Emily Blunt on Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, STDs, and Her Famous L.A. Neighbors (VULTURE)

By Jennifer Vineyard

In Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, an Arab sheikh (played by Amr Waked) has a seemingly impossible dream: to transport the pastime of fly fishing to the desert. He believes that this will bring peace to the region, so he spares no expense; his aide, played by Emily Blunt, manages to get the British government onboard. Some of the Brits are more supportive than others — a fisheries expert, for example, played by Ewan McGregor, is dragged into the project against his many objections, but is eventually won over by the Yemini Sheikh and the effervescent Blunt. The actress, who just turned 29, has been hard at work herself, but was taking a week off for her birthday when Vulture chatted her up about forthcoming projects, her odd and possibly passing passion for cookery, and her famous L.A. neighbors.


What's the trick to having great chemistry onscreen? Considering you and Ewan are so much fun to watch ... 
I have the most chemistry with people I genuinely love to hang out with. I find something that I love about them. There's times you need to cultivate chemistry and invent it, and that's not as much fun. So it's great when you have a natural rapport, when you have natural warmth. That's why I do see the benefit of being open and easy-going and friendly on set, because that translates onscreen. There have been times when I felt I didn't have chemistry, or I didn't feel as comfortable with the person, because they weren't behaving well on the set, and I didn't like being around them. It's only been a couple of times, but oof! And this goes for whether it's a man or a woman. Chemistry doesn't happen just with a guy.

So for Your Sister's Sister, with Rosemarie DeWitt, or Five-Year Engagement, with Alison Brie, did you do anything together to feel more like sisters?
Rose was the hero of the day. She stepped into that part at the last moment, after Rachel Weisz pulled out, just two days before shooting. She knew it was mostly being improvised and there was no script to fall back on, and she'd have to kind of invent the backstory. So we stayed up till four in the morning drinking wine, and whether it was subconsciously or not, that made it into the film, that we had a friendship. And that was a day before shooting! Alison, by the way, steals Five-Year Engagement. She asked me, "Would you record your voice and tell me some stories?" So she could do an accent like mine. And I told her all these stupid stories from my childhood, and now she sounds more English than I do! [Laughs.]

Speaking of accents, you and Colin Firth are playing Americans in Arthur Newman, Golf Pro.
Two Limeys came in and stole some very American parts. [Laughs.] We both play social misfits, and Colin is my new favorite person. Don't tell him that. I just love taking the piss out of him. My character is named Mike, so everyone sees that and goes, "Why are you playing a guy?" But her real name is Mikela.

The interview is much longer.  Read the rest:  http://www.vulture.com/2012/03/emily-blunt-on-salmon-fishing-in-the-yemen-stds-and-her-famous-la-neighbors.html