Rosamund Pike found her happy place while shooting Pride & Prejudice

Rosamund Pike’s mood mellowed when she played Jane Bennet in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice.

The actress starred opposite a quintessentially English cast, including Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Brenda Blethyn, in the retelling of Jane Austen’s famous novel.

In the 200 years since Austen published her book, people have pointed out that Jane is a little on the boring side, but Rosamund argues it’s not that simple.

“People say Jane is boring, but you have to take issue with that.” she commented to Flaunt magazine. “She’s someone who’s chosen to go through life looking for the best in people. It’s not that Jane doesn’t see the bad, but she focuses on the good. I was struck by her subtlety, and the issue of what happens when your pride is hurt. While I was playing her I felt so nice, it was relaxing and a really happy time.”

Before becoming an actress, the 38-year-old studied English Literature at Britain's prestigious Oxford University, admitting she signed up to spend three years thinking. The degree has stood her in good stead though, and she credits studying for giving her an articulate voice.

Since then, the blonde star has enjoyed a varied career, playing everything from scorned lover Amy in Gone Girl to Botswana First Lady Ruth Williams in real life tale A United Kingdom.

“It’s a story about a woman finding her voice,” Rosamund explained. “She would have interested me less if she had been politicised already. It was the fact that falling in love can be a political act. She suddenly was awoken to a whole world of bigotry and racism that she didn’t know about. She had to find the language as the anger surged in her, and that’s what excited me.”