Florence Pugh

English actress (born 1996)Template:SHORTDESC:English actress (born 1996)

**Florence Pugh** (/pjuː/ *PEW*; born 3 January 1996) is an English actress. She made her acting debut in 2014 in the drama film *The Falling*. Pugh gained recognition in 2016 for her leading role as a young bride in the independent drama *Lady Macbeth*, winning a British Independent Film Award. After starring in the 2018 television film *King Lear*, she drew praise for her leading role in the miniseries *The Little Drummer Girl* and earned a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award that year.

Pugh's international breakthrough came in 2019 with her portrayals of professional wrestler Paige in the biographical sports film *Fighting with My Family*, a despondent American woman in the horror film *Midsommar*, and Amy March in the period drama *Little Women*. For the last of these, she received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. Pugh was awarded the Trophée Chopard at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. In 2021, she starred as Yelena Belova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film *Black Widow* and the Disney+ miniseries *Hawkeye*. She has since starred in the thriller *Don't Worry Darling* and the drama *The Wonder* (both 2022).

## Early life

Florence Pugh was born on 3 January 1996 in Oxford to dancer Deborah and restaurateur Clinton Pugh. She has three siblings: actor and musician Toby Sebastian, actress Arabella Gibbins, and Rafaela "Raffie" Pugh. She suffered from tracheomalacia as a child, which led to frequent hospitalisations. The family relocated to Sotogrande in Spain when Pugh was three years old, hoping the warmer weather would improve her health. They lived there until she was six, when they moved back to Oxford. Also at six years old, Pugh played Mary in a school nativity play, for which she spoke in a Yorkshire accent. She was privately educated at Wychwood School and St Edward's School, Oxford, but disliked how the schools did not support her acting ambitions.

## Career

### Early roles (2014–2018)

 File:Florence Pugh at the 58th BFI London Film Festival Awards (cropped).jpg
While still studying in sixth form, Pugh made her professional acting debut in the 2014 drama *The Falling*, playing a precocious teenager opposite Maisie Williams. Tara Brady of *The Irish Times* deemed Pugh "remarkable", while IndieWire's Oliver Lyttelton called her "striking". In the same year, the actress was nominated for Best British Newcomer at the BFI London Film Festival as well as for Young British / Irish Performer of the Year by the London Film Critics' Circle. She was cast to portray a singer-songwriter in the dramedy pilot *Studio City*, co-starring Eric McCormack as the character's father, the following year. The pilot was not picked up to series. Pugh would later characterize the experience of *Studio City* very negatively, in light of pressures to change her appearance. She remarked that "all the things that they were trying to change about me – whether it was my weight, my look, the shape of my face, the shape of my eyebrows – that was so not what I wanted to do, or the industry I wanted to work in. I'd thought the film business would be like *The Falling*, but actually, this was what the top of the game looked like, and I felt I'd made a massive mistake."

In 2016, Pugh starred in the independent drama *Lady Macbeth*, a film based on the novella *Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District* by Nikolai Leskov, and appeared in the first series of the ITV detective series *Marcella*. In the former, she played Katherine, an unhappily married bride who grows violent. Pugh attributed her attraction to the part to her partiality for characters with "confusing or at least interesting" motivations. The role earned the actress acclaim. She also credited the production with reviving her interest in cinema after being dispirited by *Studio City*. Reviewing the film for *Variety*, Guy Lodge commended her portrayal of the character's "complex, under-the-skin transformation". She won the BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film for the role.

In 2018, Pugh garnered a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. She then played Cordelia to Anthony Hopkins' titular King Lear in Richard Eyre's television film *King Lear* and appeared in the short film *Leading Lady Parts* in support of the Time's Up initiative. Later that year, Pugh portrayed Elizabeth de Burgh in the Netflix historical film *Outlaw King*, co-starring Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce. Charles Bramesco of *The Guardian* found her to be "excellent despite her thankless role". She next starred in a six-part miniseries adaptation of John le Carré's spy novel *The Little Drummer Girl*, in which she played an actress who becomes embroiled in an espionage plot in the 1970s. Her performance was met with praise. While divided on the series overall, Richard Lawson of *Vanity Fair* credited Pugh for being "terrific throughout" and added that she "smartly mixes earthiness with sophistication, wisdom with naïveté."

