Rosamund Pike Shares Her Experience Making Doom With Dwayne Johnson and Calls It Terrible

Rosamund Pike has candidly reflected on her early career, specifically pointing to the 2005 video game adaptation Doom as a low point that nearly derailed her trajectory. Starring alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the actress played a scientist caught in a deadly mission on Mars, a stark departure from the period dramas she was accustomed to at the time.

Pike revealed that the role was offered to her while she was filming Pride and Prejudice, leading to a sudden and ill-fated transition into the world of high-octane action. Speaking on the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, she recalled the naive confidence she felt while working on the classic Austen adaptation.

When I was making Pride & Prejudice, and I was having great fun in my cornfields in my bonnet, I got a call to be in an action franchise, she noted. She recounted her belief that her ability to navigate a simple farm setting translated to the physical demands of a sci-fi blockbuster.

They were making a cinema version, a narrative version of the video game Doom. And I think in my bonnet, in my field of hay bales, ‘Yeah, I can do anything. I can jump on this hay bale in my crinoline, so I can certainly go and kill some zombies on Mars,’ she explained.

Upon arriving on set, however, she realised that the atmosphere was vastly different from what she expected. Surrounded by intense physical training environments and a deeply serious reverence for the source material, she felt entirely out of place.

So suddenly I’m in this film with The Rock, and I realise how utterly ill-equipped I am to be an action star, she admitted. She described feeling overwhelmed by the intense, male-dominated set culture, stating she was out of my comfort zone, out of my league, out of my depth.

The critical and commercial failure of Doom left a lasting impression on the actress, who acknowledged the severity of the project’s reception. With a dismal Rotten Tomatoes score and underwhelming financial performance, the film quickly earned a reputation as a major misstep.

Pike was blunt about the aftermath, saying, It was an absolute bomb. I mean, I probably could have ended my career. She didn’t shy away from the harsh reality of the production’s quality, labelling the experience a total failure.

It was just probably one of the worst films ever made. I mean, it was a catastrophe. I don’t read the reviews, but you get the sense like you’re lucky to have survived that one, she concluded.

Despite this rough patch early in her filmography, Pike has since built a highly respected career, earning an Oscar nomination for her chilling performance in Gone Girl and consistent praise for her versatility in television and film.

In recent years, Pike has solidified her standing as a commanding screen presence, notably leading the cast of the epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime, where she plays the powerful Moiraine Damodred.

The show has been a significant commitment for the actress, who is heavily involved in the production and portrayal of this complex world. Fans are eagerly awaiting the fourth season, which is expected to continue the expansive storytelling of the original book series.

Her journey from the perceived catastrophe of Doom to becoming one of the most sought-after actresses in the industry serves as a definitive testament to her resilience and growth.

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