Stutterer to stardom! EMILY'S CHILDHOOD STRUGGLE

Despite some toil and troubles, Hollywood's under her spell  

Eight short years ago, Emily Blunt peered into her future and saw something a little startling: E herself on a broomstick, with a wart on her chin and a black cat riding shotgun.

It all came down to a conversation she'd had years earlier with Meryl Streep, her co-star in The Devil Wears Prada.

"In the year Meryl turned 40, she was offered three witch roles," the then 32-year-old British actress observed.

"So I've got another eight years of hopefully being relatively attractive before I have to be a witch!"

On February 23, Emily finally turns 40 - and there's not a bubbling cauldron or pointy hat in sight! Instead, the Golden Globe winner has her hands full, with more interesting roles on offer than she can shake, well, a wand at.

Looking back on the Sicario star's life, it does seem, however, that some kind of alchemy has been at play. Emily has built her entire career on her remarkable speaking skills, but as a child she stuttered so badly, she found it difficult to even pronounce her own name.