John Krasinski and Emily Blunt have been married for almost a decade now, but A Quiet Place – which came out in cinemas earlier this year – is the first feature film they’ve ever worked on together.

For those of you who don’t know, Krasinski wrote, directed, and starred in the film alongside his wife, and their collaboration proved to be an enormous success, raking in an unexpected $50 million in its opening weekend. The horror has since scored rave reviews from critics (leading to an 84% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes), and fans have already begun clamouring for a sequel.

It’s understandable, then, that Krasinski found the reaction to his low-budget indie movie a little overwhelming.

“I said to Emily, ‘There’s no greater gift that the universe could have given me than to go through the biggest success of my career and I don’t have to explain to you how it felt,’” he told Men’s Health.

“We were both in the boat. I said to her, ‘I don’t know if it can ever be like this again.’”

It was at this point that Blunt – an award-winning actress, who, much like Krasinski, worked in Hollywood for many years before reaching critical acclaim – decided to share some advice with her husband.

“She goes, ‘It can’t,’” recalls Krasinski. “She just so perfectly encapsulated it. ‘It can’t be like this again, and it shouldn’t. So take this and put it on a mantel, this really special treasure that we experienced together. And now go out and do something else.”

Agreeing whole-heartedly with Blunt, Krasinski added: “I know I’ll never do another movie that’s this successful, this original, this underdog-y, and then on top of it have it be with my wife every step of the way.”

Read more: John Krasinski honours Emily Blunt in most beautiful way possible

It is not the first time that Blunt has proven herself to be a dab hand at the career advice. Indeed, a few years back, during an interview with Backstage, the actress dished her thoughts on working in a creative industry – and expressed the opinion that optimism blinds us to harder truths.

“It’s a business that’s built on hope and ‘What if’ and ‘If only I’d,’” she said. “Unfortunately, we’re just bombarded by the happy ending.”

Pointing to the internet as the ultimate self-making tool (or a means of “owning your own destiny a little bit more”), Blunt suggested that people take a more active role in talking about their own achievements and blowing their own trumpets. However, she candidly acknowledged how difficult it can be for many, if not most – particularly when the naysayers come calling.

“You’ve got to get the thickest skin possible. Like a rhino hide,” she said. “It’s a very personal job. Put a helmet on.”

Has Blunt inspired you to start talking about your own achievements? Then check out Big Yourself Up, our new regular column exploring ways in which women can boost their self-confidence, get better at self-promotion and resist being side-lined in the workplace.

Image: Getty