QUANTUM PHYSIQUE

Spotlight

Gemma Arterton, 22, is the latest in a long line of beauties to make her international debut as a Bond Girl—in Quantum of Solace, out this month. Born and raised in Kent, England, Arterton is one of the rare fully British Bond Girls, following in the high-heeled footsteps of Diana Rigg and Jane Seymour. "It still feels surreal," she says of the honor. "There aren't many iconic British things anymore, and James Bond is one of them." Growing up working-class, she never really saw acting as a career option. "My dad's a welder and my mom's a cleaner, and everybody in my family's so practical. It's always been about earning a wage, so for me performing was a hobby." Nevertheless she was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and put herself through school by working two jobs. Since graduating, last year, Arterton has been acting nonstop, including a part in Guy Ritchie's heist caper RocknRolla. "My dad always says, 'I admire you because you're doing something that you want to do with your life.' My family never got to do that. . . and I'm really grateful."

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KRISTA SMITH