Gemma Arterton, a 22-year-old from Kent, England, has been lined up as the new Bond girl, Columbia Pictures confirmed on Monday.
Arterton, who has only appeared in a few British projects thus far, will star opposite Daniel Craig, who will reprise his role as agent 007.
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, 42-year-old Frenchman Mathieu Amalric has also joined the cast as the new Bond bad guy.
As for Arterton, she will play MI6 Agent Fields.
Though she’ll be joining a legendary club of Bond babes, which includes Jane Seymour, Teri Hatcher and Denise Richards, it wasn’t until recently that Arterton was able to devote herself full time to acting.
In an interview last summer with Britain’s Daily Mail, Arerton said she was taken aback by her recent success (she had just filmed the British school girl movie “St. Trinian’s,” alongside Rupert Everett and Colin Firth).
“Really, I’m not in a position to even think about what might be,” she said in July 2007. “A few months ago, I was selling make-up. Now I should concentrate on being grateful that I can pay the rent for a while.”
The daughter of a cleaner and a welder, Arterton is a fast rising star in her native UK.
Despite being a newcomer, Arterton is rumored to have beaten out Sienna Miller for her role in “St. Trinian’s.”
“I was just gutted when I heard that she really wanted it,” Arterton said. “I mean, Sienna Miller! I never really thought I was in with a chance anyway, but when her name was bandied about, I felt like throwing in the towel.”
Despite her early successes, Arterton said she is still a little shocked by how things are developing, career wise.
“If I’m honest, I still feel like a student. I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing here,” she said.
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