### Breakthrough and critical recognition (2019–present)

 File:Florence Pugh (48471906272) (cropped).jpg
Pugh starred in three major films in 2019, during which she was recognised as having experienced an international breakthrough. She first played professional wrestler Paige in *Fighting with My Family*, a comedy-drama about Paige's career. The film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews. Geoffrey Macnab of *The Independent* credited the actress for being "completely convincing as the wrestler", adding that she showed "the same defiance, scruffy glamour and self-deprecating humour as the real life ... Paige". Pugh next headlined Ari Aster's horror film *Midsommar*, which chronicles an American couple, played by her and Jack Reynor, who travel to Sweden and encounter a cult. Critics complimented Pugh's portrayal of the desolate Dani Ardor, with David Edelstein of *Vulture* describing it as "amazingly vivid".

In her final film release of the year, Pugh starred in *Little Women*, a period drama film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name directed by Greta Gerwig. She portrays Amy March, a fickle artist, beginning at age 12 into adulthood and says the character is in a "sweet spot of not knowing how to deal with her emotions". The film received critical acclaim and grossed $209 million. In his review, David Rooney of *The Hollywood Reporter* praised the "disarming grace, humor and a willful streak that grows almost imperceptibly into wisdom" with which Pugh managed the "tricky contradictions" of the part. Pugh earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance.

Pugh portrayed Yelena Belova, a spy, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film *Black Widow*. She described the film as being about "girls who are stolen from around the world". Released in 2021, the film garnered positive reviews from critics, who highlighted the actress's distinctive performance. Caryn James of BBC Culture credited Pugh for making Belova "the most vibrant person in the film, more lived-in than most action-movie characters". She reprised the role in the Disney+ series *Hawkeye* later in the year.

In 2022, Pugh starred in the thriller *Don't Worry Darling*, directed by Olivia Wilde, and the drama *The Wonder*, an adaptation of Emma Donoghue's novel of the same name. While filming the former, she allegedly clashed with Wilde, causing her to limit the amount of promotion she did for the film. *Don't Worry Darling* premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where critics deemed Pugh's performance superior to the film. In *The Wonder*, she played a nurse in 1862 who is sent to investigate an alleged supernatural miracle. Kevin Maher of *The Times* found Pugh's "impossibly vivid and convincing" performance to be the film's prime asset. She received another BIFA nomination for it.

#### Upcoming projects

Pugh will next voice Goldilocks in the DreamWorks animated film *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish* as well as produce and star in the film *A Good Person*. She will play Communist Party USA member Jean Tatlock in the biographical film *Oppenheimer*, written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Pugh is also attached to play Princess Irulan in *Dune: Part Two*, as well as co-produce and play Cathy Ames in a limited series adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel *East of Eden*. She is attached to appear in the science fiction film *Dolly* and a film adaptation of the novel *The Maid* by Nita Prose. Pugh will reprise the role of Yelena Belova in the 2024 film *Thunderbolts*.

## Accolades

Pugh has been nominated for an Academy Award as well as two BAFTA Awards. She garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, both for her work in *Little Women*, as well as a BAFTA Rising Star Award nomination. Her performance in *Lady Macbeth* earned her a British Independent Film Award. She was nominated for a Gotham Award in the Best Actress category for her role in *Midsommar*. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Pugh was awarded the Trophée Chopard, which is given by a jury of professionals to young actors to recognise and encourage their careers.

