Gravesend-born Gemma Arterton to star in comedy-drama Funny Woman on Sky Max and NOW
Kent-born Bond Girl Gemma Arterton returns to screens in a new comedy drama.
Funny Woman, a six-part series soon landing on Sky Max and NOW, sees the actor step into the shoes of Barbara Parker, a ‘bold, brash force of nature’.
The show, based on Nick Hornby’s 2016 novel Funny Girl, is set in the 1960s and features an ensemble cast including Rupert Everett, David Threlfall, Tom Bateman and Arsher Ali.
“I just loved the character,” says the 37-year-old actor. “There’s something about her I connected with; I think it’s her sense of humour and her wit and what she comes up against.
“She wants more from life than just being a beauty queen, working in a rock shop and becoming a wife. So she goes to London to try and make it as something – and finds herself auditioning for a Comedy Playhouse.
“From there on it’s the journey of her becoming a sitcom star and finding her voice.”
Gemma’s own journey is not too dissimilar to that of her character.
She and her sister, Walking on Sunshine star Hannah Arterton, were born in Gravesend and grew up on one of the town’s council estates.
The pair both attended Gravesend Grammar School for Girls and, later, went onto study further education in the Performing Arts field at the Miskin Theatre at North West Kent College in Dartford.
Gemma continued to broaden her acting horizons as she landed a spot at prestigious drama school Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating in 2008.
“There were things that I could relate to,” she says, speaking of the parallels between her own life and that of her new character, Barbara. “It was such an iconic time for comedy. More edgy working-class humour started to come through and for a woman to be in that world was unusual at that time.
“We’ve all had our experiences. It’s way better than it was but there’s still an undercurrent because old-school people still work in the industry. But I think we’ve come so far, even just since the MeToo movement.”
Gemma’s first major acting role was in the 2007 teen film St Trinian's.
The then-21 year old was soon catapulted into stardom with her appearance as Bond Girl Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace.
Her name quickly became headline news as the tabloids fell head over heels for Kent’s newest Hollywood pin-up girl.
However, Gemma soon found her feet in the industry with more starring roles, including in the critically acclaimed The Disappearance of Alice Creed and on stage in John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi.
More recently, in 2019, Gemma returned to her Kent roots as she took on the role of socialite and author Vita Sackville-West, best known for creating the much-loved gardens at Sissinghurst Castle in Cranbrook, for the film Vita and Virginia.
While the Gravesend sisters have both now swapped their home town for a life in London, the pair still work together, with Gemma recently starring in the short film Hayley Alien alongside Hannah, who also wrote and directed the piece.
Funny Woman will be available on Sky Max and NOW from Thursday, February 9.