This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine . Gemma Arterton shot to fame as a Bond Girl in Quantum of Solace, along with star-making performances in Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Tamara Drewe and St Trinian's. She has since appeared on TV, film and stage, and now returns in the Sky drama series Funny Woman as its lead actor and executive producer.
Set in the '60s, it follows Blackpool beauty queen Barbara Parker, who moves to London, adopts the stage name Sophie Straw and gets her own comedy show. Funny Woman is about a woman who disrupts a male-dominated world. Why did it appeal to you? In the UK, we didn't have a female-led sitcom [written by a woman] until the '70s – and that was The Liver Birds [created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor].
Further down the road, we had Victoria Wood and French and Saunders – but that was the '80s. It wasn't happening for women in comedy in the '60s! But it's a rich time to look at, because there was so much societal change happening and a lot to fight against. Do people connect with the show because it addresses issues that are still relevant today? These days, there are still struggles.
There are lots of funny women making funny TV shows, but there is still a distinct lack of funny female sitcoms. There are loads of men having their time. There's still a gap in the comedy world.
Barbara's father instils in her an unwavering sense of self-belief. Did your own parents support your decision to pursue acting? I wanted to act.