Making of ‘The English’: Lively roundtable with Emily Blunt, Chaske Spencer, Greg Brenman, Arnau Valls Colomer [Exclusive Video Interview]
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“The English” is the Amazon Prime limited series co-produced with the BBC. The series, written and directed by Hugo Blick, explores revenge and redemption in the Wild West.
To honor the series, watch our special 40-minute “Making of” roundtable discussion with star and executive producer Emily Blunt. She’s joined by co-star Chaske Spencer, executive producer Greg Brenman and cinematographer Arnau Valls Colomer. Together they are hosted by Gold Derby senior editor Matt Noble for a lively Q&A. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
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SEE‘The English’ reviews: Emily Blunt elevates ‘visual knockout’
Blunt plays Lady Cornelia Lockett, an Englishwoman on a quest to seek vengeance on the man responsible for the death of her son. With her family being lost to the false promise of Wild West prosperity, she carries pain and secrets traveling through the plains. The role earned Blunt a SAG nomination earlier in the year. From her work in film, she was a SAG winner for “The Quiet Place” in 2019. Her extensive movie career includes iconic roles in “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) and “Mary Poppins Returns” (2018).
Working on “The English,” the actress reveals, “I was so spellbound by the writing. That feeling when you read something and you just see all of it. Its fingerpints were on me so immediately, and are still on me. It’s a character I lived with for the longest time; longer than any other character I’d played. And I admired her more than any character I’ve played.” Brenman says to Blunt, “You just plugged into it. I remember being in awe of that. Somehow you were embedded in that right from the get-go. It was strange and exciting.”
Blunt stars opposite Spencer, who plays Pawnee scout Eli Whipp. He is traveling home hoping to claim the land he is owed for US military service. When he encounters Cornelia, the lonesome travelers gradually connect over values, pain and history. The performance earned Spencer a BAFTA nomination earlier in the year. In one scene Eli gives Cornelia a compass. The actor admits, “I knew this was going to be a really good role. To develop the chemistry was important and trying to make sure we had that on screen. It seemed to turn out really well. In the compass scene, Eli is such a contained person. When he gives her something, Emily just takes it and does magic with it.” Blunt says, “Finding Chaske was the most important part. It was integral to the beauty and the poetry of the piece so that this love story flew and had the wings that it ended up having.”
The series juxtaposes intimate character moments against grand western backdrops to explore rich themes of violence, injustice and hope. Brenman explains, “I think all westerns somehow reflect the time in which they are made. I don’t think we or Hugo went out to break ground for the sake of it. But there is something about doing a western now and how that reflects the world. Putting Chaske’s character at the heart of it and looking at the foundation of modern America feels like, while set in the 1890’s, tells us as much about today as it does then.”
Colomer had to capture big western shoot-outs and quiet scenes as Cornelia and Eli looked up at the stars. The cinematographer admits, “Shooting a western is a milestone in any filmmaker’s career. So I was excited to get the genre right. The story was heart-breaking. Telling the story in a western world is very exciting. A nice challenge, was the night scenes under the stars with this beautiful dialogue. I was like, ‘oh my God, how are we going to do that?’ We went back to how the 50’s would do it. But instead of painting we used digital backdrops. It was natural enough. And it was poetic enough. And it was fairy-tale enough. It was just the right balance for the scene.”
Blunt reflects, “I remember my mom showing my ‘Shane’ and being completely beside myself. And then my dad would show me ‘Unforgiven.’ I understand why people become so fascinated with westerns. I love that majestic wide scope storytelling and the loneliness of the people within the landscape. I feel deeply emotional about ‘The English.’ I get moved by the whole thing. The character, and her plight, and her journey, and her destination. Even though she’s heading toward tragedy, she has reclaimed who she is through this other person. I’m left with a sense of deep emotion about it.”
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