Playing ‘Gone Girl’ made Rosamund Pike want to bring something positive to the world–a baby
PIKE. Winning acclaim in the role of a lifetime. RUBEN V. NEPALES
LOS ANGELES—“I am sure you understand—after playing Amy (Dunne), I felt like I needed to go out there and make a human being,” declared Rosamund Pike, the other half of the couple from hell in David Fincher’s hit adaptation of “Gone Girl.” And, indeed, Rosamund was blooming and very pregnant in a beautiful, billowing dress by Christian Dior on this recent afternoon at The Ritz Carlton-Central Park.
Sporting a becoming short blonde bob, Rosamund said, “It’s a very hard thing to follow, so I thought, yes, I need to bring something very positive into the world.”
The London native who is winning acclaim in the role of a lifetime is due to give birth to her second child with businessman boyfriend Robie Uniacke in November. “Life will be more chaotic, but having the first child made me much freer in my work,” said the actress. “I don’t know what it is, but maybe it makes you more fearless, or maybe you are just in contact with your imagination so much. Life is good with little people around.”
In the title role, Rosamund lives up to the challenge of a wife who goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, with her husband Nick (an equally effective Ben Affleck) becoming the prime suspect. That Amy is a manipulative, scheming character is an understatement.
Asked how playing such a complex role affected her when she came home after each day of filming, Rosamund replied, “It’s funny because when you are playing a character like Amy, who is so conversant with persona and façade, it does make you look at yourself and wonder where the real self begins (laughs).”
But having Solo, her son, proved to be a balm. “Luckily, I have a 2-year-old boy—which means that when you walk in at home, you generally get on the floor with him and some Lego bricks. That’s a wonderful antidote to any self-analysis.”
Best Actress race
The actress who first made a splash as the Bond girl in “Die Another Day” is suddenly thrust in the Best Actress race in the awards season that’s starting to heat up. Rosamund, who was one of the bright spots in the recent “Hector and the Search for Happiness,” also earned good notices in such films as “Pride & Prejudice” and “An Education.” But, this time, as author Gillian Flynn’s “impossibly perfect ‘Amazing Amy,’” she is the center of attention.
“This is a new phase,” Rosamund said, smiling. “I felt ready to take on a character like this. I have been fortunate to do some lovely roles in films where I was not the focus. The films were riding on someone else’s shoulders so I felt very protected.
“But now, being under scrutiny is different. It’s a different feeling. I don’t read the reviews, but I understand there’s a tide of goodwill to the movie.”
The 35-year-old shared how she snagged the career-making role. “With Fincher, it’s a different process,” she began. “He doesn’t really put you in a competitive arena for a role. You have a very protected line of communication with Fincher.
“Fincher was scanning me, x-raying me to see if I had the necessary ingredients—and also if I had the guts, lack of vanity required at certain points of the film, and whether I had the work ethic to put the extra hours in.”
After landing the role, Rosamund plunged into preparing and actually performing the role during the film, which involved one particularly bloody scene. “Obviously, there are scenes of physical and psychological violence. Sometimes, those scenes leave a lingering chemical rush in the blood. If you are acting fear or anger, often, the body doesn’t know it isn’t for real. So, it floods your body with whatever chemicals are released organically.”
Rosamund credited Gillian’s instincts in adapting her own book into a screenplay (it’s the author’s first attempt). “It’s a tribute to Gillian’s brilliance that she has written not only Amy. I feel that Detective Boney has a very female approach, the way she gives Nick the benefit of the doubt.
“I feel that with Nick’s twin sister, Margo, the combination of total loyalty and judgment comes from being a twin sister. It would have been different if he had been a twin brother. The moment after the discovery of the girlfriend would have been differently played out if it was a twin brother.”
E-mail [email protected]. Follow https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.
