Rosamund Pike says one early project nearly derailed her career, describing the 2005 sci-fi action film Doom as “one of the worst films ever made.”
The Oscar-nominated actor reflected on the experience during an appearance on the podcast How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, where she spoke about her early attempts to break into Hollywood action roles.
Pike said the project came shortly after her breakout role as Miranda Frost in the James Bond film Die Another Day and while she was filming Pride and Prejudice.
“I was happily prancing around in my bonnet when I got a call about joining an action franchise,” Pike recalled.
The film was based on the popular video game series Doom, which follows a space marine battling demonic forces after a catastrophic invasion.
Pike admitted she initially believed the role would help expand her range as an actor.
“In my naiveté, I thought if I can leap around these hay bales in a corset, surely I can take on Martian zombies,” she said.
However, the experience quickly proved overwhelming. Pike said the production environment felt dominated by action-movie culture and intense physical training.
She also found herself starring alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who had recently transitioned from professional wrestling into film acting.
“I suddenly realized how unprepared I was for action stardom,” Pike said. “I was completely out of my element.”
When the film was released, it performed poorly with critics and struggled at the box office. The movie reportedly earned about $58 million worldwide against an estimated $60 million production budget.
Looking back, Pike said the experience was frightening at the time.
“I genuinely thought it might end my career,” she said. “It was an absolute bomb.”
Despite the setback, Pike eventually rebounded with a string of acclaimed roles, including Gone Girl, which earned her an Academy Award nomination.
Today, she says the experience taught her an important lesson early in her career.
“It was probably after that disaster that I started doing my homework,” Pike said. “I realized I knew nothing about video games or that world.”
