August 2014 Celebrated Living - page 90

CELEBRATED TRAVELER
DAVIDLIVINGSTON/GETTY IMAGES
ROSAMUNDPIKE
E NGLISHACTRESS RosamundPike isbest known to
movieaudiences as JamesBond’s icynemesisMiranda
Frost in DieAnotherDay. But thisOctober, she stars
oppositeBenAffleck in the coveted roleofAmyDunne
in the filmversionof authorGillianFlynn’sbest-sellingnovel
GoneGirl —a role thatwill undoubtedly turn theOxford-
educatedactress intoahouseholdname. For inspiration for
her character, Pike looked to “high-profile relationships that
captured thepublic’s imagination,” suchasCarolyn„
Bessette„and JohnF. Kennedy Jr. “They fascinateme„because
relatively little is known, thoughagreat deal is speculated
about,” she says.
Thedaughter of professional opera singers (her father
is a tenor, hermother a soprano), Pikegrewup traveling
extensivelyall over Europedue toher parents’ professions,
and today, the35-year-old soon-to-bemother of two is a
self-professed “great travelerwhoyearns for adventureand
escape.”Here’smoreabout Pike’snew role, indulgences and
inspirations.
CHARACTERANALYSIS “AmyDunne is thekindof
characterwhomakes you rethinkyourself, your friends, your
husbandorwife, your lover, your children— she stands
out inmodern fiction for herwayof expressinganger and
challengingpeople to standup to their actions and face the
consequences. Not that she isnecessarilymoral. Youmaynot
likeher, but„youwill probablybe fascinatedbyher.”
SENSEOFADVENTURE “My filming schedule in theU.K.
meant I had to fly8,000miles thereandback for basically
onebeer [tomeetwithdirectorDavidFincher inSt. Louis],
but that is thekindof adventure I relish. Like the time I found
out I couldhavea seat at the restaurant„El„Bulli„before it
closedand ran toSpain for less than„24hours for onedinner.”
ROADTRIPPING “I have reallyenjoyed traveling inBritainof
late— toScotland, and to the seaside inCornwall. But I have
done somegreatAmerican road trips— through theSouth,
throughCalifornia, fromMemphis toNewYork. I reallyenjoy
trying toget inside thepersonalitiesof thedifferent states.”
COMFORTFOOD “If I ammissing the foodof theAmerican
South, I head to theMoral Fox inNottingHill for the„best
fried„chickenand sweet-potatomasharound. I also love the
organic foodat TheDukeof Cambridgepubnearwhere I live.”
LONDONMUSE “London continues to inspireme inevery
way. For comedy, I always checkwhat isgoingonat the
SohoTheatre.„For classicalmusic,„I love the„Wigmore„Hall’s
lunchtime concerts. And for inspiringprogramming, I always
lookup theevents at the incredibleWilton’sMusicHall. They
scheduleeverything fromdancing to cinemanights toping-
pong tournaments.”
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