Are Emily Blunt And Dwayne Johnson Friends In Real Life?
When Dwayne Johnson agreed to star in "Jungle Cruise" in 2015, the movie had been mulling in the heads of Disney producers for at least a decade, The Hollywood Reporter noted. While finding its male lead was smooth-sailing, Johnson's counterpart proved to be another story. Disney and Johnson knew they wanted Emily Blunt to play scientist Dr. Lily Houghton. "I had always admired her as an actor, but also when I would watch her on talk shows, she had this personality that was effervescent, that was cool and very, very charming," Johnson said. But Blunt wasn't interested.
Producers spent the better part of 2017 trying to get the British actor to read the script — with no success. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so director Jaume Collet-Serra jetted off to New York to give her a script in a package that included a video shot by Johnson himself. She read the script and fell in love. By early 2018, Blunt's inclusion was a done deal, Variety reported.
She also watched the clip, but Blunt apparently ghosted Johnson. "[The video] was great. And I ... I actually never heard again from Emily. Didn't respond at all," he said. Blunt did watch it and enjoyed it. She just didn't think she was supposed to reply. "Didn't know you were going to be so sensitive," she laughed. While they may have started off on the wrong foot, Johnson and Blunt emerged from "Jungle Cruise" on a different note.
Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson adore each other
How much in common can a classically trained British actor and a former American wrestler have in common? If those two groups are represented by Emily Blunt and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, then a lot. The pair developed a deep bond while filming the 2021 adventure flick "Jungle Cruise," one both of them are grateful to have forged. "I think it is rare that you take someone away from a movie that becomes a genuine, sort of like, friend for life," Blunt told Entertainment Tonight. "And he has. He is my most enormous buddy and will always be my most enormous buddy."
In interviews, Blunt and Johnson can't help but tease each other constantly. Blunt seems particularly eager to point out Johnson would not fare well in rugged locations, despite his size. "You would be lost without your lip balm!" she said during a sit-down with Parade. "And you wouldn't have your soap. [Johnson]'s the cleanest human being alive."
Teasing aside, Johnson and Blunt genuinely admire each other. "No costar of mine has ever put in harder work — with more tenacity, stamina, charm and eloquence than this posh British bird, Emily Blunt," Johnson raved on Instagram. Also, Blunt learned a valuable lesson about never judging a book by its cover. "I imagined him to be this sort of larger-than-life person with a personality to match ... I soon realized he was this gentle soul. He's also wise and funny," she told Parade.
Dwayne Johnson is also friends with Emily Blunt's husband
After she came onboard "Jungle Cruise," Dwayne Johnson made sure to become close to Emily Blunt's husband, John Krasinski. "I was a fan of John's and had a few talks with him," Johnson told Parade. As his affection for Blunt grew, so did his friendship with "The Office" alum. And the feeling was mutual. Krasinski soon found a way into Johnson's private gym that travels with him, which is a big deal, as The Rock is highly protective of his workout space. "[It's] so tidy. Like, he's such a germaphobe," Blunt told Entertainment Tonight. But Johnson made an exception.
Krasinski was unaware and just bluntly asked him during filming of "Jungle Cruise," and Johnson was cool with it. "I met the producer for dinner the next night and he said, ”You know, no human being has ever been in that gym. Will you report back and tell me what it is?'" he said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" in 2018. It was indeed nothing like he was expecting. "I walked in and it was like space ships had landed. He has like 40 pieces of equipment that I had never seen in my life," he told DeGeneres.
Johnson and Krasinski continued to share their mutual interest years after that. In May 2020, the two even partnered up for the Murph Challenge, a workout-inspired fundraiser held around Memorial Day, an experience Johnson thanked "brother John" for introducing to him on Instagram.