Entertainment Movies Gemma Arterton Says She Gets 'Criticism' for Quantum of Solace: There's 'So Much Wrong with Bond Women' Gemma Arterton was 21 years old when she played Bond girl Strawberry Fields in 2008's Quantum of Solace By Eric Todisco Eric Todisco Eric Todisco is a former digital news writer at PEOPLE. He left PEOPLE in 2021. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 29, 2020 11:19AM EST Photo: MGM/courtesy Everett Collection Gemma Arterton is reflecting on her breakthrough film role as a Bond girl in 2008's Quantum of Solace. In a recent interview with The Sun, the 34-year-old actress spoke about her role as intelligence operative Strawberry Fields in the 22nd James Bond movie, which starred Daniel Craig as the titular agent. “At the beginning of my career, I was poor as a church mouse and I was happy just to be able to work and earn a living,” she said. "I still get criticism for accepting Quantum of Solace, but I was 21, I had a student loan, and you, know, it was a Bond film." She added, "But as I got older I realized there was so much wrong with Bond women." During the movie, Strawberry and Bond are assigned to pose as teachers on sabbatical who are staying in a cheap hotel. But Bond refuses and instead checks the pair into a five-star hotel, where he seduces Strawberry. "Strawberry should have just said no, really, and worn flat shoes," Arterton said of the scene. MGM/courtesy Everett Collection In September, Arterton told The Telegraph that she would not choose a role like Strawberry today. "I can't really remember what's in it or what I did, but I know I wouldn't choose a role like that now,” she said. “Because she was funny and she was sweet, but she didn't really have anything to do – or a backstory.” Spectre Leading Ladies on How Bond Girls Have Evolved Onscreen Earlier this year, Craig — who is set to make his final appearance as James Bond in 2021's No Time to Die — said that he doesn't call his female love interests in the films ‘Bond girls,’ as they’ve been referred to for decades. “I don’t even call them Bond girls,” he told Vanity Fair. “I’m not going to deny it to anybody else. It’s just I can’t have a sensible conversation with somebody if we’re talking about ‘Bond girls.’ " Daniel Craig as James Bond. Nicola Dove All Pre-Daniel Craig James Bond Movies Are Streaming Free on YouTube with No Time to Die Delayed The latest Bond movie, which also stars Oscar-winner Rami Malek and Ana de Armas (Knives Out), will mark the 5th time that Craig, 52, has played James bond in the past 14 years, making him the longest serving 007 since the first Bond movie premiered in 1962. No Time to Die opens April 2, 2021.