British Actress Rosamund Pike Appears on Town & Country Magazine Cover (Exclusive)

She played an icy cool Bond girl opposite Pierce Brosnan in 2002's Die Another Day, a Jane Austen heroine in 2005's Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightley and a party girl in 2009's coming-of-age drama An Education.  However, in the November issue of Town & Country, actress Rosamund Pike predicts that this will be her most significant year yet: "I feel like this will be the year that changed my life," she says. "I feel like I'm getting to be good at what I do."

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Her career is on the rise. The 32-year-old British star appears alongside Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson in Fox 2000's comedy The Big Year, which hits theaters Friday. She also just started filming Paramount's 2013 thriller One Shot with Tom Cruise in Pittsburgh.

The Town & Country cover, which was shot in Beckley Park in Oxfordshire, England, by Koto Bolofo, features the elegant blonde seated on a bench in the stately home's gardens wearing a delicate Jason Wu lace top with a Dior Haute Couture embroidered tulle skirt and classic English wellies. Inside, the actress models ultra-feminine high fashions by Chanel ($19,445 ivory lace and tulle gown) and Monique Lhuillier ($9,490 silvery beaded tulle frock). The real showstopper is a glamorous peach and burgundy strapless tulle ball gown by Carolina Herrera ($6,990).

In the article, the actress discusses Hollywood and the range of roles she has tackled. Pike also makes one thing clear -- the key to success is being able to stand firmly on your own. "If you ever need a man to rescue you," Pike says, "you make damn sure you never have to be rescued again. You can take care of yourself." The actress was engaged to her Pride & Prejudice director Joe Wright, but it was called off last minute before the wedding in 2008.

The November issue of Town & Country hits newsstands Thursday.