Gemma Arterton never planned to become a movie star

The 31-year-old actress received a government grant to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London in her youth, but Gemma never dreamed of being a star of the silver screen and was instead focused on making it on the stage.

She said: “I never thought I’d work in film. I always thought I’d be just a jobbing actor in the theatre.

“I remember in my third year at RADA, I did a budget – about the only one I’ve done – calculating how much it would cost to live in London. You are told you might work once a year. That’s the life.”

Gemma – who made her film debut in ‘St Trinian’s’ in 2007 – admits she doesn’t know what she would have done if her acting career hadn’t worked out.
She told the Irish Times newspaper: “I’m a coaster. If it hadn’t worked I’d have found something else to do. It’s so precarious. Things fall apart. It’s mad. It’s not a job for anybody who wants to plan.”