Gemma Arterton had 'the most fun' figuring out her Summerland character's look

Gemma Arterton had input in her Summerland character's look.

In Jessica Swale's new period drama, the Quantum of Solace star plays Alice, a reclusive writer who is entrusted with a young evacuee from London. Alice lives an isolated life in a small town where the locals joke that she's a witch and she doesn't care much about her appearance, with her wearing no make-up, unflattering clothes, and unbrushed hair.

In an exclusive interview with Cover Media, Gemma shared that she was heavily involved in creating Alice's look with the team and they were determined for her to look different from the normal 1940s style.

"That was one of the most fun processes, just working it out with Jess and obviously with our hair and make-up designer and costume designers," she said. "We wanted Alice to look different to the usual 1940s wartime look, the hair all done and the lipstick. She doesn’t care, and yet she’s cool, in her own way, and wears clothes that are functional... I loved that."

She also recalled the day she tried on Alice's wig for the first time.

"For me a pivotal day was when I tried the wig on and this sort of crazy unruly hair, that had loads of grey in it, and was really straggly and matted, and I thought, 'Yeah, that’s absolutely her,'" she remembered.

Gemma and Jessica then explained that they used a picture of late American artist Georgia O'Keeffe as a reference for Alice's look, and the director then confessed she kept some of the character's boots for herself.

"I have to admit, they’re the same size as my feet so I might still have them and they always make me feel a little bit more kicka*s when I wear them," she admitted.