INTO THE WOODS' Emily Blunt Reveals Childhood Stutter Led Her to Acting

Emily Blunt, who will soon be seen as 'The Baker's Wife' in the highly anticipated big screen adaptation of INTO THE WOODS, took part in a new NPR series titled "My Big Break, All Things Considered", which gathers stories of triumph, big and small.

During the interview, the 'Devil Wears Prada' star revealed that she grew up with a severe stutter. "It sort of started to dominate my speech by the time I was about 7 or 8," shared the actress, "and then I think, honestly, got to its most prominent point when I was about 12 or 13."

She went on to reveal that she was so embarrassed by her speech impediment that she rarely spoke at all. "Kids can be so merciless, can't they? Most of them speak so fluently and they can't possibly understand why you can't," she says.

Later in the chat, Blunt says that if it wasn't for her childhood stutter, she probably never would have GONE on to a career in acting. "I think I get a little bit overwhelmed if I think about the odds of this not working out," she says. "I'm someone who never thought I would end up in a career where I had to speak fluently. And here I am."

Listen to the NPR interview in full below:

INTO THE WOODS, hitting theaters on December 25th, is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests.

This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy) - all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them. Rob Marshall, the talented filmmaker behind the Academy Award-winning musical "Chicago" and Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: OnStranger Tides," helms the film, which is based on the Tony-winning original musical by James Lapine, who also penned the screenplay, and legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, who provides the music and lyrics.

Source: NPR.org

Photo: Facebook/INTO THE WOODS