Gemma Arterton is a British theatre and film actress who gained fame after her role as Strawberry Fields in "Quantum of Solace," a part of the James Bond series. She beat over one and a half thousand contenders in the casting and became James Bond's "girl" played by Daniel Craig. She is called the new hope of Hollywood, even famous actresses try to emulate her style, and she still doesn't consider herself outstanding and sincerely blushes with embarrassment when she receives compliments.
In the photo: Gemma Arterton
Childhood and Youth
Gemma Christina Arterton (full name of the actress) was born in the winter of 1986 to a British family of Barry Arterton and Sally-Anne Heap. Her parents were simple workers: her father was a welder, her mother was a cleaner. The girl surprised everyone immediately after her birth: she had six fingers on each hand and her ears had a strange shape. The baby's abnormality was corrected by surgery in early childhood.
Three years later, Gemma's younger sister Hannah Jane was born, who also became an actress, though as a child she preferred singing.
Gemma Arterton in childhood (with her younger sister)
When the eldest daughter turned 6, Barry left the family, leaving the children under Sally's care. Gemma has preserved strong associations with her mother to this day: whenever Sally was about to leave in the evening, she always wore the same Givenchy perfume. Whenever Gemma smells this scent, she always thinks of her mother.
Childhood photos of Gemma Arterton
Recalling her school years at Gravesend Grammar School, Arterton describes herself as a "classic nerd" and a "bookworm". She also suffered from a perfectionist complex and felt a vital need to get the highest grades. She meticulously completed her homework to the last letter. The same went for her passion for theater:
I was a permanent member of the drama club: we read, discussed, and staged classic plays. I got hooked on classics, always prepared seriously for rehearsals, learned every role down to the last comma. I wasn't very popular with boys, didn't hang out... I was a well-read and desperately sad girl.
Gemma was fourteen when she appeared on the stage of a local theater in three productions. Two years later, she left the grammar school and entered a theater college. After studying there for two years, she earned a full scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, which she graduated from in 2007. After graduation, Gemma joined the Globe Theatre troupe, where she made her debut in the play "Love's Labour's Lost" by William Shakespeare.
In London, according to the actress, she met good people, learned a lot from them, and became more confident:
Acting Career
Gaining confidence in her abilities, Gemma, while still studying at the academy, began attending auditions at film studios. In her final year, she landed the role of Lisa in the British-American drama by Steven Poliakoff, "Capturing Mary". The budding actress's performance was bright and she also shone in Oliver Parker's comedy "St. Trinian's", where she played the somewhat mischievous girl, Kelly. The film was well received by the audience and a sequel was made.
Gemma Arterton in her youth
However, true success came to Arterton with her participation in the famous Bond movie, where she appeared as the British intelligence officer, Strawberry Fields.
Gemma Arterton in 'Quantum of Solace'
This was immediately followed by shooting for the fantasy film "Lost in Austen" (Elizabeth Bennet) and the role of June in Guy Ritchie's action film "RocknRolla" with Gerard Butler.
On the set of 'Lost in Austen'
The actress dared to take part in an experiment in J Blakeson's thriller "The Disappearance of Alice Creed". She played a millionaire's daughter who was kidnapped for ransom. For almost the entire film, she had to lie handcuffed to a bed, gagged, almost naked.
A scene from 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed'
Arterton's participation in Mike Newell's blockbuster "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" was thrilling and exhausting. According to her, there were many dangerous moments during the shooting, in which her partner was Jake Gyllenhaal (Prince Dastan).
Gemma Arterton and Jake Gyllenhaal
One such situation was a scene where her character, Princess Tamina, had to jump onto a horse charging straight at her. The actress was most afraid of falling under the hooves of the rest of the herd, but she refused a stunt double and performed all the takes herself until the director was satisfied with the footage. After the premiere of the film, Gemma got a tattoo of a wing behind her ear, symbolizing a turning point in her life.
On the set of 'Prince of Persia'
Together with Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, Arterton starred in the ancient Greek myth about Perseus "Clash of the Titans", where she played the goddess Io.
Gemma Arterton in 'Clash of the Titans'
In Stephen Frears' comedy "Tamara Drewe", Arterton portrayed a woman with a complex nature, who makes strange decisions. The actress believed that her character acted the way she did because she grew up with an ugly duckling complex and desperately wanted to be needed and loved.
49 Questions With Gemma Arterton
During the shooting, Arterton wore complex makeup and an incredibly large nose. She was often not recognized and frequently encountered awkward situations. Once a cafeteria worker didn't let her eat at the crew table, saying, "This is the table for those working on the movie!" Another time, an extra gave her fatherly advice about how to land big roles.
