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Gemma Arterton returns this week in Rogue Agent, a movie about a notorious British conman (James Norton) premiering Friday in select theaters and on AMC+. To whet your appetite, we're celebrating 10 things that have made the Brit a firm favorite since she launched her acting career around 15 years ago.

1. She has some colorful stories to tell.
During an appearance on The Graham Norton Show, Arterton spoke about her stint working at a South London karaoke bar frequented by gangsters. According to her boss, the best way to placate rowdy customers was to soothe them with a rendition of Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." Who knew?

2. She starred in an underrated British rom-com.
If you haven't seen it, we recommend checking out Tamara Drewe, a 2010 movie about a London journalist who returns to her country hometown and reconnects with childhood friend Andy (Luke Evans). You can probably guess what happens in the end, but it's fun seeing Arterton and Evans flirt and fall for one another.

3. She also starred in St. Trinian's.
Released in 2007, this schoolgirl comedy movie is a fun reboot of a classic British film series from the 1950s and 1960s. Arterton stars as the school's poised and confident Head Girl, Chelsea, leading a terrific cast that includes Jodie Whittaker, Juno Temple, Rupert Everett, and Stephen Fry. She also returns for a quick cameo in the 2009 sequel St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.

4. She speaks her mind and is proud of it. 
During an interview with The Observer, Arterton reflected on the impact that this may have had on her career. “It’s easier to conform and shut up. That’s the way it’s always been with women," she said. "Easier than putting yourself out there and having an opinion, to which someone might retaliate. I'm sure there are people who don’t want to work with me because they think I’m difficult – 'one of those feminist girls' – but to be honest with you I don't want to work with them. And that's fine."
5. She has a realistic view of her breakthrough role in the Bond movie Quantum of Solace.
Arterton played Strawberry Fields, an MI6 agent who didn't make the best choices with regard to Daniel Craig's 007. "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 told The Sun many years later. "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. But as I got older I realized there was so much wrong with Bond women. Strawberry should have just said no, really, and worn flat shoes.”
6. She can really sing.
We may not think of Arterton as a singer, but she starred in Made in Dagenham, a West End musical that ran in 2014-2015. During this period, she performed "I Don't Know How to Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar on a BBC tribute to lyricist Tim Rice. 

7. She can also rap.
During an interview on BBC Radio 1, Arterton recalled the time she learned the rap from TLC's "No Scrubs" so she could perform it at her birthday party. Rapping at your own birthday party is a bold thing to do, but as you'll see in the clip below, Arterton's flow is actually quite impressive. 

8. She can speak French.
Arterton learned the language for her 2014 movie Gemma Bovery, a comedy-drama in which she co-starred opposite revered French actor Fabrice Luchini. As you'll see in the interview below, her French is more than good enough to sustain a conversation.

9. She has overcome imposter syndrome.
During an interview with The Guardian, Arterton spoke about feeling insecure when she arrived at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). After all, many of her fellow students were polished Oxford and Cambridge graduates. "For a long time, it was me thinking: ‘I don’t belong in this group of people, because I haven’t read all the books,'" she recalled. "I haven’t watched all the stuff I need to watch. I felt like I needed to learn. Whereas now, I feel like, yeah, OK! I do know what I’m doing. I’m well informed. My opinion is something I’ve grown more confident in expressing. I feel all right!”
10. She has her own production company that champions female creatives.
Titled Rebel Park Productions, its mission statement is to "tell exciting, boundary pushing stories, giving a platform for new talent, whilst creating more opportunities for women both in front of, and behind, the camera." The company's upcoming projects include Funny Girl, a comedy movie set in 1960s Liverpool starring Arterton, Rupert Everett, and David Threlfall.
Do you have a favorite Gemma Arterton role to date?