Gemma Arterton: I was born for new role

(Cover) - EN Movies - Gemma Arterton always thought she would be cast as a “cockney prostitute”.

The British actress says starring as a 200-year-old mother-and-working girl in her next movie release Byzantium gave her a sense of relief. The stark reality/ heightened fantasy film finished shooting in Ireland in February this year and it was one of Gemma’s favourite filming experiences yet.

“I was like, ‘At last!’ I always thought I’d play a cockney prostitute when I was at drama school, ‘cause of the accent,’” Gemma told the Autumn/Winter2012 edition of Love magazine. “It was great. Some have turned out c**p. Sometimes you don’t know until you see the rough cut.”

The former Bond girl has had a meteoric rise to fame. After a relatively short period of five years working in the film industry, she has already made her mark as a bona fida blockbuster star. The proof of this can be seen by the calibre of actresses she is pitted against for roles.

“At the moment it seems to be Scarlett Johansson, Felicity Jones, Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley… Anne Hathaway’s another one,” Gemma said. “That’s not bad company to keep, is it?”

Byzantium is due for release later this year. The gritty movie is directed by Neil Jordan and is set in both 18th century times and the modern day. Gemma stars alongside a wealth of credible acting talent including Sam Riley, Daniel Mays, Jonny Lee Miller and Tom Hollander.