Emily Blunt got a shocking pep talk of sorts on the set of her first action movie. In 2014, she starred with Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow, a sci-fi movie about soldiers who are stuck in a time loop while fighting an alien invasion. The movie was a big success and led to more action roles for Blunt, but filming didn't get off to a smooth start for the actor and she ended up crying in front of her co-star. As she tells it, Cruise's response was harsh—but actually helped. Read on to find out what happened.
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Blunt had to wear an 85-pound costume.
Warner Bros. PicturesIn a new interview on the podcast SmartLess, Blunt talked about her experience making Edge of Tomorrow and the concern she felt when she first put on one of her costumes.
“We had to wear these enormous robotic suits, which I think would’ve been great if they could have CGI’d them, but we wanted to do it practically and in a tactile way," Blunt explained. "And, you know, when you hear the word ‘tactile,’ you’re like, that that sounds nice and cozy. Like, there was nothing cozy about wearing these suits. Mine was like 85 pounds. It was so heavy."
Blunt added that her stunt double was a man, because the suit was so heavy. "I was like, that should tell you something that you can’t find a girl to want to do it," she explained.
She cried about it in front of Cruise.
David M. Benett/WireImage via Getty ImagesBecause the suit was so heavy, Blunt panicked when she felt its weight and realized she'd have to act in it.
"The first time I put it on I just started to cry," she continued. "Just started to cry in front of Tom, and he didn’t know what to do, and he just stared at me and was like, 'I know. I know.' And I was like, 'Tom, I’m not sure how I’m going to get through this shoot,' and I started to cry. I was like, 'I’m just feeling a bit panicky about the whole shoot.'"
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Cruise didn't have much sympathy, Blunt said.
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesAfter not responding at first, Blunt said that Cruise "stared at [her] for a long time, not knowing what to do, and he goes, ‘Come on, stop being such a [p-word], okay?'" Rather than being upset at his comment, she found it funny and actually helpful.
"And I did laugh and then we got through it, but the training was intense," she added.
Best Life has reached out to a rep for Cruise for comment.
She still has an injury from working on their movie.
Filming Edge of Tomorrow was tough on its stars physically—Blunt said that she still has "this injury that sustains from it" that affects her ribs and collarbone. She also told a story on Conan about doing stunt driving with Cruise as the passenger and hitting a tree.
When Blunt and Cruise appeared on The Graham Norton Show in 2014, she recalled a scene in which they were suspended by harnesses and wearing their heavy costumes. While they were swinging around and waiting for the scene to start filming, Blunt said she looked over at Cruise and saw his energy flag. "That insatiable positivity, I can just see it just starting to unravel," she said. "And he was pouring with sweat. I remember looking at him, and he was like, 'Guys, please, please roll. Please roll.'"
She said she told him, "This sucks," and he took a deep breath and responded, "It's a challenge."
"I went, 'Tom, it sucks,' she continued. "I got an, 'Okay, fine.'"
