Gemma Arterton has revealed her father told her to “f**k off” when she first turned up with the posh accent she was forced to adopt in order to break into big-time acting.


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Although the Bond girl may be known for her plummy tones on screen, the Quantum of Solace star was raised on a Gravesend council estate and had an accent to match.

“I grew up in Kent with an Estuary accent so strong it was almost Cockney,” said Arterton.

“I was all like, ‘What the f**k you lookin’ at?’ Then I went to drama school where they told me that it wouldn’t do me any favours and they teach you RP [Received Pronunciation] instead.”

While the change in tone may have served the 27-year-old actress well – helping her land lead roles in movies such as Clash of the Titans and the upcoming Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters – Arterton said her working class family reacted with shock to her cut-glass voice.

She said: “I remember going to my dad’s house for Sunday roast and I said something like, ‘May you pass the ketchup?’, and he went, ‘F**k off. I’m not passing you nuffin’ when you speak like that. What are you, Mary Poppins or somefing?'”

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is released on 27 February.