Emmy-winning actress Rosamund Pike returns as Moiraine Damodred, member of the powerful all-female Aes Sedai, in the highly anticipated second season of The Wheel of Time, premiering Sept. 1 on Prime Video. Pike talks with emmy about going all in when she takes on a project and why she committed to the epic fantasy series despite initial doubts. The award-winning official publication of the Television Academy is on newsstands Aug. 17.
Pike began performing at age six as a concert cellist and moved into acting for the BBC during her time at the National Youth Theater. Her career took off when she was cast opposite Pierce Brosnan in the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day at age twenty-two. For her performance as Amy Dunne in David Fincher's 2014 thriller Gone Girl, Pike earned a slew of award nominations. Rather than join the superhero universe, she mainly picked independent projects, such as State of the Union, a SundanceTV short-form rom-com written by Nick Hornby, which brought her an Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.
The prolific actress admits to being reluctant about television when, in 2019, executive producers Mike Weber and Marigo Kehoe approached her about The Wheel of Time, adapted from a series of novels by the late Robert Jordan. "I'm always anxious about committing myself for a long period because I worry about the characters I'll miss out on meeting," Pike says. However, potential red flags, such as the project's dense mythology and a prolonged shoot on location in Prague, proved appealing. "I'd been doing roles that were tough on me emotionally [and] I think I wanted the escapist joy of a fantasy world. The Wheel of Time was very compelling as a chance to play in this massive playground where you can explore all these key human emotions, but you've got the framework of cloaks and daggers and mountains and horses and magic."
In "Beyond the Limelight," the Oxford University graduate talks about how she goes all in after selecting a project. For The Wheel of Time, Pike moved her family from her native London to Prague, read five of Jordan's books, and even learned to speak Czech. "When I attach myself to projects and you get me, you really get me," she says.
In addition to playing the role of Damodred, Pike is also a co-executive producer and heavily engaged in everything from music editing to perfecting the characters' magical movements. Her fellow castmates marvel at her talent and modesty. Madeleine Madden, who plays Egwene al'Vere, says, "She's always so accessible. She's someone that you can always go to with anything because she's a shoulder to lean on." Daniel Henney, who plays loyal warder al'Lan Mandragoran, believes Pike is one of the best. "She's the most intelligent, articulate, creative, elegant, beautiful, obsessively curious, sensitive soul you'll ever meet."
Despite her successes, Pike remains humble. "I'm lucky every day to have the job I have and to be working on it. I know how damn hard it is for so many actors. I really do. So yes, hard work gets you somewhere, but you still have to feel appreciative."
Additional feature highlights from the new issue include:
In "Serious About Streaming," emmy explores the benefits and challenges of streaming the biggest audience-driver in all of television—the NFL. As streaming companies sign bold deals with the league, other professional sports leagues make plans to do the same.
Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone talks with emmy in "Dressed to Impress" about recreating the elaborate fashions for HBO series The Gilded Age. With fashion front and center, Walicka-Maimone shares her methods for creating authentic pieces to match the characters' personas.
In "Make It to Fake It," prop master Ross MacDonald talks with emmy about how he helps bring history to life with handmade paper props. The illustrator, designer and author is known for his obsessive attention to authentic detail, devising thousands of props for television, film and Broadway.
Please note: Interviews with writers and performers were completed before the strikes of their respective guilds.
About emmy
Emmy, the official publication of the Television Academy, goes behind the scenes of the industry for a unique insider's view. With wide-ranging, inclusive subjects representative of the Television Academy membership and the medium as a whole, emmy showcases the scope of television and profiles the people who make it happen, from the stars of top shows and artisans behind the cameras, to programming trends and technological advances. Honored with dozens of awards for editorial excellence, emmy is published 12 times per year and is available on selected newsstands and at TelevisionAcademy.com for single print and digital copies as well as subscriptions.
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Stephanie Goodell
stephanie@breakwhitelight.com
818.462.1150
breakwhitelight for the Television Academy