How Oscar hopeful Emily Blunt overcame her fear of singing in public for Mary Poppins Returns

Emily Blunt was shocked to be asked to follow in the footsteps of Oscar-winner Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins Returns, and had to overcome her fear of singing in public to do it.

When Emily Blunt was offered the chance to play one of the most beloved literary and cinematic figures of all time, she assumed it was a mistake.

“I was shocked,” she recalls.

“When Rob [Marshall] called me to say, ‘I want you to play Mary Poppins, there was stunned silence [from me]. I felt like my hair blew back. I was nervous but terribly excited at the same time.”

Following in the footsteps of Dame Julie Andrews was understandably daunting for the self-deprecating actress.

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Emily Blunt said she needed “a lot of tequila” to agree to the role of Mary Poppins. Picture: Getty

“I’m pretty sure Mary Poppins was one of the first films I ever saw. I decided to not re-watch the original as an adult, though I did have a searing memory of her that I wanted to honour, but this was going to be my version,” she says.

“I didn’t want to impersonate Julie Andrew. What she did should be treasured and preserved and not butchered by me, hopefully.”

Evidently, Blunt was not alone in her trepidation.

“I had to block out all the gasps I heard from people when I said I was going to play Mary Poppins. The reaction was so intense,” she says with a laugh.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God. Everyone is making me very nervous.’”

Emily Blunt was shocked when director Rob Marshall asked her to play the much loved title character in Mary Poppins Returns. Picture: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

It seems her fears were unfounded, as she was rewarded this month with a Best Actress nomination at the upcoming Golden Globe awards.

She’s tipped to follow with an Oscar nod.

The $180 million reboot is set in 1930s Depression-era London and is helmed by celebrated director Rob Marshall, responsible for such acclaimed musicals as Nine, Chicago, and Into the Woods.

It also stars Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton: An American Musical), Emily Mortimer, and Ben Wishaw.

Meryl Streep, with whom Blunt previously worked in The Devil Wears Prada and Into the Woods, delivers a cameo performance as Topsy, the eccentric cousin of Mary Poppins.

“It’s so exciting to watch Meryl work but we seem to always play people who are contentious with each other. She’s never very nice to me in the roles we’ve played, so I’m wondering if we could play friends in the next one. I will pitch it to her but she will probably turn around and be like, ‘Dream on!”

Although Mary Poppins Returns is not Blunt’s first foray into the world of musicals, having sung with James Corden in Into the Woods, she says she’s always been “quite embarrassed about singing in front of people”.

“For me, it was always so personal,” she says.

“I much prefer singing alone in the car or in the shower or by myself in the house. I was never that person at a party who would want to sing in front of people.”

She adds with a laugh: “Even in Karaoke, I need a lot of tequila to do it.”

Emily Blunt in a scene from Mary Poppins Returns.

Playing the nanny who is practically perfect in every way resonated with Blunt, and she was reminded of a prominent character in her own childhood.

“My mother’s mother, Nana, was like Mary Poppins for us. She was magical, eccentric, bizarre, warm, funny, and loving. She was the kind of person who could rustle up an incredible feast with a few items in her fridge.”

Off-screen, Blunt is married to John Krasinski (The Office, Jack Ryan) with whom she starred this year in A Quiet Place, the thriller that also marked his directorial debut.

“John cried when he first saw me in Mary Poppins Returns,” she smiles.

Married at George Clooney’s villa in Lake Como, in 2010, Hollywood’s latest ‘power couple’ are raising their daughters Hazel, 4, and Violet, 2, in Brooklyn.

“I hit the jackpot with John as a dad. He’s incredibly involved and completely devoted to them,” she says.

It must be quite a juggle for Blunt to navigate a prolific movie star career while parenting two small children?

“I don’t think it’s more of a juggle for me than it is for any other mother out there or any other father. I think John should be brought into the loop with this as well because it’s often women who get asked, ‘How do you juggle it?’ but actually it’s hard for him to juggle everything, too,” she says.

“I have never been away from the kids for longer than a week and he’s never done longer than two weeks. If you can fly back for 24 hours, then you do it.”

It’s been quite a year for both Blunt and Krasinski.

Emily Blunt and husband John Krasinski at the LA premiere of Mary Poppins Returns last month. Picture: Rich Fury/Getty Images

“With the success of A Quiet Place, we were both really shocked. It’s been so surreal.”

The film was budgeted at $27 million and has raked in over $478 million in box office receipts.

It’s been quite a transition for Blunt to bound from a horror thriller to the family-friendly Mary Poppins Returns.

“Actually, I had a few months to shed this crazy nanny [character] before going into the horror and torment of A Quiet Place.”

Given the current sociopolitical climate, Blunt views the timing of the Mary Poppins release as fortuitous.

“I think Mary is a salve for people because her super power is to infuse childlike wonder into your life. She sees the relevance of it and the importance of it, yet she still makes sure you’re bathed, dressed, fed, and all the practicalities of life are handled,” she says.

“I see her as a nostalgic superhero. Mary Poppins was around before the Marvel movies began.” She laughs. “She may well be the first superhero who ever existed.”

Mary Poppins Returns opens tomorrow.