Emily Blunt Stars in New Disney Movie 'Jungle Cruise'

One of the stuttering community’s biggest supporters and herself a person who stutters, Emily Blunt, returns to the big screen with the release of Jungle Cruise — opening in theaters and available on Disney+ beginning July 30, 2021.

Jungle Cruise follows the story of Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) and Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson), explorers who set off on a trip down the Amazon River and through the surrounding jungle in an attempt to gain access to a reportedly magical tree. The film is based on the Disneyland theme park ride of the same name.

Blunt has talked openly about her stutter through the years, using her fame to bring attention to the stuttering community.

Back in March 2009, fans were surprised to learn that actress Emily Blunt struggled with stuttering early in her life when an article from the newswire circulated around the world about how the actress is grateful of her teacher for encouraging her to act in a school play at age twelve, despite her stuttering. During Emily’s subsequent appearance on the Ellen show, she spent the first six minutes of the interview discussing her childhood stuttering.

The Stuttering Foundation previously featured Emily in our Winter 2019 magazine cover article. Read more about Emily in this article from our list of Famous People Who Stutter.

Posted July 28, 2021

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Bob Love

Bob Love has dreamt about being a great public speaker since his early days in Bastrop Louisiana, even though, as a young man, he could barely put two words together, let alone speak a full sentence.

In spite of his severe stuttering disability, Bob Love, the son of a sharecropper, rose to become a Chicago Bulls NBA superstar, whose records were eventually surpassed by Michael Jordan. Throughout his entire athletic career, Bob Love kept his stuttering a secret from the fans who adored him, thinking he could do his “talking” on the basketball court.

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.

Byron Pitts

Byron Pitts has brought much attention to stuttering with his memoir, Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges, released in September, 2009. The book not only details his speech difficulties, but also his illiteracy until age 12 and his unstable family life. Pitts overcame the odds to become the chief national correspondent with ABC News.

Frank Wolf

This Virginian congressman has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1981. The longtime supporter of the Stuttering Foundation drew national attention to childhood stuttering in 2006 when he submitted an article about Tiger Woods from the SFA newsletter to the Congressional Record. The congressman is featured in the Stuttering Foundation's Famous People Who Stutter brochure.

Dave Taylor

Dave Taylor has been on the Stuttering Foundation's list of Famous People Who Stutter for many years, but probably few people know all of the unique accomplishments of this former hockey great who was born on December 4, 1955, in Levack, Ontario.