Emily Blunt has shared a story that cuts through the shiny surface of big Hollywood movies. She shared a very human and painfully funny moment when she and her ‘Edge of Tomorrow‘ co-star Tom Cruise hit their limit while making the 2014 sci-fi hit.
On a recent episode of ‘Hot Ones‘, Blunt talked about a brutal day on set. It involved the movie’s famous 85-pound armored suits, a hanging harness, and the surprising moment even the always positive Cruise showed a crack in his armor.
The Drop Ship Scene That Broke Everyone
Blunt said the scene required her and Cruise to be lifted in the air inside a drop ship prop while wearing the huge exoskeleton suits. Cruise is known for his contagious enthusiasm, a force Blunt said makes you “feel like you can’t let him down.” But the physical toll was just too much.
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“It was very hot in there. My suit weighed 80 pounds and I’m in a harness being lifted up, so the entire weight of my body — and 85 pounds — is on my nether regions,” Blunt said. “And I’m not feeling great about it, wondering if I’ll be able to have children one day.”
When Emily Blunt Told Tom Cruise “This F***ing Sucks”
Then came the biggest moment. Blunt realized that even the guy famous for hanging off airplanes was struggling. “We’re swinging there and I could see Tom, the enthusiasm was starting to unravel a little bit,” she said. She heard him yell in frustration to the crew, “Please roll!” That was her opening to complain. So she took a breath, looked at the ‘Mission: Impossible‘ star, and said, “This f—ing sucks.”
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And how did Cruise respond? Blunt called it “the most Tom Cruise thing Tom Cruise ever did.” He didn’t break character or morale. Instead, he gave her an intense glare and said, “It’s a challenge.”
The Tough Love That Defined Their Working Relationship
Blunt’s story adds another side to a production that fans have been curious about for years. She has talked about the pressure before. On the SmartLess podcast, she shared an even harsher moment of tough love. She said the first time she put on the heavy suit, she broke down crying in front of him.
“I was like, ‘Tom, I’m not sure how I’m going to get through this shoot,‘” she said, and Cruise just stared at her. “And he goes, ‘Come on, stop being such a p—y, OK?‘” Even with all the cursing and the brutal physical work, which left Blunt with injured ribs and a hurt collarbone, she looks back on the shoot fondly. Her suit crushed her body, and Cruise’s mental tactics were blunt, but the shared misery brought them together.
“The training was intense,” Blunt said, laughing at how Cruise refused to let her complain about the drop ship scene. In the Hot Ones interview, she said she pushed back on his “It’s a challenge” line, yelling, “Tom! It sucks!” He finally gave in and said, “Okay!“
Looking back, all that pain was worth it. ‘Edge of Tomorrow‘ has become a cult classic, and people love the gritty, real feel of the battle scenes. That realism came from the very real pain of the actors lugging 85 pounds of heavy costume through the mud.
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