Emily Blunt has done everything from fighting alien invaders as a supersoldier to stepping into the iconic shoes of Mary Poppins. However, among her best films, one of her most beloved roles remains Evelyn Abbott in A Quiet Place, the smash-hit horror movie she made with her husband, John Krasinski. The collaboration went on to define a major chapter in both their careers, proving that a marriage can survive not only Hollywood but also high-pressure filmmaking. Yet Blunt recently revealed the process started with a surprisingly candid (and hilarious) conversation about whether they could actually pull it off.
The Devil Wears Prada veteran reflected on the high-wire act of working opposite her husband for the first time while he simultaneously stepped into the director’s chair. The actress admitted to Elle she wasn’t sure how smooth the experience would be, and before filming began, she sat her husband down to make sure they both understood what they were getting into.
I don’t think he knew what he was capable of. So it’s sort of like watching someone discover a superpower, which was wild. Before we started, I was like, ‘Look, I’m thrilled to be doing this with you, but do you know how to shoot this movie? Because I don’t know how to shoot a movie. So I’m just asking.’ He was laughing and he was like, ‘I think I do know how to shoot it. I don’t know why, but I think I do.’ Then, my God, did he.
Even Krasinski’s own wife had questions about his jump from The Office to directing, but, as she describes, Blunt was impressed, watching Krasinski step into the role of director with unexpected confidence. Despite the film’s difficult conditions—long stretches of silence, physical tension, and an entire emotional arc communicated through looks—the pair found a rhythm that worked.
Still, the English A-lister also acknowledged the elephant in the room: What if working with your spouse goes badly? She added it could have been “an absolute disaster.”
And can you imagine if he thought I was really shit? That would not be good. I think if we had done that movie and we didn’t respect or admire each other, it would’ve been an absolute disaster.
They indeed respected each other’s work, and thankfully, it paid off in a big way as A Quiet Place became a global hit. The movie showcased the real-world couple’s chemistry and revealed a new side of the longtime sitcom star as a filmmaker, earning him industry-wide respect and spawning a full-fledged franchise, with a recently announced fourth film in the series on the way. And the Smashing Machine actress makes it clear she saw that transformation firsthand, just as she’s witnessed in co-stars like Tom Cruise, Ryan Gosling, and Dwayne Johnson as they reinvented themselves in front of her.
If working with her husband for the first time came with its own nerves, it also gave audiences one of the most effective, emotionally grounded performances in modern horror. Thankfully, Krasinski did not think she was “really s–t.” In fact, the movie proved the exact opposite, as together, they’re an undeniable creative force—on-screen and off.
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski’s on-screen collaboration is set to continue as the fourth movie in the series, A Quiet Place: Part III was recently announced. Fans already have questions after A Quiet Place Part II, and they’ll finally be answered when we get the next chapter on July 9th, 2027.