Although Emily Blunt has given us some of the most quotable dialogues in modern movie history, particularly in her unforgettable take-no-prisoners performance in ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ she recently explained that one of her personal favorite scenes comes from a much darker period of her career. While fans might expect her to tap into the nostalgic comedy that made her a well-known name, Blunt has a soft spot for an intensely dramatic face-off—it called for a very different style of on-screen presence entirely.
This powerful sequence allowed Blunt to dramatically shift the energy of a sprawling epic, an achievement made possible in part by one crucial note from Christopher Nolan. Rather than relying on the charm and witty one-liners that audiences typically associate with her, Blunt delivered a raw, game-changing moment that caught everyone off guard.
Why Emily Blunt Picks ‘Oppenheimer’ Over ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
A lot of fans might think Emily Blunt would choose her fan-favorite quote from ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ but the actress confessed that a line from another movie comes to mind that resonates with her the most.
“I know everyone wants me to say a line from The Devil Wears Prada because it’s the one that’s quoted to me most,” she said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
Instead, Blunt chose an important scene from ‘Oppenheimer‘ involving Kitty Oppenheimer’s testimony during the 1954 security clearance hearing.
Right up to that point in the film, Kitty had been drinking heavily and acting increasingly erratically, so many in her life began to question her reliability.
As Kitty takes the stand, she appears completely out of her depth, but the dynamic quickly changes when she delivers a sharp response to her interrogator.
Blunt recalled the line that transformed the scene, “Well, it was also very long ago, Mr. Robb, wasn’t it? Long enough to have forgotten.”
For the actress, it meant Kitty taking back some semblance of control after being underestimated throughout much of the film.
How Christopher Nolan Guided The Key ‘Oppenheimer’ Moment
Besides the line, Blunt recalls how director Christopher Nolan guided her through shooting that part of the sequence. Nolan said the moment mattered and the actress should let it land.
“She kind of comes back to life,” Blunt explained while describing Kitty’s sudden shift in confidence and authority. The actress then recalled Nolan’s advice from the set: “Don’t be afraid to just stick that landing with that line. Don’t be afraid of it just being a real moment, you know.”
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It was Nolan’s encouragement that allowed Blunt to lean into the emotional payoff of the scene, which today stands as one of the most memorable moments in the movie’s fourth act.
The testimony allows Kitty to reveal the intelligence and strength that few expected of her, elevating what could have been a brief courtroom exchange into one of the defining moments of her character arc.
However much that moment means to her, Blunt admitted it isn’t the line she hears back from fans most. Despite her affection for this ‘Oppenheimer‘ moment, the quote fans most readily associate with her still comes from ‘The Devil Wears Prada‘.
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