Rosamund Pike attending the World premiere of 'Les Miserables' at the Empire and the Odeon, Leicester Square, London, on Wednesday December 05, 2012.

A-Lister Rosamund Pike Refused To Undress During 'Bond Girl' Audition

Home / News / A-Lister Rosamund Pike Refused To Undress During 'Bond Girl' Audition

By Favour Adegoke on November 14, 2021 at 4:45 PM PST

British actress Rosamund Pike is a veteran in the acting world. Her career spans several decades and has accrued tons of acting credits and accolades.

Her body of works contains "I Care A Lot" and "Gone Girl" amongst many other starring roles.

However, like many players in the industry, Pike's rise to the top was by no means an easy feat. The journey had a lot of obstacles on its path alongside challenging moments. In many instances, the actor faced some tough decisions to go against her values to get a role.

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One of such was her audition for the Bond girl in Pierce Brosnan's "Die Another Day." Among the many requirements needed for the audition, it had an added need that she never expected.

Find more details below about the ordeal.

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Rosamund Pike Disapproved Of The Stripping Rule

The "Hostile" actress was just a 21-year-old newbie with almost no acting experience during the audition. When it was her turn to try out, she realized that the audition required her to undress for the part.

"My first audition was for a Bond film, and I remember them saying I was to drop my dress and appear in my underwear," Pike noted to The Hollywood Reporter.

While it might be weird to strip down for the role, several scenes in most "James Bond" movies require the femme fatale to go unclad a bit. One could assume that the producers needed her to get comfortable with such scenes.

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However, the actress rejected the request, not wanting her bare body bandied around in video copies. For her, she would rather be judged with her clothes on than off. Ultimately, the impasse ended with a truce. Pike switched the gown she wore for scanty clothing offered by the costume designer to audition for the role.

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Rosamund Pike Felt Unprepared For The Role

Most starlets who audition for parts in blockbuster flicks are often scared by the enormity of embodying the role. It could lead to an arduous audition process for the production team as many contenders are likely to bomb it.

According to Yahoo Movies, Pike described herself in such a similar way. To her, she was as naïve as they come.

"I was the most naïve candidate at the time that I did ['Die Another Day']," she said. "I had no agenda. I didn't know what I was doing. I just went in and saw a character. That's all I saw was a character, and I played that character in the audition.

After the audition, Pike landed the role, and the rest is history. Since then, she rose steadily to the top, appearing in subsequent box office hits.

Pike Disliked The Attention That Came With The Bond Girl Role

"Die Another Day" was an epic hit in the cinemas. The 2002 spy film smashed the previous records and became the highest-grossing James Bond film, making more profits than the previous nineteen installments.

Despite its financial success, the movie received some negative reviews from critics and fans alike. Many even considered it to be the worst entry in James Bond's franchise. However, the mixed reception did not dampen Pike's growing fame after the film's premiere.

Although the role helped open more acting doors, the actress admitted she was unhappy with the attention she got from it.

At a point, she got accosted by teenage boys who kept gesticulating at her and asking if she was a Bond girl. As reported by Empire, she found the entire ordeal annoying and unpleasant.

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Pike Had A Difficult Time Kissing Pierce Brosnan On Set

Diehard fans of earlier James Bond films are familiar with the usual setup of sizzling erotic scenes blended into the movie. As expected, David Brosnan and Pike shared a couple of kisses as required by their roles.

Reflecting on sexual scenes, Pike might have found the moment as pretty bland. To buttress her point, she compared the moment with another from the set of "Fracture."

A photo showing Rosamund Pike in a red dress.
Instagram | Rosamund Pike

"I'm filming a smaller independent film called Fracture, and I have to kiss a fabulous actor called Ryan Gosling. He's a great kisser – it's so different from my first on-screen kiss with Pierce," Pike disclosed at the time, per Empire.

From her statement, fans might think that her relationship with the Bond star was on eggshells. Contrary to the assumption, the pair shared a close relationship on the set, with Brosnan particularly helping her learn the ropes of being a Bond girl.

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