately helped her. A teacher suggested she act in the school play. When she tried to say no, he recommended she try speaking with an accent-and thus began her journey to overcome stuttering.

She recalls performing: "I did [the role] in a Northern English accent, which is very different from how I speak, although it was probably a terrible Northern English accent since I was so young at the time but it was somehow liberating. I wouldn't say that I ceased to stutter after that, that it was some huge revelation. But for the first time in five years I was able to speak fluently-and in front of 200 people."

Earlier tonight, the actress emceed the "Freeing Voices Changing Lives" gala to benefit the American Institute for Stuttering.

Tags: Emily Blunt

Comments

(17)

Monday 07 June

By Lee

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I'm a newer fan of Emily Blunt, and I saw The Devil Wears Prada when it came out years ago, but I don't remember her being in it. I may have to rent it soon!

By Kathryn

She is using a the opposite side of her brain when performing "arts", not the language side, which in turn would eliminate her stutter. Acting did not "cure" her dysfluency, it masked it.

Wednesday 09 June

By Z

Thank you, Doctor.

By WHITEROSE

It has recently been discovered that stuttering is an inherited neurological disorder- something stutterers and their families have been telling the medical establishment for years.

It would be interestng to see if her family members stutter, also.

By Shanna

She said in her speech at the benefit last year that she has an uncle, cousin, and grandpa who also suffer(ed) from stuttering.

Shanna- Thanks for mentioning that- it validates the info I gave.

There are tens of MILLIONS people in the U.S. that stutter- it's nothing to be ashamed of.

I stuttered as a child into adulthood- it's better now- women don't have it as much as men, but still.
My dad, uncle, grandfather, brother and now my son has it.

Hopefully, one day, there will be a magic pill- but until then- DON'T let it define who you are.

If that's the worst thing that ever happens to you- consider yourself lucky.

Tuesday 08 June

By isaac

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My fellow Stutterers, the fact remains that Emily Blunt says that she is at peace with herself and her speech! Contrary to what we've been told, her method has helped her when all reason would indicate that speaking in accents is a novel stimulus which would wear off after a while. I saw the movie and I noticed nothing. Listen to Dr. Charles Krauthammer on Fox and you'll hear a stutterer managing his stutter.

By Rob

I am a stutterer and for those of you with the condition I would suggest a device called the "SpeechEasy" (google this). It's a fluency device that fits in the ear like a small hearing aid. It plays back your voice a few milliseconds behind in a process called "delayed auditory response". Just as a stutterer doesn't trip up when saying something in unison with a group, this device has the same action. It actually sounds like a mic with feedback and the settings can be calibrated for the individual. But for me, much like Emily Blunt, I don't stutter when public speaking. My high school experience in leadership functions cured me for such forums, but the phone and personal conversations can be rough. Fatigue is also a huge trigger.

By Jenny Roberts

I believe that Emily Blunt is the Best Actress to hit Hollywood by storm in a long time.. She is Fantastic at every role she takes on.. Even when the movie is lacking, she is golden in her performance. She will be around for a very long time. Stutter or No stutter.. She is Brilliant..

By bilme134

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HELL, I STUTTERED FOR SO MANY YEARS I GOT TIRED OF IT, SO I GAVE IT UP, FROM NOW ON I AM GOING TO "LISP"

By BILME134

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TO ALL THE CLOWNS WHO THINK STUTTERING IS INHERITED ARE STILL PLAYING WITH THEMSELVES. IT HAPPENS DUE TO CHILD SPEECH DEVELOPMENT ATTENTION,AND STUPID PARENTS.

By arthur lee davis

UNINFORMED PARENTS IN MANY CASES . STUPID DOES NOT OR SHOULD NOT APPLY TO MOST PARENTS, IN THAT MOST OF US, LOVE OUR CHILDREN, MEANING GIVEN THE RIGHT TOOLS, WE TRY TO PROPEL OUR CHILDREN TO EVEN GREATER HEIGHTS, THAN THOUGHT POSSIBLE, FOR OURSELVES .

By suse

somebody mentioned . . . men more than women, i don't think i've ever met a woman that stutters -- i remember kids growing up, and i know one adult that suffers. i don't know what to do -- i just wait, but sometimes, i finish it first, hmmmm, i try . . . what is the PC way to handle this??

By jimmy jo bob

Stuttering has been going on possibly since Adam & Eve.
James Earl Jone, Michaelangelo, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein all stuttered at some point in thier lives

By Nique

For the person who said stuttering is not inherited by families and is caused by poor speech development/bad parenting is wrong. I have stuttered since I was a very young child .. my older sister stutters, along with three other relatives including my uncle. I underwent speech therapy and did everything possible to try to reduce or eliminate my speech disability. Now that I am in my 20s, my stuttering has reduced because I have found ways to cope and speak differently. Stuttering is very hard to deal with, but you just have to try your hardest and stay strong! You just can't let rude remarks regarding stuttering from others get to you...

By Momma

I think those who write for a living should use proper English. The title should say actress's stutter, not actress' stutter.

By klee6303

I stuttered as a child, as did my brother; both grew out of it for the most part. My paternal aunt, who is now if her fifties stutters on the majority of the words that she speaks. As fate would have it, my boyfriend, who happens to be a teacher, stutters. NOTE: stuttering is not an effect of bad parenting, stuttering does not define ones intellectual abilities, stuttering is not necessarily caused by speaking to fast or being nervous, so there's no need tell stutterers to "slow down" or "calm down"

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