Emily Blunt: I enjoyed banging up Josh Brolin

Actress Emily Blunt was happy to smack Josh Brolin's Sicario character around.

The pair star opposite each other in the crime drama movie, playing agents Kate Macer and Matt Graver who are battling a drug war at the boarder of the US and Mexico. One scene sees Emily throw a punch at Josh's character, which wasn't difficult to do considering the actress' opinion of Matt.

"No he's not," Emily laughed to Britain's Time Out London magazine when asked if Josh is punchable. "But the character is. That s**t-eating grin. I just wanted to smack the s**t out of it. It was a very physical role. And I liked that all the physical scenes represented a certain reality. Yes, she can throw a punch; and yes, she would be tasty in a fight. But yet, the reality is that she would inevitable be overpowered by these men around her who are a lot bigger."

There's also a lot of gun fire in the flick, with the British beauty insisting she has a good aim. Despite feeling uncomfortable holding a weapon, she made sure she looked a natural on screen to give her character verification.

It was Emily's first role since welcoming daughter Hazel with her husband John Krasinski in February 2014. Despite Sicario's dark story, the 32-year-old star was drawn to it.

"It was the script," she added of getting involved. "Which is surprising because I was in the throes of earth-motherness at the time. But it was so original to have a female protagonist in this masculine world. I thought that would be really hard to play."

Emily is always keen to stretch her acting abilities and usually accepts a role if she doesn't have a clear take on it. That way she feels more challenged and obliged to keep herself "vital".