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Rosamund Pike (born 27 January 1979) is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her portrayals of Bond villainess Miranda Frost in Die Another Day and Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. An icy blonde in the Grace Kelly mold, Rosamund Pike made her pop-cultural debut as a Bond girl, but had the classics in her roots. The London-bred only daughter of professional opera singers, Pike was accepted at age 16 into the National Youth Theater where she was eventually cast in her first lead role at age 18 , a stage production of "Romeo and Juliet." The perfromance landed her an agent, and she embarked on a professional career while also attending Oxford University, where she studied English Literature at Wadham College and toured with the university production of "The Taming of the Shrew." In 1998 she appeared in her first film role, "A Rather English Marriage" starring Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney. She also starred in the BBC's "Wives and Daughters" (2000) and "Love in a Cold Climate" (2001), based on Nancy Mitford's books. In 2002 Pike became an internationally recognized figure after being cast as the appropriately-named Miranda Frost in the 20th James Bond outing, "Die Another Day." Although only 22 when the action film was shot, Pike nicely held her own against A-list movie stars Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry and Judi Dench. Pike is the only child of Caroline and Julian Pike, both musical performers. She attended Badminton School in Bristol before studying English Literature at Wadham College, Oxford. While there, she studied under both Bernard O'Donoghue, the Whitbread prize-winning poet, and Robert J.C. Young, the eminent post-colonial theorist. An able student, she achieved a First Class in her first year examinations (known as Moderations) and, after taking a year off to pursue her career, returned to complete her degree in 2001, gaining an Upper Second. She garnered stage experience in student productions, including David Hare's Skylight, Arthur Miller's All My Sons, and several plays by Shakespeare. While appearing in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the National Youth Theatre, she was noticed by an agent who helped her embark upon a professional career. Pike's British television roles appearances include A Rather English Marriage (1998), Wives and Daughters (1999), and Love in a Cold Climate (2001), a mini-series based on the Nancy Mitford novels The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. She appeared as Sarah Beaumont in an episode of the series Foyle's War. Pike became known to a wider audience in Die Another Day as a rogue MI-6 agent originally assigned to aid James Bond. During the film's release she appeared in the special show Bond Girls Are Forever and, shortly thereafter, the BAFTA tribute to the James Bond series. Pike headlined the Isreali/French-made drama "Promised Land" (2004) and appeared in a supporting role opposite Johnny Depp and John Malkovich in the big screen adaptation of Stephen Jeffrey's play "The Libertine" (2005), starring Depp as the 17th Century's debauched Earl of Rochester. After appearing thankslessly as the scientist twin sister of Karl Urban's character in the ill-conceived film version of the popular video game "Doom" (2005), the actress then gave a winsome, restrained performance as the eldest, shyest Bennett sister Jane opposite Keira Knightley in director Joe Wright's lively 2005 adapatation of the Jane Austen classic "Pride and Prejudice." Pike played Elizabeth Malet in The Libertine (2005) co-starring Johnny Depp, which won her the Best Supporting Actress award at the British Independent Film Awards. In the same year, she portrayed Rose in The Promised Land, a film about Israel, starred as scientist Samantha Grimm in the cinematic adaptation of the computer game Doom, and appeared as Jane, the elder sister of Elizabeth (played by Keira Knightley), in Pride & Prejudice. She has a role in the upcoming film adaptation of Anne Michaels' novel Fugitive Pieces, scheduled for release in 2007, and is recording voicework for a lead role in the forthcoming film Jackboots on Whitehall. Pike also starred in the movie Fracture, opposite Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. The film was her first experience of shooting a movie in Los Angeles. Recent stage credits include Hitchcock Blonde by Terry Johnson (in a role requiring her to appear nude on stage) and Tennessee Williams' Summer and Smoke, both in London's West End, and Gaslight at London's Old Vic Theatre. Pike has said that she would be happy to do at least one play every year. She is a skilled cellist and speaks fluent German and French. She currently lives in the West End and is engaged to director Joe Wright, following a relationship with Pride and Prejudice co-star Simon Woods, whom she met at university. Pike and Wright plan to marry in 2008. |
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