Actor finds solace in Bond rewrite
Craig’s co-star in Quantum takes 007 to task in essay
Gemma Arterton has rewritten the storyline for her Bond girl character in the new book Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies).
In the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig’s James Bond seduces Arterton’s character Strawberry Fields and takes her back to his hotel room. He finds her dead the next day, killed byenemyagents.
In August, Arterton revealed she had written an alternative storyline for Strawberry, for which she said she could get “in so much trouble.” The piece, titled Woke Bond Woman, has now been published in a book of feminist essays.
Her version is drastically different with Strawberry rebutting Bond’s advances. She also refuses to go up to his room. As Arterton writes: “‘No thank you,’ I say. Maybe he is attractive, but he’s at least 20 years older than me, we’ve only just met, he’s a colleague ...
“Plus this man has a reputation. Don’t women who go up to his hotel room and sleep with him usually die in some horrific yet iconic way? No, no. Not me.”
In Arterton’s story, the British spy calls her “uptight” for turning him down and claims he can help advance her career, but Strawberry says, “No thank you,” and walks out “unharmed.”
Her story appears to reference allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein, whom multiple woman have accused of sexually assaulting them in hotel rooms. He has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.
Arterton, 32, told Cover Media in August, “I’ve written this short story, which I could get in so much trouble for. It’s called Woke Bond Woman and it’s about what my Bond girl should have done, but it’s really funny.”
Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies) also features contributions by actresses Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Karen Gillan and Jameela Jamil.