SCREEN star

GEMMA ARTERTON talks playing a 60s beauty queen on a mission

London in the 1960s was the heart of the entertainment industry and that glittering world is brought to life in Sky’s glossy new series Funny Woman, which follows the adventures of a beauty queen who’d rather be the queen of comedy.

Based on Nick Hornby’s 2014 novel Funny Girl, the six-parter sees Gemma Arterton play Barbara Parker, who is crowned Miss Blackpool Belle 1964 but leaves her seaside home town for the bright lights of the capital.

Although she lands an agent, the flamboyant Brian Debenham (Rupert Everett), and a stage name, Sophie Straw, Barbara experiences prejudice due to her looks and down-to-earth accent. And even after she wins a role in a cutting-edge TV sitcom, Barbara & Jim, about a mismatched young couple, there are still lots of hurdles to overcome.

TV Times caught up with Gemma, who turns 37 on 2 February, to get her take on the show.

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What drew you to Funny Woman?

I read the book and tried to get the rights with my production company, but they’d already been taken. Then, three or four years later, I was approached and asked, ‘Would you play Barbara Parker?’ I thought, ‘It’s what I’ve always wanted!’

The script was fantastic, it jumped off the page, and I loved the character. There’s something about her that I connected with – her sense of humour and what she comes up against.

How do you see Barbara?