Gemma Arterton and her younger sister were raised by their father, a welder, and mother, a cleaner. After attending a grammar school in Gravesend, and attending a performance arts course, Arterton 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. She made her stage debut as Rosaline in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost at the Globe Theatre, London. 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.

She appears in a number of forthcoming film and television productions, and is set to work on the next James Bond film, which uses the working title Bond 22. Chosen from around 1500 candidates, Arterton will play a character called Fields, in what is described as a "nice-sized role"

--Wikipedia