Gemma Arterton revealed her friends likened her to Elizabeth Taylor when she married for a second time in 2019, aged 33.
The actress tied the knot to Irish boyfriend Rory Keenan, four years after her divorce from Italian businessman Stefano Catelli, who she married in 2010.
Talking to Red, Gemma, now 34, said: ‘I wasn’t really thinking about a relationship or marriage. Even though everyone said to me, “Oh, you’ll be like Elizabeth Taylor; you’re going to get married eight times”.
‘They said I’d marry eight times’: Gemma Arterton, 34, admitted her friends compared her to Elizabeth Taylor when she tied the knot twice
‘But when I met Rory, very early on I thought, “Oh, I hope he asks me to marry him one day!” He has the most beautiful soul.
‘And I think he was raised by amazing parents and has an incredible family. He’s a really good man.
‘I think that as you get older, that’s what you need, that’s what you want. I just want to feel like I’m with someone that is good and makes me feel good.’
Finding love: The actress tied the knot to Irish boyfriend Rory Keenan, four years after her divorce from Italian businessman Stefano Catelli, who she married in 2010
Gemma also discussed her role as a Bond girl – she appeared as Strawberry Fields in Quantum Of Solace.
She said: ‘I was like, “Oh, whatever, it’s just another role”. Then my publicist called and said, “Gemma, is there anything you need to tell me? Any skeletons in the closet? You have to tell me now because they will find out”.
‘And I remember thinking, “It’s me, who cares?” But that was also a really valuable moment in my life as it made me kind of guarded and careful. I’ve never wanted to court any attention.’
Gemma said she has never really been interested in being famous.
Second husband: Gemma pictured with Rory Keenan in 2018, who she says has the most ‘beautiful soul’
First husband: Gemma pictured with Stefano Catelli back in 2010
She said: ‘I think sometimes it’s held me back, this lack of ambition that maybe people perceive in me, but it’s just that I’m not ambitious to be famous.
‘I’m ambitious to make good work, to work with good people and to have a career. But I’m actually quite a nervous, anxious person, so it wouldn’t be good for me to be in the spotlight all the time.’
But she did admit that she nearly gave up her acting career at one point.
Putting a ring on it: Elizabeth Taylor (pictured in 1967 with Richard Burton) was famously married eight times
She said: ‘There’s this terrible film I did called Runner Runner. To be honest, I just wanted to quit acting after that. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place.
The January issue of Red is on sale from 3rd December
‘The script wasn’t good; I just did it because it was this big American film and everyone was telling me it was a good idea.
‘It was all the things I don’t enjoy when I’m on a film set and there was a lot of animosity and tension. And now it pains me that things like that are out there.’
She also reflected upon the lack of women in the industry.
Gemma said: ‘I will always remember feeling in my early career like I was in the minority.
‘I was often the only woman on a film set and I just thought, “Well, that’s s*** because that’s not the life I live.”
‘And I had a little bit of belittling, patronising, over the years, mostly by male actors, who would say, “Word of advice” and, “Take it from me”.’
The January issue of Red is on sale from 3rd December.
Looking back: Gemma also reflected upon the lack of women in the industry, saying ‘I will always remember feeling in my early career like I was in the minority’