Emily Blunt struggled to shoot action scenes in a corset for Amazon’s The English

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Emily Blunt is no stranger to stunts. In 2014, she was “thrown in at the deep end” to play a futuristic soldier edge of tomorrow. The following year, the British-born actress underwent extensive training to portray a badass FBI agent sicario.

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So hop on horseback to take on the role of an armed aristocratic woman looking for revenge The Englisha new western series streaming on Prime Video should have been a no-brainer.

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But it turns out that shooting guns in a corset while galloping across the American West is just as hard as battling bloodthirsty aliens alongside Tom Cruise.

“It took three men to get me on the horse every time — and a stepladder,” Blunt, 39, laughs in a video chat from New York City.

But the Golden Globe winner has managed to take a break in the wardrobe department.

“Well, they gave me one of those corsets that stretched,” she says. “I had a kind of elastic corset.”

Written and directed by Hugo Blick (The Honorable Woman), the western drama follows Cornelia Locke (Blunt) who comes to America to kill the men responsible for her son’s death. Stunned by the scenery, she teams up with Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer), a former Army scout and member of the Pawnee Nation.

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In a genre where female characters are typically portrayed as damsels in distress, strong-willed Cornelia ruthlessly exacts revenge as she cuts a bloody swathe through Central America en route to a Wyoming showdown.

“I think what I loved about this character is how the action comes out of instinct and is almost a reaction. It’s not cool or strategic,” says Blunt, who also served as the series’ executive producer.

Luckily for Blunt, her next project doesn’t require her to ride – The case guy – a theatrical adaptation of the 1980s adventure series directed by Lee Majors. But there will be plenty of action.

“Ryan (Gosling) is already out there filming and I’ll be out there in a couple of weeks to join him. It’s this crazy action-adventure and it’s going to be so much fun. I can’t wait to do it,” she says. “I love all the action. I’ve always enjoyed doing that.”

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Before we flew to Australia to take part in this production, we spoke to Blunt this week about her love of westerns and how she’s taking the genre in a new direction.

You’ve played so many cool characters in your career. What captivated you The English?

“I was captivated from the first page. I had never read anything like this. It was so unique; it was as intense as it was funny. It was achingly beautiful, yet moved like that chase thriller. I’ve always wanted to do a western. I had never played in this mythical space and wanted it too bad. So it was an instant yes for me.”

What was it about doing a western? They never seem to go away.

“I don’t know if they ever will. All those core themes that people like to cling to: revenge, loss, power, greed, the brutality of this landscape, and the restoration of justice that its heroes see going through make the genre a rich and cool world. Plus, it’s a world of swagger and panache. I’ve always loved westerns.”

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How works The English give the genre a new direction in terms of representation and the characters we see on screen?

“I think it’s an important moment that your male lead – an ode to Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood – is a Native American. I think for Chaske it’s an empowering moment for Native Americans portrayed as nuanced, skillfully written characters. But this is a fresh take on the genre in general. I think it carves out new spaces as a chase thriller and moves fast, but if you want to confront the reality that the country was built on, I think you can put that in there too.”

You’re also wearing a producer’s hat on this project. Why did you want to take on this responsibility?

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“This was brought to me as a pilot and I loved standing by Hugo’s side and helping him build it, make it and sell it… I gradually became creatively involved in almost every project I did, and I never asked for a loan – I didn’t care either way, and I would do the job anyway. But for this one, it felt very well brought to me in its embryonic stages, and I was delighted to bring it to fruition in this way. And I love all the post production stuff. I’m such a nerd for everything. I love everything from the sound to the color timing… I enjoy wearing all the hats. So I loved doing it.”

I loved edge of tomorrow and know that there has been talk of a sequel for years. Will that ever happen?

“Someone just said to me, ‘Are you going to do Edge of Yesterday?’ And I said, ‘What is that?’ And they said it was the new title. I did not know that. I dont know. I need to call (director) Doug Liman. I’d happily do it if my back and knees could take another hit. I have to send Tom the bill for the chiropractor I need every day after doing this second film.”

The English is now streaming on Prime Video.

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