Rosamund Pike Biography
Summary
"Rosamund Pike" (born 27 January 1979) is an English actress, best known for her portrayals of Bond villainess Miranda Frost in "Die Another Day" and Jane Bennet in "Pride and Prejudice".
Biography
Personal life
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 became friends with Chelsea Clinton, and 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.
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 will marry sometime in 2008.
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 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 can currently be seen 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.
Roles
Celia in "A Rather English Marriage" (1998 TV film)
Lady Harriet Cumnor in "Wives and Daughters" (1999 miniseries)
Lucy in "Trial & Retribution IV" (2000 TV film)
Fanny in "Love in a Cold Climate" (2001 miniseries)
Sarah Beaumont in "Foyle's War": 'The German Woman? (2002 TV episode)
Miranda Frost in "Die Another Day" (2002)
Herself in "Bond Girls Are Forever" (2002 TV documentary)
The Blonde in "Hitchcock Blonde" (2003 play)
Rose in "Promised Land" (2004)
Elizabeth Malet in "The Libertine" (2004)
Jane Bennet in "Pride & Prejudice" (2005)
Samantha Grimm in "Doom" (2005)
Zoe Hughes in "Devil You Know" (2006)
Alma Winemiller in "Summer and Smoke" (2006 play)
Nikki Gardner in "Fracture" (2007)
Alex in "Fugitive Pieces" (2007)
Daisy (voice) in "Jackboots on Whitehall" (2008)
External links
(Do You Like Me Now?) Rosamund Pike in The Libertine
(The Ethics of Playing the Unethical) interview with Rosamund Pike by Peter Fraser, Close-Up Film
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Rosamund Pike.
