Emily Blunt has built an impressive career in Hollywood with roles in big movies like The Devil Wears Prada, A Quiet Place, and Oppenheimer. The British actress now has an estimated net worth of USD 80 million as of 2026. But before she became a famous movie star, she wanted a completely different job that paid much less money.
Blunt recently shared that her dream job growing up was not acting. She wanted to work for the United Nations as a Spanish translator. This news came out during an interview with BBC Radio 2 while she was promoting her new movie Disclosure Day.
Emily Blunt’s Net Worth and Recent Movie Paychecks
Blunt has earned a fortune from her acting career. Her net worth of USD 80 million comes from years of work in film and television. She has also been named among Forbes’ highest-paid actresses.
In 2026 alone, Blunt received two very large paychecks. She earned USD 15 million for her lead role in Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day. This is her highest salary for a single movie so far.
Before that, she took home USD 12.5 million for returning as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada 2. The sequel came out earlier in 2026 and has already made over USD 665 million at the worldwide box office.
Blunt’s other big salaries include USD 12-13 million for A Quiet Place Part II in 2021 and USD 10 million for The Fall Guy. She earned USD 4 million for her supporting role in Oppenheimer.
The UN Translator Dream She Almost Chose
Blunt did not always dream of being on the big screen. She told BBC Radio 2:
“Before I was going to be an actress, I wanted to work for the UN and be a Spanish translator. I’ve always loved languages. My mother is an incredible linguist, so I think I grew up being quite inspired by her.”
If Blunt had followed that path, her life would have been very different. A UN translator typically earns around USD 80,000 per year. That is a huge difference from the millions she now makes for each movie role.
Steven Spielberg was present during the interview and reacted to her past career choice. He said:
“I’m glad you didn’t take that job.”
Blunt agreed with him and simply replied, “Me too”.
Her Language Skills Helped Her in Movies
Even though Blunt did not become a translator, her love for languages has helped her acting career. For Disclosure Day, she had to learn Russian and Korean. She also invented an entire alien language made of clicking sounds and hums for the movie.
Earlier in her career, she learned Mandarin for the 2011 romantic comedy Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. She had to talk about river beds and fishing in the language for her role.
Blunt once admitted that she only spoke Spanish at a basic level when she was studying for her A levels. She would not have qualified for the UN translator jobs she wanted because they need fluency in at least three languages.
The Risk of AI Replacing Translators
Blunt’s choice to become an actress instead of a translator turned out to be wise for another reason. Research from Microsoft shows that interpreters and translators have a 98% overlap with what AI can do. This means tools like ChatGPT can already handle most of the tasks in that profession.
Translation is listed among the top 40 jobs most at risk from AI. Monthly rates for freelance translators start at about USD 6,727. An expired UN job ad for an experienced English interpreter showed a salary range between USD 131,084 and USD 171,644. While this is higher than the USD 80,000 estimate, it is still far less than what Blunt earns now.
From Early Career to Hollywood Star
Blunt’s journey to stardom began in a different way than most actors. She did not start with big dreams of fame. Her career took off when she started auditioning after finishing school. Today, she has acted in over 45 movies.
Her breakthrough role came in 2006 with The Devil Wears Prada. She played Emily Charlton, the sharp-tongued assistant to Meryl Streep’s character Miranda Priestly. That movie was made on a USD 35 million budget and went on to earn USD 327 million worldwide.
Blunt’s career includes a mix of genres. She has done romance, action, horror, and thrillers. Some of her biggest hits include A Quiet Place (USD 341 million worldwide), Jungle Cruise, and Oppenheimer (USD 975.8 million worldwide).
In 2015, Blunt became a dual citizen of the US and UK. She is married to actor and director John Krasinski. The couple has a combined net worth of USD 100 million, with Krasinski’s share being slightly higher. They own an USD 11 million condo in Brooklyn, New York.
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What Blunt Has Learned About Career Choices
Blunt’s story shows how unexpected paths can lead to success. She almost became a translator earning USD 80,000 per year. Instead, she became a movie star worth USD 80 million. Her love for languages did not go to waste. She has used her language skills in many of her film roles.
The actress has also shared advice for people who are unhappy with their jobs. She once told women who hate their work to “find something that you deeply want to do, even if you’re earning no money”. Some people online called this advice out of touch for someone with her wealth. But her own career proves that taking a risk can pay off in big ways.
Blunt continues to be one of Hollywood’s most reliable and beloved actors. She stays away from tabloid drama and focuses on her work. Her next project is A Quiet Place Part III, which is set to come out soon.
The BBC summed up what many fans feel about her career path:
“We’re so glad we’re in the universe where Emily became an actress and not a Spanish translator for the UN.”
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