Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer Talk Cowboy ‘Practice,’ Why Co-Star Rafe Spall Is a ‘Dangerous Ferrari’ in Prime Video’s ‘The English’

The English is a thrilling new Prime Video Western series — created by Hugo Blick — that follows an Englishwoman and ex-cavalry scout as they set out on a hard journey with a shared interest, eventually learning that there may be more to each of their pasts. Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer the pair of desperate travelers, respectively. PopCulture.com had a chance to speak with the pair during a roundtable interview, and they shared how much “practice” went into properly handling Cowboy weapons, and both praised co-star Rafe Spall, with Blunt referring to him as a “dangerous Ferrari.”

Speaking about what it was like to train with Old West weaponry, Spencer shared, “It was an adjustment because they were using, not real guns, but the weight of it was there. So I had time to practice with it and with the shotgun. I spent hours doing that thing with the shot. Hours. And I think there’s maybe a second or two of it on film. But it was fun. It just helps bring the character, it helps me get into the character to have confidence in that character if I know what I’m doing. Because he’s obviously a gunman, a rider, all that stuff.”

He continued, “And for me to put myself in that, I have to throw myself into it and try to get as good as I possibly can for the camera. Which doesn’t mean I have to be great, it just means I have to be able to go from action to cut.” Blunt then chimed in, “At least for one take… To be able to do single-handed gun for one take, that’s all you need.”

We also asked the pair about other co-stars they enjoyed working with, aside from one another, and both gave a unified response, naming “phenomenal” Rafe Spall, who plays the villainous David Melmont. “Rafe Spall comes in like a dangerous Ferrari to this show. He’s so fricking scary,” Blunt said. “And he was just the most incredible villain. And it was like a wild animal. It was like being in a scene with a wild animal.”

She continued, “I didn’t know what he was going to do, or say, or how he was going to say it next. So surprising. And I was riveted working with him. And kind of quite shaken, like I needed a drink after the scenes.”

Echoing his co-star’s praise, Spencer said of Spall, “When he’s that character, he’s very scary. And I remember the day of the shootout, he was doing his scene coming down this… He did it thousands of different ways. It was so many different ways… And he was just on fire. And I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. So I was very, very taken back, very excited, and very intimidated.”

Blunt then added, “He’s such a gorgeous person… In real life though. He’s like so fun. I mean the best guy to go and have a drink with. But he’s really dangerous as this character. He really is.” The English is now streaming on Prime Video.