Gemma Arterton: 'I have thought, "Urghh, I've got to do that scene again"'

Arterton says: 'I have a terrible temper. It’s because I’m a perfectionist, particularly when cooking' (Getty Images)

People always bring up movies I'm not proud of Sometimes I think, 'Oh God,' but in a way they serve a purpose; they allow me to go off and do other things. Loads of actors do it, and I have to remind myself of that.

Being on stage makes me feel alive With film, you've no control over the finished product – something I feel increasingly irritated by – but on stage, I have control over what I do, and it's where I can really flourish.

Stephen Dillane is one of the best actors in the world I played opposite him in [an acclaimed stage production of Ibsen's] Master Builder. It's a fascinating play about a middle-aged architect [played by Dillane] and the ambiguous relationship I have with him. I've done plays where you think, 'Urghh, God, I've got to do that scene again,' but with [Dillane] I never got bored.

I have a terrible temper It's because I'm a perfectionist, particularly when cooking. Once I made the perfect lemon meringue pie, from scratch, but one small thing went wrong and I threw the whole thing against the wall.

I like not knowing what my next job is I deal well with the uncertainty and relish the surprises. I couldn't have been an actor without that [ability].

Always listen to your instincts I had an amazing acting teacher when I was studying and she said that instincts were always right. Whenever I haven't listened to them, I've always regretted it, whether it's looking at a piece of art I want to buy or reading a script.

Never put pressure on yourself to be something I was never really academic so if I hadn't have been an actor I would have been an artist, I think.

I wish everyone could go to the [Amazon] rainforest and see the huge areas of deforestation After my trip there [promoting the World Wildlife Fund's campaign to help save a billion trees] I got more conscientious. I don't eat red meat now because lots of the rainforest is being destroyed to make way for cattle ranches. It's a small thing but I believe it makes a difference.

Gemma Arterton, 25, is an English actor. Sky Rainforest Rescue's 'Amazon', featuring photographs from Gemma's trip, runs until 4 December at London's Somerset House. sky.com/rainforestrescue