So there's never a better time for Bury beauty Gemma, 26, to head to the capital of showbiz – Los Angeles – this week for a series of meetings aimed at kickstarting her career in Hollywood.
Since leaving Hollyoaks in 2006 after five years playing Lisa Hunter, she's steadily racked up the career credits, from West End theatre in Calendar Girls, more TV drama, including most recently a three month stint on long-running BBC medical drama Casualty, and filming a succession of movies that are due for release in the coming months.
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| From Hollyoaks to Hollywood for Gemma Atkinson |
She smiles: “When I accepted the part my character was to be an English girl and wasn't going to require me to speak Hindi. But then the scripts came through and I thought 'hang on a minute', and yep it was in Hindi. But I had a great tutor and I was able to learn my script in six days.”
And she's even tried her hand at movie producing, working as co-producer on the Britflick Airborne which is due for release in February.
“Producing was great because you see things from a different angle, and you feel a bit more important but that's about it,” she confides. “In future I'd maybe like a shot at directing and I have always been interested in that side of things as well.”
But what is most exciting our Bury beauty at the moment is her latest trip to Hollywood.
The 26-year-old jets off to LA this week to meet with the US-based management firm she's just signed with, and who have set up a raft of meetings with TV and film execs.
She smiles: “It's exciting and I'm just going to go with an open mind about what's available out there. I'd love to work out there, but I wouldn't want to live out there permanently, I'd get too homesick!”
But while there are stars in her eyes, there's certainly no diva behaviour from our Gemma – who's wonderfully down-to-earth when she heads for our shoot in the Manchester Arndale centre to model new autumn/winter fashions from high street store Peacocks.
She admits that while she loves the girly outfits for our shoot, during the day she can more often than not be found in
Even when she whips out a pair of Christian Louboutin skyscraper heels that she has brought along to wear during the shoot – those super-expensive heels beloved by celebrities and WAGs - it turns out there's an explanation for them.
She explains: “These were actually a present, I haven't a clue how much they would cost.
“My friend Danielle Lineker [the actress and wife of ex-footballer Gary Lineker] bought them for me after I introduced her to a director who I'd worked with and which led on to things for her. It was just so kind of her, and I really didn't expect it at all.”
She teams the heels with some of the somewhat more affordable wares from the new autumn/winter Boutique Collection at high street fashion store Peacocks.
The collection includes the hugely popular vintage-inspired range by Pearl Lowe, who has been working with the retailer for seven seasons now.
For our shoot, Gemma was certainly working those vintage themes that remain so popular for the new season, looking like a 1940s pin-up as she tried out the flirty floral playsuit topped off with a snazzy hat – which you'll be seeing everywhere in the shops this autumn.
And her punishing exercise regime of recent weeks will certainly have helped to keep that figure in such sizzling form.
For she's just completed two mammoth physical challenges to raise funds for charity – a 3,000ft mountain climb, followed a couple of days later by getting on her bike for the 60 mile Manchester to Blackpool Night Ride on behalf of the British Heart Foundation.
She admits: “My lips were blue when I got home after that! We completed it in 4 hours and we all got drenched! The rain was none stop so we were freezing too but we raised lots of money for The British Heart Foundation which is a charity close to my heart so I'm thrilled.
“I would definitely take part in the bike ride again and would recommend it to people wanting to try something different and challenging for a great charity.”
And if it would get us looking anything like her, it would certainly be worth it.
She laughs: “My legs are freakishly strong for a lass!”
In between our photos she heads back to her phone to update her twitter – telling me she's only recently set up her own official account – after, like many celebrities, falling victim to imposters pretending to be her on the microblogging site.
She says: “I couldn't even have my own name because someone else was using it and pretending to be me, so now I'm @gematko if anyone wants to follow the real me on Twitter.”
Meanwhile, things are going swimmingly for Gemma in her personal life too – as she recently revealed she's moving to Sheffield to live with her boyfriend of three years, former Britain's Got Talent finalist, judo expert Liam Richards.
She beams: “It feels all grown up, but I'm really looking forward to moving in with Liam.”
All clothes pictured are availble from the Boutique Collection at Peacocks stores nationwide, unless stated.
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