justiee. There‘s a hig inui'ne} linin )nung. \tllhhtll‘li teenager tn a magnetie queen \ei'} inueh in ennnnand nl hersell. \Vhen _\nu shout scenes nut nt' nrdei'. it's triek} tn maintain that eharaetei‘ are. Btit I'in In\ing her. I‘d read a Int about her. and ennti'ai'} tn pnpulai' heliel'. \xhen she “as )nungei‘ she \\a\ leist} and einntinnal. an intelligent. \ ihi‘ant pele. I’enple mistake her Mr this uidnxx ed. innui'ning queen. \n it'\ exeiting that \xe'i'e gning tn i'elt'exh penple'x npininn.‘
\'ietnr'ia might he Blunt's lii‘xt leading i‘nle. hut it unultl he misleading in think nl her as a neueninei‘. She started aeting at l2. initiall} tn get (H et‘ a debilitating \ttlttei'. 'I enttldnit talk ax a kid. \n I \‘ttitlltl just \tateh'. \he nnee e\p|ained. 'l ln\ed heing ahle tn inni'ph intn dittei'ent eharaetei'xf She made her pi'nlexxinnal dehut age l7 in 3000 at the Iidinhur'gh I-i'inge in the ltllhlL‘ttI Ill/”xx. and the l‘nllnuing _\eai‘ appeared tipptMIIL' .Ittdi I)eneli in Sit“ I’etel' IIaIlix prnduetinn iii The Rural I'iuni/t' in I.nndnn. l'nt‘ \\‘IlIL'Il the Ii\ening Standard auai'ded Blunt the Ill’\l nl' ltlilli_V hext neneniner aeenlades. 'I'hen eaine My Summer of /.rlt'('. 'Ilit' llt't'i/ IIt'rl/‘x l’i‘rtr/u and that (inlden (ilnhe and people started thinking. nnt entirely \Vltlltltll justilieatinn. Blunt was the neu Kate Winslet.
Despite having \Hll‘le‘tI pi‘nlessinnall} l'ni' ahnnst a deeade. Blunt leels that she’s had laine thrust upnn her. ‘It \tlt‘t nl tell intn in} lapf \he said i'eeentl)‘. 'lt's an axil'ul \tnr} l'ni' penple \t'hn’Ve struggled and nailed. It “as ineredihl) t'nttunate. I ean‘t believe I \\;l\ \n easttal ahnut it. heeause I i‘eall} \tnuldn't \Hltll tn dn ainthing CI\C.'
'I'hi‘uxt intn the limelight. the _\nung aett'esx l‘nund herself identit§ing \xith \'ietni'ia: 'I think we are laid} similar. hut I‘xe heard \he \tasn‘t reall} a Innkeif Blunt \a_V\ \\ ith a \lltil'l. '\\'e hnth
ha\ e these i‘athei' hnnded e}e\ and \lllllllll‘
enlnut‘ing. And she liked tn eat. The Prime Minister said tn hei‘. "\Iaatn. )nu ltlll\l Il'_\ tn eat only when )nu't'e hungry" .-\nd \he said. "Well. I'm ilI\\£l_\\ hungry" and I eat like a tt‘uek—
drixet‘. Bttt I think I haxe a better tnetahnlistn than she did. Sei'inusl) thnugh. the puhlie and pt‘iVate Vietni'ia are \et'_\ dillei‘ent. \n I realise \Vltttt a pet'l‘nt'tnanee it was to he a queen. I I\ltt)\\
‘SHE WAS FEISTY AND EMOTIONAL, AN INTELLIGENT VIBRANT PERSON'
what it is like In he a teenager. tn think \\ e knnxx it all and he in a inh \xhieh is ua} n\ei' _\nui head. .\'nt in iuentinn heing deepl_\ in In\ e hit the tint tinte.’ Blunt's alluding tn dealing \xith attentinn Il‘tltll the eeleht‘it) nhsexsed press. Ilet' lnng i'ninanee \tith (‘anadian singer \Iiehael Buhle. \thieh ended last summer. “as under inueh inedia \Cl‘lltlll}. and there's heen \peeulatinn ahnut her i‘elatinnxhip \\llli The (Wire I‘S‘s .lnhn Kt‘;t\llt\kl. Btit Blunt‘x gnt her head \ei‘ext ed nn. and appears tn he in acting hit the lnng haul. \n she'll nn tlnuht rise ahnxe the tahlnitl gnxxip in true queenl} st} le.
.\Iean\\hi|e. she's entered the enined} hall nl‘
lame h} \nieing an epixnde iii The Sim/unlit. .-\nd she's appearing in a \Ieu nl' lihnx. ainnng thein III/Iv IIii/llllrm tilllitl\IlL' Beniein del 'I‘nl'n. (iti/Iii‘t'ifi 'l'rut‘r'Ix \xith .laek Blaek and the Sundanee hit enineth Suits/tine (Yer/nine. made
It} the teatn behind lilt/t' .III\.\ Stun/zine. Ilei'
heetie \\t)l'I\ \ehedule ina_\ pi‘eelude hei' ll'tllll pliniiig \e\_\ super—\p} the Blaek \Vidnn in [run .lltui 3. htit it‘s newtthelesx lnnking like this )L‘itl'\ is gning tn he Blunt'x annus niit'ahilis.
The Young Victoria is on general release from Fri, 13 Mar and is reviewed on page 45.
EMILY BLUNT
GIVING US THE VICCIES
Other screen portrayals of HRH Queen Vic
Patricia Routledge Long before she was Hyacmth BOtiquet. whose ”Sister has a Mercedes. sauna and room for a pony' she played Queen Vic, in the 1964 TV mini-
Judi Dench
Opposne Billy Connolly‘s faithful servant Brown, Brit-Cinemas own near- royatty, Dame Judi Dench showed a rare. soft srde to the mourning monarch in the stifled romance Mrs Brown.
Miriam Margoyles
The vertically challenged actress got a torrent of abuse as Queen Victoria trying to show kindness to the mean Ebenezer Blackadder when she turned up on his doorstep in Blackadder's Christmas Carol.
Pauline Collins
It was just a typical day for Dr Who (played by David Tennant this time). when he helped save Queen Victoria, aka Shirley Valentine. from an alien werewolf in the TV series. As you do.
Kathy Bates
When Steve Coogan went Around the World in 80 Days he ran into the Misery and Titanic actress delivering some good news and cracking a sly smile when she saw his amazing flying machine.
Peter Sellers
Making a brief film cameo in Victoria's trademark black frock. Sellers was a grumpy queen opposite Spike Milligan's struggling , . - ‘ Scots poet in the 705 comedy The Great McGonaga/l.
Michael Palln
Never ones to turn down a chance to slip into a dress. both Michael Palin and Terry Jones took turns to play Queen Victoria in separate TV episodes of Monty Python '3 Flying Circus.
Honourable mention also goes to the long suffering, but stoic performance from Albert Square's best- Ioved boozer in Eastenders. The Queen Vic.
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