Rosamund Pike Why This Is Her Year!

The celebrated English actress talks cosy family holidays, working in Africa, and why relying on wit works for her

Rosamund Pike, 40, is what you’d call classically cultured. The elegant English actress grew up with musically inclined parents – her mother was a classical violinist and her father an opera singer – and she studied music and literature at Oxford University. Starting out on the stage, acting in productions of Shakespeare plays and British dramas, the one-time Bond girl and Gone Girl star is now enjoying the most productive period of her career. With striking turns in true-life dramas like A Private War and Radioactive, where she plays an award-winning war correspondent and a celebrated French-Polish scientist, respectively, Rosamund is having the time of her life portraying strong female leads, all the while dedicating herself to being a devoted mother and partner. She lives in London with her mathematician partner Robie Uniacke and their two young sons, Solo and Atom.

Going from music and literature to acting felt like a natural progression for me. It’s all about storytelling, really. At university, I became attached to so many texts that I wanted to interpret aloud – those words and dramas made such an impression on me. And learning to play the cello and piano was an enriching experience. In the end, I chose the path that allowed me to be the most creative.

Growing up, I led a bit of a gypsy life. I travelled a lot with my mother and father on their many concert tours. There was a great deal of driving around Europe, and we flew overseas often. Every experience influenced me and, in a way, prepared me for my life as an actress. I saw so many people and cultures, and I got used to the idea of not spending a lot of time at home. When I started acting, travelling felt like second nature.