A scene from 'Tamara Drewe'
The actress revealed that she enjoyed working on this film, especially with the director who cast her without an audition, and with actor Dominic Cooper, who wrote a song for her character, Tamara. Soon after, Gemma appeared alongside Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake in Brad Furman's crime thriller "Runner Runner".
Gemma Arterton in a swimsuit
Another standout role was her character Helen Justineau in the zombie thriller "The Girl with All the Gifts". The film's distinction from other zombie plots was not so much the fight against them, but rather the study of the causes of infection and the search for a vaccine for children born to infected mothers. Arterton's character was the teacher of these half-human children.
Gemma Arterton without makeup
An interesting experience for the actress was participating in Josie Rourke's film-play "Saint Joan" - the story of Joan of Arc based on the eponymous play by Bernard Shaw. A challenge was her role as Vita Sackville-West, lover of the famous writer Virginia Woolf in the biographical drama by Chanya Button "Vita and Virginia".
Gemma Arterton as Joan of Arc
Then, Arterton appeared again in a comedy alongside Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. Her character Grace in "Murder Mystery" was well received by the American audience. In 2020, along with Colin Firth and Simon Russell Beale, Gemma starred in the film "Curtain Call", a story about a London theatre in the thirties.
A scene from 'Murder Mystery'
The actress delivered a deep and sincere performance as Alice in the war drama "Summerland", and in the film "Black Narcissus" she played the Catholic nun, Clodagh, who considers it her mission to set up her own school in Nepal.
Gemma Arterton's Personal Life
In her early youth, Gemma was convinced that she couldn't appeal to boys. However, moving to London gradually helped her overcome her ugly duckling complex, and in 2007, the budding actress began dating animator John Nolan. After almost a year together, the couple broke up.
Gemma Arterton and John Nolan
While filming "Quantum of Solace", Gemma became romantically involved with Daniel Craig's stunt double, but the relationship didn't last long. Then, for about half a year, the actress was often seen in the company of Spanish horse rider Eduardo Munoz, with paparazzi publishing their tender photos on multiple occasions.
With Eduardo Munoz
After filming "RocknRolla", Gemma gained weight and felt extremely self-conscious about it. Despite looking fabulous, she didn't fit Hollywood standards, which greatly upset her. Having achieved what she considered ideal proportions, Gemma regained her self-confidence and in 2009 accepted the courtship of Italian fashion designer Stefano Catelli.
In the late 2000s, Gemma Arterton gained weight
The actress considered her relationship serious and they soon became engaged. Eleven months later, in the summer of 2010, their private wedding ceremony took place in the small Spanish village of Zuheros.
Gemma Arterton with her first husband, Stefano Catelli
In 2013, it was revealed that Arterton was living alone again, and in 2015, she divorced Catelli. Shortly after, it was revealed that since 2014, Gemma had been dating French director Franklin Ohanessian, whom she met on the set of "The Voices."
Gemma Arterton and Franklin Ohanessian
It seemed that the fact the actress divorced her previous husband, started learning French, and often visited Paris indicated the seriousness of the couple's intentions. However, their relationship ended in 2016 without any comments from Arterton.
In 2017, the actress was spotted in the company of Irish actor Rory Keenan, and they were even caught kissing at the British Summer Festival. Two years after this event, the couple made their relationship official.
Gemma Arterton and Rory Keenan
In an interview, Gemma stated that they are not in a hurry to have children with Rory, as they want to enjoy each other's company, where both feel good and comfortable. However, in December 2022, the couple welcomed a son.
The actress doesn't maintain social media accounts and keeps her personal life private, preferring to stay out of the limelight.
Gemma Arterton Now
The year 2021 kicked off for the actress with a photo session for the January issue of Red Magazine UK, shot by British photographer Chloe Mallett. In addition, the comedy thriller "The King's Man" was released, in which Arterton played the role of Polly. The story about a super spy organization that saves the world takes quite an unexpected turn. Along with Gemma, the film starred Harris Dickinson, Tom Hollander, and Ralph Fiennes.
Gemma Arterton in a photo shoot for Red Magazine UK
Meanwhile, the actress appeared in thriller "Rogue Agent." And in October 2022, the TV series "Funny Woman" starring Gemma was released. This is an adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel about the brilliant Barbara Parker, a woman determined to conquer the predominantly male world of London stand-up comedy.
Gemma Arterton in the TV series 'Funny Woman
In 2023, Gemma could be seen in the British TV series "The Critic".
