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More Rosamund Pike Bios & Profiles

 

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Biography #2 (for Fracture)

Rosamund Pike grew up in London, the only daughter of two professional opera singers. Her key formative years were spent on the European continent, including a liberating few months in Italy as her father worked with modernist composer Hans Werne Henze. At 16, Pike was accepted at the celebrated National Youth Theatre where she spent the following three summers, culminating in her playing her first lead role in Romeo and Juliet when she was 18. It was that performance which brought her to the attention of agent Dallas Smith who spent the next few years closely guiding her career. The play ran over the summer holidays prior to her taking a place at Oxford where she studied English Literature at Wadham College.

At Oxford, Pike continued to act and toured with the university production of The Taming of the Shrew. The tour, during summer recess, took her on a magical, six-week trip to Japan, performing in theatres in Osaka, Kyoto and the Tokyo Globe. Just prior to leaving, she spent two days shooting her first film role in A Rather English Marriage starring Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney. She played the part of Albert Finney's niece, Celia, who put pay to his chances of a cash-rich retirement when she inherited her aunt's wealth on her death.

Pike also spent evenings at the local repertory theatre, the famous Oxford Playhouse. She played the part of the restoration actress Elisabeth Barry in Stephen Jeffreys' play The Libertine about the life of the scandalous Earl of Rochester, as well as Ann in Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

Before she left for Oxford, Pike had met with a leading casting director for a project that she was keen to be a part of. The project was delayed and nothing came of it, but a year later she received a call out of the blue and was subsequently cast as Lady Harriet in the BBC's lavish production of Wives and Daughters. It was her first job for the BBC and she was over the moon to be working with such distinguished actors such as Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis and Bill Patterson. The part of Lady Harriet was a great challenge -- outstanding equestrian, razor sharp, and a real fighter Pike was perfectly cast and her strong portrayal was critically acclaimed. Vanity Fair commented that she stood out like a banner snapping in the wind Pike was away for nine months but returned to Oxford to finish her degree and to do a final play at the Oxford Playhouse. She played the funny, bizarre Daisy in Ionesco's Rhinoceros directed by local director Delphine Schrank.

During the following summer vacation she spent ten weeks filming Love in a Cold Climate, an adaptation of the Nancy Mitford books. Shot at the Mitford's glorious house, Batsford Park, in the Cotswolds, Pike played Fanny, an outwardly shy and insecure girl but whose warmth and kindness made her a very magnetic character. The extraordinary cast list included Alan Bates, Sheila Gish, Celia Imrie, John Standing and Anthony Andrews. Returning to Oxford for the final three terms she took the role of Kyra in David Hare's Skylight, directed by young film director and fellow Oxford student James Rogan, who went on to direct Dead Bolt Dead.

Pike's next incarnation was as Miranda Frost, MI6 agent, ice maiden, champion fencer and a true match for James Bond last Winter's Die Another Day. Miranda has been plucked from a fencing championship to work for the government office of MI6. She is sent to Iceland to work with James as a mole placed as public relations officer in the organization run by villain Gustav Graves). Dame Judi Dench pointed out to her on her first day of filming that, according to her M16 file, as well as speaking Serbian, Russian and Swahili, Miranda has a distinguishing birthmark on her left buttock - Pike does not!

After Bond, Pike returned to theatre, as The Blonde in award-winning director Terry Johnson's highly-acclaimed Hitchcock Blonde at the Royal Court Theatre in London. The Daily Mail said that she "makes a stunningly poised stage debut, remarkably like Grace Kelly, and glorious to behold, The Independent called her both stunningly beautiful and a haunting mix of the desperate and the determined as The Blonde and The Observer described Rosamund as magnetically hard to take your eyes off". The play's huge success meant that it transferred to the Lyric Theatre in the West End in June 2003, an achievement that was noticed by The New York Times, who called Pike delicious.

