Four moments that prove Saltburn star Rosamund Pike is an icon for lesbians
Rosamund Pike was labelled an unofficial “lesbian icon” long before her starring role as Elspeth Catton in Saltburn.
The award-winning actress has starred in numerous memorable roles during her rise to fame in Hollywood. After playing a few queer characters throughout her career she said she is “honoured” and “delighted” by the love she’s received from queer fans.
So here are four times the Oscar-nominated screenstar proved she was worthy of the title.
Her chemistry with Eiza Gonzalez in I Care A Lot
In 2020, Pike made every sapphic’s dream come true after starring as a fraudulent lesbian who gets a thrill from living on the wrong side of the law. I Care A Lot sees Pike’s character, Marla Grayson, team up with her partner Fran (Eiza Gonzalez) to swindle money out of her elderly wards.
The film features plenty of sexual tension between the criminal duo and we get some truly beautiful moments of intimacy and romantic adoration.
The steamy sapphic romance in The Wheel of Time
In Amazon Prime’s fantasy adaptation The Wheel of Time she stars as Moiraine Damodred, the once-powerful Aes Sedai, who embarks on a romance with Siuan (Sophie Okonedo), the Amyrlin Seat in a shock twist.
“The shock should be Moiraine is in a relationship with the Amyrlin Seat, not Moiraine is in a relationship with a woman,” Pike said in an interview with Out magazine at the time.
The fan-favourite relationship will be explored further in season three, which has already been greenlit.
Elspeth calling lesbians ‘too wet’ in Saltburn
Her latest role as Elspeth Catton in Emerald Fennell’s sophomore feature Saltburn is no different. The film follows upper-class Oxford student Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi) who befriends scholarship student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) and invites him to spend the summer at his titular estate.
There he meets Felix’s mother Elspeth, a portrait of the restrained wealthy matriarch who has made a true art of backhanded compliments and innuendo. Naturally, the rich role gave Pike plenty to delve into and offered her the opportunity some truly delicious lines that left sapphics shaking in their boots.
Not least when she casually tells Oliver: “I was a lesbian for a while, you know, but it was all a bit too wet for me in the end. Men are so lovely and dry.”
Literally every red carpet look
The 44-year-old actress has no trouble on the red carpet, regularly attending star studded events in jaw-dropping outfits.
After the huge success of Gone Girl, Pike attended the 2015 Oscars in a richly embroidered scarlet gown with a long slit down the centre. Another look in 2018 saw her wearing a white tassle-tastic gown with a matching jacket and fringe that was pulled together with a pop of orange.
Needless to say, we’re here for Pike’s red carpet domination.
