Saltburn's Rosamund Pike says she's "astonished" by the love for Elspeth

5 January 2024, 11:34

Watch the Saltburn trailer

By Katie Louise Smith

The unfiltered Elspeth Catton has become social media's surprise Saltburn fave.

Come to Saltburn for Barry Keoghan's absolutely unhinged bathroom antics, end up staying for Rosamund Pike's brilliant and hilarious one-liners.

On top of all those shocking viral scenes that viewers can't stop talking about, Saltburn is chock full of top-notch performances. Barry is incredible, Jacob Elordi is truly perfect and the rest of the cast who portray the Catton family and friends absolutely nail their roles. But one Mother has emerged as social media's unexpected fave: Elspeth Catton herself.

From her unfiltered, brutally honest and deadpan comments ("She'd do anything for attention..."), to the way Rosamund Pike expertly delivers those moments, Elspeth has become a fan fave that people can't get enough of.

It turns out that the positive reception to the character has been a complete surprise to Rosamund, who has shared that she's "astonished" by the love viewers have for her.

READ MORE: Saltburn's bath scene is the 'sexiest thing I've ever seen' says director Emerald Fennell

When asked by Variety if she was surprised at how much people are loving Elspeth, Rosamund admitted that she couldn't quite get her head around it.

"I’m totally astonished! I’m bewildered," she said. "I sort of don’t know what to do with it. I’ve seen people on Instagram quoting lines and playing clips and also doing their own edits – putting Elspeth together with other characters I’ve played."

Pondering the reason why she thinks people have been drawn to Elspeth's character, the star added: "I think in our filtered, cagey world where everyone’s being so cautious, it’s nice to see someone unfiltered."

"She’s in a bubble, nobody exists except people in her orbit so she can say whatever she wants without consequence. She doesn’t exist in the real world."

In an interview with Deadline, Rosamund also shared that she felt "uncomfortable" watching Elspeth on screen at first.

"I remember being very uncomfortable when I first saw the film," she said. "I couldn’t really watch myself at all. I hated how I found it uncomfortable the way Elspeth was… I don’t know quite what it was, I was made to feel quite uncomfortable."

"I think the camera is so personal, the lens is so close and you really see everything. And our editor was very, very fine and detailed. So yeah, I was shocked and very uncomfortable, the first time I saw it, for sure."

Read more Saltburn stories here:

• Barry Keoghan confirms he did not use a prosthetic for Saltburn nude scene
• Jacob Elordi responds to shock reactions over Saltburn's 'disgusting' bathtub scene
• Saltburn viewers say the 'period sex' scene is worse than the bathtub scene
• Saltburn star Barry Keoghan says he can't look at graves after filming the wild grave scene
• Saltburn's shocking bathtub scene is causing people to walk out the cinema

WATCH: Percy Jackson cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Percy Jackson Quiz'

Percy Jackson Cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Percy Jackson Quiz' | PopBuzz Meets