Who does Gemma Arterton play in Black Narcissus and did she have to shave her head? Clara Gaspar Updated: 29 Dec 2020, 11:33 BBC's Black Narcissus is an erotic thriller about Anglican nuns in Nepal, starring none other than Bond Girl Gemma Arterton. Arterton's role as a repressed Sister who falls for a handsome hunk has got viewers hooked - here's more about her character... 4 Who does Gemma Arterton play in Black Narcissus? Gemma Arterton leads the cast as Sister Clodagh, a nun leading a group through the Himalayan mountains. She finds herself attracted to the handsome Mr Dean, a land agent. Clodagh is also haunted by her past - specifically, the event that made her turn to life as a Sister.