Rosamund Pike Gives a Bold Take on Sexism in ‘James Bond’ Films

In 2018, Rosamund Pike opened up about her experience working on the James Bond film Die Another Day and shared her thoughts on the series’ approach to women.

Pike, who played the double agent Miranda Frost, told BuzzFeed’s Profile that the Bond franchise has a history of sexism, but she personally never felt uncomfortable on set. “One thing about Bond is that now I look back on it, I think, Gosh. I mean that was a world which was ripe for an incredible amount of sexism,” she said.

Pike credited much of her comfort on set to the influence of producer Barbara Broccoli. “I think, thanks to Barbara Broccoli, who’s the producer of the Bond films, you know, I never was made to feel uncomfortable on set,” she explained. Despite this, Pike revealed that her audition included a scene where she was asked to drop her dress.

She said, “I was sort of prepared in underwear, and I could drop the dress, and something in me just thought, ‘No, if you’re going to see me in my underwear, you can give me the part.’” She admitted she isn’t sure where the courage to stand her ground came from.

Looking ahead to the future of Bond, Pike said she supports more meaningful roles for women in the franchise.

She expressed that a female Bond should not simply be a replacement for the male lead. “I don’t think a woman would want sloppy seconds, really. I don’t think she’d want to take over,” Pike said. “By all means, write a kind of kickass female agent…with a legacy that can go on as long as Bond’s legacy has.”

Pike’s perspective aligns with broader debates about the franchise. Helen Mirren recently said that James Bond should remain a man. “I’m such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy,” she told sources.

“You can’t have a woman. It just doesn’t work. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else.” Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002, shared a similar view.

“I’m so excited to see the next man come on the stage and to see a whole new exuberance and life for this character,” he said. “I adore the world of James Bond. It’s been very good to me. It’s the gift that keeps giving. And I’m just a member of the audience now, sitting back, saying: ‘Show us what you’re going to do.’”

Since Daniel Craig’s final outing as Bond in No Time to Die (2021), there has been speculation about who will take over the role. With Amazon MGM Studios now overseeing the franchise, casting the next James Bond is a major task.

Names that have been rumored or fan-cast include James Norton, Damson Idris, Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, Regé-Jean Page, Richard Madden, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. No official announcements have been made about the new 007.

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