To become a Bond girl, Rosamund Pike didn’t have to reveal everything. Reflecting on her James Bond audition, the actress recently revealed that turning down a request to undress didn’t cost her the role in Die Another Day; in fact, according to sources, it probably sealed the deal.
In a recent interview, Pike, who is now 46, talked about how she was chosen to play the action franchise’s icy and cunning agent Miranda Frost.
The British star said: “I’d never been to America until I went with Bond. “Doing the press tour was mind-blowing, a magic-carpet ride. That was the first time I had a bowl of berries for breakfast. Isn’t it funny: that was the thing that really made me think, ‘OK, this is different.'”
Despite the overpowering sensation of being thrown into a whole new environment, Pike maintained an inner sense of confidence even at the age of 21. She continued by describing how she had to make a snap decision that benefited her during her audition for the part.
She recalled: “In the Bond audition, I was asked to unzip and drop the dress I was wearing, to just stand there in underwear. “And I thought, ‘Well, no, I’ll be doing that if I get the part. I won’t be doing that now.'”
The actress added, “I don’t know what possessed me,” while refusing to remove her clothing. But the remarkably self-assured show of disobedience probably got her the role. Pike has gained recognition for her adaptable performances in television and movies during the course of her career.
James Bond slept with 46 women and at least kissed a further 52 in the first 20 Bond films. According to one doctor, “the likelihood of James Bond having chlamydia is extremely high”. #MythAndFact pic.twitter.com/q94LJFzPGW
— THE G•O•A•T (@OfficialUdiBoy) April 27, 2021
She began her career in theater and television, becoming well-known early on for her portrayal of Jane Bennet in Pride & Prejudice (2005) and in 2002. Her role of the cunning and manipulative Amy Dunne in the 2014 Academy Award-nominated thriller Gone Girl brought her even more notoriety. Even still, more than twenty years later, she still remembers Die Another Day.
During her appearance on David Tennant Does a Podcast With… last month, the actress shared a scene from the movie’s love scene with 71-year-old Pierce Brosnan that left her feeling “mortified.” She recalled: “I think, ‘Oh my God, I’m waxing Pierce’s chest.’ I was so mortified. I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s so brave, and I’m pulling off his chest hair with every embrace.'”
Rosamund Pike says she was asked to strip down to her underwear during her audition for “Die Another Day”:
“In the Bond audition, I was asked to unzip and drop the dress I was wearing, to just stand there in underwear. And I thought, ‘Well, no, I’ll be doing that if I get the… pic.twitter.com/lN8lTUeQep
— Variety (@Variety) May 13, 2025
However, after “a couple of takes,” she discovered that she was waxing “the fake fur of the rugs” on the bed they were filming on, not her co-star’s chest by mistake. Pike had an appearance in the 20th James Bond film, which is currently searching for its next big star.
While some celebrities have voiced their doubts over whether a woman should be the next Bond, others have attacked the series for its “profound sexism.”
