Gemma Arterton Shares Her Experience of Filming Secret Service While Pregnant
Gemma Arterton has opened up about her secret pregnancy during the filming of the new ITV drama, Secret Service. The 40-year-old actress revealed that she was three and a half months pregnant when the show began shooting, and as her pregnancy progressed, producers had to rely on CGI to conceal her growing bump.
Gemma welcomed her second child with her husband, Rory Keenan, late last year and shared the news earlier this month. Speaking about the experience of filming the show, which will air on Monday, she said: “I can so see it when I watch it. I started at about three and a half months pregnant and they just kept expanding the waistlines. By the end, I was six months and it was just undeniable. I think they had to do a bit of CGI on a couple of shots because it was very obvious.”
She added: “I mastered the art of, you know, the lean that hides it, certain positions, bags, arms crossed, all that.”
A New Drama with a Unique Twist
Secret Service stars Gemma as a British intelligence officer who is tasked with solving a major political case while balancing her life as a parent to two teenagers. The show’s IMDb synopsis reads: “A British intelligence officer races against time to uncover a UK politician’s potential ties with the Kremlin, risking her reputation and family, as a murder and election loom.”
The five-part series is based on the novel of the same name by ITV political journalist, Tom Bradby. Gemma told ITV: “There has been lots of talk about a female Bond and it’s not like that. What sets this apart from a lot of others is that it looks at the domestic as well. She is a mother of two teenagers, she has a busy life, how do you live a life with so much secrecy? It’s hard enough being a parent, without all this other stuff on top. I really connected with that actually.”
Fan Reactions and Excitement for the Series
Following the recent release of a teaser trailer for the show on YouTube, fans were quick to share their excitement for Secret Service. Some wrote: “Gemma Arterton is an underrated actress, glad to see her again.” Others said: “I do enjoy these UK dramas. Better than reality, as the Russian assets in the UK don’t even bother being sneaky, let alone discreet.”
Another fan shared: “Yes please, I’m looking forward to the series.” And another wrote: “What on earth would we do without a girlboss? Help us girlboss, you are our only hope!”
A Star-Studded Cast
In addition to Gemma, who previously appeared in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, Secret Service also stars Rafe Spall, Mark Stanley, Alex Kingston, Roger Allam, and Khalid Abdalla. However, despite her experience in the world of espionage, Gemma admitted that she wouldn’t make a good spy in real life.
She said: “I would be an atrocious spy. I think the first thing that would give me away is that I blush. It’s such an involuntary reaction, you cannot blush as a spy or asset. I don’t think I’m very good at keeping things to myself. I’m private but I’m not secretive. I’m clumsy as well, I’m not good at being covert.”
When to Watch Secret Service
Secret Service will air on Monday at 9pm on ITV and will be available to stream on ITVX.
