Rosamund Pike on Playing Empowering Women and Why LGBTQ+ Audiences Will Connect With ‘Ladies First’ (Exclusive)

What would happen if the men saying “it’s hard for us guys” suddenly had to live in a world where women held all the power?

That’s the premise behind Ladies First, Netflix’s new comedy arriving May 22. Directed by Thea Sharrock, the film stars Sacha Baron Cohen as Damien Sachs, a powerful advertising executive whose life changes after waking up in a parallel world dominated by women. Rosamund Pike stars opposite him as Alex Fox, the executive now in control.

Speaking with Gayety, Pike explained that the film intentionally mirrors misogynistic behavior women often experience.

“We are playing and enjoying playing women who are basically a carbon copy of how the worst men behave,” Pike said. “And how we’ve got used to that world.”

Pike also spoke about the conversations surrounding gender dynamics following the Me Too movement.

“We’ve seen this resurgence in the wake of Me Too of men now saying, ‘It’s hard for us guys. It’s hard for us,’” Pike said. “And I think if they actually experienced what Sasha’s character experiences in this film, they might slightly take some of that back.”

The film approaches those themes through comedy and satire rather than heavy drama. Pike referenced a joke from the movie in which her character makes an inappropriate workplace comment.

“The idea that a character says, ‘Are you allergic to nuts?’ And I say, ‘Not yours,’” Pike said. “You hear the guys having these conversations all the time.”

She added, “So as women, it was great fun. It was very empowering.” Meet Charlie

One detail we picked up on while watching is Alex’s child, Charlie, who uses they/them pronouns, remains the same in both realities depicted throughout the film.

“So non-binary kid remains resolutely themselves in both worlds,” Pike said. “Absolutely.”

Alongside Baron Cohen and Pike, the cast includes Charles Dance, Emily Mortimer, Richard E. Grant, Fiona Shaw, Kadiff Kirwan, and Weruche Opia.

The comedy also fully leans into the absurdity of its premise, including scenes in which Shaw’s character makes Damien dance in a cowboy outfit while swinging his “weapon” around for entertainment.

Based on the French Netflix film Je Ne Suis Pas Un Homme Facile by Éléonore Pourriat, Ladies First premieres May 22 on Netflix.

  Ladies First. (L-R) Sacha Baron Cohen as Damien Sachs and Rosamund Pike as Alex Fox in Ladies First. Cr. Rob Youngson/Netflix © 2026. Ladies First. (L-R) Rosamund Pike as Alex Fox and Fiona Shaw as Felicity Chase in Ladies First. Cr. Rob Youngson/Netflix © 2026. Ladies First. (L-R) Fiona Shaw as Felicity Chase and Sacha Baron Cohen as Damien Sachs in Ladies First. Cr. Netflix © 2026.

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