Rosamund Pike’s “most exposing” role ever

Actress Rosamund Pike joins “Salon Talks” to discuss her role as the late, intrepid war correspondent Marie Colvin in “A Private War.”

Colvin is the admired “Sunday Times” journalist who braved conflict zones to give voice to the voiceless faces of war and even lost an eye while reporting in Sri Lanka. However, Pike, who earned an Oscar nomination for her duplicitous role in David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” insists that Colvin was more vulnerable than her fierce career leads on.

“One thing I really found was she was not fearless,” Pike told Salon. “I found that real courage is when, my goodness, you do have fear, but you feel that the pursuit of what you’re going after is worth quelling it, suppressing it and writing through it.” 

Taking on the work of becoming Colvin, who suffered extreme PTSD and alcoholism from the intense violence she witnessed, was the “most intimate” character yet for Pike. On preparing for the combat scenes in the film, Pike said, “You have to take your mind to a very scary place and just see what your body produces. You can’t plan for scenes like that as an actor.” 

Pike also spoke to playing a journalist, whose reflections and emotions were contained and solitary. “Some of the loneliest places are when you are by yourself,” Pike said. “Perhaps you’ve had the maelstrom of your brain, flooded with the images you witness, and then you have to go back to a hotel or wherever you’re sheltering—sometimes it’s a bombed out hospital—and file your copy.”

About “Salon Talks”

Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com.

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