British Actresses You Should Know: Rosamund Pike

For those who may not be familiar with actress Rosamund Pike’s career, you might be initially inclined to place her in that ornamental “English Rose” category – elegant, proper, and possibly aloof. She did play Jane Bennett in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice after all.

Upon closer inspection, however, you will find she has taken on a range of characters over the course of her career who all possess various combinations of courage, intelligence, tenacity, and, on one occasion, criminal insanity. In advance of her latest film role as the legendary scientist, Marie Curie (more on this one in a bit), let's take a look at a sampling of Pike's roles that encompass a wider female experience.

Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, the films highlighted below are available to rent on most on-demand streaming platforms.

Die Another Day. Tough and determined characters can be found in Ms. Pike’s CV as far back as her 2002 big-screen debut in this James Bond film, which is notable for being star Pierce Brosnan's last turn as 007.

Rosamund starred opposite Brosnan and Halle Berry, playing  the cool and ruthless double agent, Miranda Frost. Not only was she offered her first film role shortly after her college graduation, but Pike became the first Bond girl to have attended Oxford.