After taking a well-earned break, Pike found herself being called to Israel in early 2004, to take the lead role in Amos Gitai's documentary-style thriller, Promised Land Hotel. She plays a journalist who uncovers a human trafficking ring in the Gaza Strip, alongside co-star Anne Parillaud. Upon her return to London, Pike immediately started work on Laurence Dunmore's The Libertine, alongside Johnny Depp. She plays Elizabeth Malet, wife to Depp's Earl of Rochester, with John Malkovich as King Charles II and Samantha Morton as Elizabeth Barry. Rosamund's performance was praise by the New York Daily News, who praised her for finding 'a well of romantic intensity within the seemingly passive young woman.' The film was released in the UK and US in November 2005 and Pike was rewarded for her extraordinary performance with a 2005 British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor / Actress.

Pike stayed in the UK for her next project, a star-studded adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice. Directed by Joe Wright, Pike plays beautiful, but misled Jane Bennett, alongside an all-star cast including Keira Knightley, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland and Judi Dench. This much-anticipated film was released in the UK in September 2005 and in the US two months later, with Total Film describing Pike's performance as 'impressive' and The Independent saying that she portrays Jane with 'moving ferocity.' Pike has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 2006 London Film Critics Circle Awards for her performance.

In late 2004, Pike swapped her corset for a bullet-proof vest, when she took on the lead female role of Samantha Grimm in the huge-budget action film, Doom, directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak. The film is an adaptation of the computer game of the same name -- one of the most popular titles in gaming history -- and shot straight to the top of the US box office on its release in October 2005. Shot in Prague, the film co-stars Karl Urban (as Samantha's renegade brother), The Rock and a host of mutant aliens.

In 2005, Pike spent three months in New York filming the independent thriller, Screen Test. Directed by James Oakley and co-starring Lena Olin. The film is due for release in 2006.

Pike recently completed a run of the Tennessee Williams play Summer and Smoke on the West End stage opposite Chris Carmack to rave reviews.

Bio courtesy New Line Cinema for "Fracture" (02-Jun-2007)


Biography #3 (for Die Another Day)

Rosamund Pike grew up in London, the only daughter of two professional opera singers. Her key formative years were spent on the European continent, including a liberating few months in Italy as her father worked with modernist composer Hans Werne Henze.

At 16, Rosamund was accepted at the celebrated National Youth Theatre where she spent the following three summers, culminating in her playing the lead role in Romeo and Juliet when she was 18. It was that performance which brought her to the attention of agent Dallas Smith, who spent the next few years closely guiding her career. The play ran over the summer holidays prior to her taking a place at Oxford, where she was to study English Literature at Wadham College.

At Oxford, Rosamund continued to act and toured with the university production of The Taming of the Shrew. During summer recess, the tour took her on a magical six-week trip to Japan performing in theatres in Osaka, Kyoto, and the Tokyo Globe. Just prior to leaving, she spent two days shooting her role in the BBC TV film of A Rather English Marriage starring Tom Courtenay and Albert Finney playing Finney's niece, Celia.

Rosamund also spent evenings at the local repertory theatre, the famous Oxford Playhouse. She played the part of the restoration actress Elisabeth Barry in Stephen Jeffries' play The Libertine, as well as Ann in Arthur Miller's All My Sons.

Before she left for Oxford, Rosamund met with a leading casting director for a project she was keen to be part of. The project was delayed and nothing came of it, but a year later she received a call out of the blue and was cast as Lady Harriet in the BBC's lavish production of Wives and Daughters. It was her first job for the BBC, and she was delighted to be working with such distinguished actors as Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis and Bill Patterson. The part of Lady Harriet was a great challenge - outstanding equestrian, razor sharp, and a real fighter - but Rosamund's strong portrayal was critically acclaimed. Vanity Fair commented that she stood out like a banner snapping in the wind.

She returned to Oxford to finish her degree and do a final play at the Oxford Playhouse. She played the funny, bizarre Daisy in Ionesco's Rhinoceros directed by local director Delphine Schrank.

During the following summer vacation she spent ten weeks filming Love in a Cold Climate, an adaptation of the Nancy Mitford books. The extraordinary cast included Alan Bates, Sheila Gish, Celie Imrie, John Standing, and Anthony Andrews. Returning to Oxford for the final three terms, she took the role of Kyra in David Mare's Skylight directed by young film director and fellow Oxford student James Rogan, who went on to direct Dead Bolt Dead.

Bio courtesy Fox for "Die Another Day" (12-Nov-2002)