(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Movies
Tamara Drewe (2010)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
Clash of the Titans (2010)
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold (2009)
The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009)
The Boat That Rocked (2009)
Perfect (2009)
Quantum of Solace (2008)
RocknRolla (2008)
Three and Out (2008)
St. Trinian’s (2007)
Capturing Mary (2007)
Biography
Gemma Christina Arterton (born 12 January 1986) is an English actress. Her commercial breakthrough was her role as the eponymous heroine in the BBC adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles. She has since starred in many feature films including British comedy St Trinian’s and its sequel St. Trinian’s II: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold, as well as blockbuster hits: James Bond film Quantum of Solace (2008), Clash of the Titans, and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010).
Arterton was born in Gravesend, Kent, the daughter of Sally (née Heap), a cleaner, and Barry Arterton, a welder. Arterton was born with polydactyly, and was brought up, along with her sister, Hannah Jane Arterton (born 1989, Gravesend), by their single mother. Arterton worked as a makeup salesgirl. After attending Gravesend Grammar School for Girls on Pelham Road in Gravesend, she took a performance arts course at The Miskin Theatre in Dartford (part of North West Kent College) and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art on a full grant.
Arterton won her first professional role (in Stephen Poliakoff’s Capturing Mary) while she was still at drama school. Similarly, she made her stage debut as Rosaline in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Globe Theatre, London in July 2007 before graduating later that year. She made her film debut in the 2007 St Trinian’s movie St Trinian’s as Head Girl Kelly, a role she gained in competition with Sienna Miller.
In 2008, she appeared in the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace. Chosen from around 1500 candidates, Arterton plays Bond Girl “Strawberry Fields”, in what is described as a “nice-sized role”. In 2008 also, she played the role of Elizabeth Bennet in the ITV serial Lost in Austen, albeit a reduced role from the original Pride & Prejudice.
She is the face of Avon’s Bond Girl 007 fragrance which launched in October 2008. Having already started in a series of low-key adverts for cosmetics company Avon, in May 2008 Arterton requested a role opposite model Kate Moss for Rimmel, but was blocked on contractual terms under her Avon contract.
In 2010, she made her West End debut in the UK premiere of The Little Dog Laughed. She was originally attached to star in a new adaptation of Wuthering Heights as Catherine Earnshaw, however, she later left the project. She is set to star in Burden of Desire.
Arterton was seen in the 2010 films Clash of the Titans and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and will next appear in Tamara Drewe, being released on September 10, 2010 in the UK.
Arterton lived with John Nolan, a special effects technician, whom she broke up with in 2008. In July 2009, Arterton celebrated her engagement in London with her fiance, Stefano Mioni, a stunt driver she met on the set of Quantum of Solace. Arterton is a supporter of Charlton Athletic F.C. She has a tattoo of an angel wing behind her left ear.
Trivia
Graduated from RADA in 2007.
Raised by a single mother.
She has a younger sister called Hannah (b. 1989).
Was born with 6 fingers on each hand.
She was born with a crumpled ear, which was surgically corrected when she was a child.
Featured in Empire Magazine’s “The Hot List” as one of the biggest upcoming stars in the 2010’s. Other people on the list were Channing Tatum, Zoe Saldana, Marion Cotillard, Mia Wasikowska and Clash of the Titans (2010) co-star Sam Worthington.
Were filming her last scene for Three and Out (2008) when she was told, she had won the part in Quantum of Solace (2008).
Her favorite label is Louis Vuitton.
Beat out 1500 other actresses for her role in Quantum of Solace (2008).
The first scene she shot for Quantum of Solace (2008) was the love scene with Daniel Craig.
Clash of the Titans (1981) was one of her childhood favorites, and even though the script was very different from the original, she was eager to star in the remake.
Was in consideration for the role of Natasha Rushman/Black Widow in Iron Man 2 (2010) after Emily Blunt dropped out of the project, but Scarlett Johansson was cast instead.
Replaced Natalie Portman as Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights (2011), but later dropped out of the project. Kaya Scodelario was then cast instead.
Is an avid supporter of Charlton Athletic Football Club.
During her time as a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London she worked as a make-up salesgirl.
Her parents are Barry Arterton, an architect, and Sally Heap, a cleaner.
Announced her engagement to stuntman and body double Stefano, having been in a relationship with him since March 2009 (6 July 2009).
Was in a relationship with stuntman Eduardo Munoz, having met him on the set of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) (June-December 2008).
Her grandmother Helen Sarfas (b. 1939) was tragically killed at her home in Kent after being stabbed in the chest with a knife (8 January 2010).
Was in consideration for the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (2012) after Keira Knightley dropped out of the project, but Carey Mulligan was cast instead.
Beat Sienna Miller to the role of Kelly Jones in St. Trinian’s (2007).
Personal Quotes
The minute anyone says, ‘Oh my God! You’re so amazing!’ I just have to go, ‘Shut up! Please!’ I am normal. I have just one rule – don’t believe the hype!
[On the set of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)]: When [director Mike Newell] first met me for the film he said, ‘Oh dear. Can’t you do posh?’ I thought, ‘I can’t believe he’s asked me that!’ So I said (firmly, through gritted teeth), ‘Of course I can, I went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic F***ing Art!’
As soon as I say, ‘I can’t go out in that dress, I’ve already worn it before!’ my dad will say, ‘Listen to yourself! Stop being stupid!’
On making The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009): I wanted something that was getting down and dirty, and really not about how you look. I wanted to be, like, f***ing hair and make-up everywhere, just not giving a f***! And yes, I get tied up, beaten, and there’s nudity. All the things that made people go, ‘You should not do this!’ But I put my foot down.
When you put yourself in these huge popcorn movies you get out there, in the public arena, more than anyone else. But that also means that you’re out there to be criticised more than anyone else. With Keira Knightley, she’s brave to do her play. Because, for some reason, if you’re successful in Britain, people tend not to like you. But if you’re a successful woman, and beautiful, in Britain, you’re even more disliked.
On one of the [2009] movies, I’d just done this big comedy scene, and all they said was, ‘You need to work on your arms!’ Hey, when you’ve had 12 fingers, everything else looks OK from here. And I said, ‘But what about the acting?’ And they said, ‘Don’t worry about the acting, worry about your arms!’ I just wanted to say, ‘Screw you all! I’d rather do a play!’
I’d really like the type of career Rachel Weisz has. I have a lot of respect for her: brilliant, intelligent, a witty sort of woman… You know, she’ll do a rom-com – not that I ever want to do a rom-com – but then she’ll go off and do The Constant Gardener (2005), have a family, and live a quite normal life, it seems. I respect that.
[On pressure from studio executives on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)] They sent me to a personal trainer, wanted to get my teeth done, hair extensions, make me look like somebody else. And that’s fine I had the tan, I had the hair, I went to the gym. I became the thing they wanted me to be for the part. But I don’t agree with what they think is beautiful because it’s not me. Unless you’re really famous and successful then they’re going to bully you into going to the gym. It’s a side of the industry that I find uncomfortable.
In comparison to many actresses I think I’m really average – when I got the Bond film Quantum of Solace (2008) there was this big hoo-ha about me not being hot enough, I have to say I agree – I don’t think I’m in that realm.
