Renowned actress Rosamund Pike embraces the enduring label of a “Bond girl” from her debut in Die Another Day at age 21, viewing it as a significant and memorable start to a career that has since spanned iconic roles like Jane Bennet in Pride & Prejudice, Elspeth Catton in Saltburn, and Moiraine Damodred in The Wheel of Time. Despite working with acclaimed directors such as David Fincher and Amma Asante, Pike expresses no qualms about reflecting on her early career, stating that her first role, unlike many others, is still replayed on Christmas. She acknowledges the daunting nature of being thrust into such fame but also sees it as a testament to her longevity in an industry that often dismisses young actors as a "quick flash in the pan." With decades of experience, she humorously admits a narcissistic desire to re-play her role as Miranda Frost now, confident she could "kill that role" with her current depth and nuance.

Pike’s recent years have been exceptionally busy, marked by her return to the stage after a 14-year hiatus. She made her debut at London’s prestigious National Theatre in playwright Suzie Miller’s legal drama, Inter Alia. For Pike, this return was a profound homecoming, particularly as she is the daughter of two professional opera singers and has a deep personal connection to the National Theatre; her mother, Caroline Friend, went into labor with Rosamund while performing there. This unique symmetry instilled a daily sense of belonging and magic as Pike roamed the backstage corridors, smelling sawdust and entering dressing rooms once occupied by legendary actors. The play’s run was a massive success, selling out before rehearsals even began, indicating a strong public desire for her theatrical comeback.

Inter Alia, which Pike describes as a "new play" offering an electric risk and challenge, sees her lead as Jessica Parks, a sharp London Court judge grappling with the collision of her professional life and personal world when her son is accused of rape. This forces Jessica to re-evaluate her convictions and balance her judicial responsibilities with a mother's instinct to protect her child. Pike had anticipated the play’s emotional impact but was surprised by the broader discourse it ignited, extending beyond arts pages into news discussions about consent, law, and unequal marriages. She found it particularly rewarding to see how many people felt represented on stage in an unprecedented way. The role demanded intense energy, with Pike on stage for nearly two hours, requiring real-time improvisation for any mishaps. During its initial run, she likened the experience to being "on a freeway," but by the end, she had adjusted, allowing her to refine her performance, tweak lines, and draw inspiration from real-life criminal court cases, even incorporating a judge's reprimand into her dialogue after collaborating with Miller.

Pike’s acting philosophy heavily emphasizes observation and listening. She asserts that "90% of the performance is listening," even in monologues, where listening to internal thoughts is paramount. This attentiveness, she notes, allows for free, naturalistic performances with other actors. Over her career, her biggest personal evolution has been a newfound physical confidence, allowing her to express herself as a "whole person," not just a "head." This abandon is evident in roles like Amy Dunne in Gone Girl and her visceral performance in Massive Attack’s "Voodoo in My Blood" music video. While she appreciates the ephemeral quality of live theater, she found filming Inter Alia for cinema broadcast intimidating, likening it to a "first night all over again" due to the pressure of making a singular moment repeatable. Despite making a minor mistake during the filmed performance, she recounted a triumphant moment: successfully catching a lemon thrown across the stage, a task she had obsessively perfected by selecting the perfect "nice smooth, round lemon" from the supermarket, stored in the fridge but warmed an hour before the show. She plans to reprise this role when Inter Alia moves to the West End.

Drawing parallels between her early career and that of her Now You See Me: Now You Don’t co-star Ariana Greenblatt, Pike reflects on her return to a major franchise as an antagonist. Initially hesitant to play another "ice-queen baddie" after Miranda Frost, she wanted to avoid boring audiences. Her new character, Veronika Vanderberg, head of a diamond company fronting a global crime syndicate, offers a distinct Machiavellian challenge. Pike enjoyed playing Veronika as an illusionist of her own self-worth, a woman who preaches female empowerment but operates in a male-dominated world. She finds joy in building up characters with hubris, knowing their eventual cracking facade will be "delicious for an audience and more painful for the character." Pike, who believes an actor must "have no vanity," relishes celebrating her character’s embarrassments. For Veronika’s South African accent, Pike meticulously studied a real person, recording extensive, natural interviews to capture a "vivid, naughty, delicious" voice, going beyond mere imitation.

The conversation fittingly shifted to The Wheel of Time, where Pike, as a prominent steward of the Prime Video adaptation of Robert Jordan’s books, played Moiraine Damodred. Despite critical and viewer enthusiasm, the series faced production obstacles, including COVID-19 delays and dissent from book readers over adaptations. While acknowledging Season 1’s shortcomings, Pike believes Season 2 significantly improved, and Season 3 saw the show truly spread its wings, attracting powerhouse actors and demonstrating its full potential. The May news of its cancellation by Amazon shocked the cast, crew, and fans alike. Pike is still grieving but offers a candid perspective, speculating that the show might have been a "victim to the terrible churn factor of people wanting to show that ‘We’ve got a new show.’ It’s all about what’s new."

Amidst the heartbreak of cancellation, Pike has been overwhelmed by fan support, with many traveling to the National Theatre to express how The Wheel of Time impacted their lives – from meeting partners to finding courage and even preventing suicide. She wishes Amazon executives could hear these profound testimonials. While acknowledging a potential future for the show is largely out of her hands, she dreams of another studio picking it up, highlighting the current amazing team and their capability to deliver a "great final sequence of seasons." The cast and crew maintain an unusually close bond, frequently staying in touch. Despite this, Pike pragmatically accepts that the show is likely over, even as she expresses continued interest in recording more audiobooks.

Pike’s consistent, authentic social media presence, where she retains control over her content and avoids brand collaborations unless she writes the copy, reflects her deep value for words, rhythm, truth, sincerity, and irreverence. Despite finding social media inherently manipulative, she uses it sparingly, disliking the idea of uninvitedly occupying someone's attention. Motherhood has profoundly reshaped her career perspective; after having children, she became "happier with my work... and became a better actress because of it." While her sons were bored by Pride & Prejudice, this parental fumble offered a new lens. Pike, who previously sought roles embodying courage she felt she lacked, now aims to express "the womanhood that I recognize in myself and women around me, the female experience, on a more ordinary level." After years in fantasy, she's interested in exploring the complexities of relationships, marriage, and motherhood, though she assures she remains drawn to provocative projects and is developing her own work, with that brilliant, coy smile.