## Public image and personal life

From 2013 to 2016, Pugh performed cover songs under the name Flossie Rose on YouTube. Pugh was featured on her brother's song "Midnight", released on 15 May 2021. In 2020, she partook in the series *Acting for a Cause* for a live reading of Kenneth Lonergan's play *This Is Our Youth* to help raise funds for the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a nonprofit organisation, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pugh was included on the entertainment category of *Forbes* magazine's annual 30 Under 30 list, which recognises the 30 most influential people in Europe under the age of 30, in 2019. *Time* magazine placed her on the artists category of its 100 Next list, which highlights rising stars and emerging leaders in their fields, in 2021.

From 2019 to 2022, Pugh was in a relationship with American actor and filmmaker Zach Braff. The two met while working together on the short film *In the Time It Takes to Get There*, which Braff directed, and lived together in Los Angeles.

## Discography

### Singles

List of singles, with year released and album name shown

## References

1. ↑ Celebrity birthdays for the week of Jan. 3–9. ABC News (28 December 2020).
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Masters, Tim (28 April 2017). Lady Macbeth: Florence Pugh on her killer first lead role. BBC News.
3. ↑ Florence Pugh goes straight from A-levels to LA. *The Oxford Times* (23 April 2015).
4. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Aftab, Kaleem (27 April 2017). "Florence Pugh: 'Dying was not that bad'". *i*. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wood, Gaby (9 January 2020). From Little Women to Marvel Superhero, Florence Pugh Is a New Kind of Breakout Star.
6. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Hayes, Martha (6 October 2018). "Florence Pugh: 'You never see an unplucked brow in Hollywood'". *The Guardian*. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
8. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Orr, Gillian (18 April 2015). "'After you left the room I said, Wow!': director Carol Morley and actress Florence Pugh on their haunting new film The Falling". *The Independent*. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
9. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Brady, Tara (23 April 2015). "The Falling review: combining kitchen-sink grit and otherworldly mystery". *The Irish Times*. Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
10. ↑ Review: Unsettling And Uneven 'The Falling' Starring Maisie Williams. IndieWire (7 August 2015).
11. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Muir, Kate (11 October 2014). "The Falling at the London Film Festival". *The Times*. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021. Lydia's best friend for ever ... is Abbie, played by Florence Pugh, who was nominated for best newcomer at the festival.
12. ↑ 'Carol,' '45 Years' Come Out On Top In London Critics' Award Nods. *Variety* (15 December 2015).
13. ↑ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (5 March 2015). British Newcomer Florence Pugh Cast as Eric McCormack's Daughter in 'Studio City'. *Variety*.
14. ↑ Florence Pugh: The movie star who makes 'relatable' look easy. *The Independent* (7 February 2020).
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Sharf, Zach (1 November 2022). Florence Pugh Felt Acting Was a 'Massive Mistake' After Execs Criticized Her Body at 19: They Tried to Change the 'Shape of My Face'. *Variety*.
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 No link to the Bard … but this Lady Macbeth is just as deadly. *The Guardian* (22 April 2017).
17. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Lodge, Guy (9 September 2016). "Film Review: 'Lady Macbeth'". *Variety*. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Clarke, Stewart (10 December 2017). "'God's Own Country' Wins Big at British Independent Film Awards". *Variety*. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
19. ↑ Pugh and O'Connor: BAFTA Rising Stars. Associated Press (4 January 2018).
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Gemma Arterton's Time's Up-inspired short 'Leading Lady Parts' takes aim at the casting process. *Los Angeles Times* (2 August 2018).
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Bramesco, Charles (7 September 2018). "Outlaw King review – Chris Pine fronts up for some macho medieval bombast". *The Guardian*. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
22. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"Meet the cast of The Little Drummer Girl". *Radio Times*. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Little Drummer Girl reviews round-up: What the critics are saying about new BBC drama starring Florence Pugh. *The Independent* (29 October 2018).
24. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Lawson, Richard (13 November 2018). "Florence Pugh Proves Herself a Star in The Little Drummer Girl". *Vanity Fair*. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
25. ↑ Myers, Amanda Lee (16 December 2019). 2019 Breakthrough Entertainer: Florence Pugh owns the year. Associated Press.
26. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (5 December 2019). How To Hit A Grand Slam: Florence Pugh On Her Banner Roll 'Fighting With My Family', 'Midsommar', 'Little Women' & 'Black Widow'.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 'Fighting With My Family' Breaks Out of Sundance at Specialty Box Office. IndieWire (17 February 2019). "Positive reviews helped, but even in these more sophisticated locations this found an initial strong response."
28. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Macnab, Geoffrey (1 March 2019). "Fighting with My Family review: Far more gripping than its subject matter might suggest". *The Independent*. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
29. ↑ 'Midsommar' explained: The filmmakers unpack the sex, rituals and shocking ending. *Los Angeles Times* (3 July 2019).
30. ↑ Midsommar First Reviews: Florence Pugh Goes Full Toni Collette in Ari Aster's Gory, Surreal, Divisive Second Film. Rotten Tomatoes (19 June 2019).
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Ari Aster's Midsommar Is an Ambitious, Blurry Horror Trip. *Vulture* (19 June 2019).
32. ↑ 'Little Women': Florence Pugh Turned the Brat Into the Film's Breakout Heroine. IndieWire (19 December 2019).
33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 The only Oscar 'Little Women' won was for costume design. *Los Angeles Times* (9 February 2020).
34. ↑ 'Little Women' Crosses $100 Million at the International Box Office. *Variety* (21 June 2020).
35. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Rooney, David (25 November 2019). "'Little Women': Film Review". *The Hollywood Reporter*. Archived from the original on 26 November 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
36. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Ritman, Alex (6 January 2020). "'Joker' Leads BAFTA 2020 Nominations". *The Hollywood Reporter*. Archived from the original on 7 January 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 The 'Black Widow' Trailer Proves Florence Pugh Has the Range. *Vogue* (3 December 2019).
38. ↑ Black Widow: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh on the gritty prequel unlike any other Marvel movie. *GamesRadar+* (4 June 2021).
39. ↑ Black Widow First Reviews: A Thrilling Spy Movie Absolutely Worth the Wait. Rotten Tomatoes (29 June 2021).
40. ↑ Can Florence Pugh's 'Black Widow' Performance Earn an Oscar Nod?. *Variety* (1 July 2021).
41. ↑ Black Widow: the least Avenger-like movie in the series. *BBC Culture* (29 June 2021).
42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Hawkeye: Florence Pugh hits out at Marvel fan who 'complained' about her posts. *The Independent* (10 December 2021).
43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Template:Cite magazine
44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Florence Pugh's 'The Wonder': First Look for Netflix Film Revealed. *Variety* (12 August 2021).
45. ↑ A Breakdown of all the Alleged 'Don't Worry Darling' Drama. *W*.
46. ↑ Florence Pugh Limits Don't Worry Darling Press, Fueling Speculation Over Olivia Wilde Split (26 August 2022).
47. ↑ Don't Worry Darling: Critics mixed as Olivia Wilde film with Harry Styles premieres. BBC News (6 September 2022).
48. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>"The Wonder review — Florence Pugh is the wonder here". *The Times*. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
49. ↑ Ntim, Zac (4 November 2022). British Independent Film Awards: 'Aftersun,' 'Blue Jean' & 'The Wonder' Lead Nominations. Retrieved on November 4, 2022.
50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Cordero, Rosy (14 March 2022). "'Puss In Boots: The Last Wish' Sets Salma Hayek Pinault Return; Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh & Olivia Colman Among New Cast". *Deadline Hollywood*. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Celeste O'Connor Joins Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Molly Shannon in Zach Braff's 'A Good Person' at MGM (Exclusive). *Variety* (25 October 2021).
52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Kit, Borys (9 December 2021). "Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie Join Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' (Exclusive)". *The Hollywood Reporter*. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Kit, Borys (12 May 2022). "Christopher Walken Joins Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya in 'Dune: Part Two'". *The Hollywood Reporter*. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
54. ↑ Florence Pugh To Star In 'East Of Eden' Series For Netflix (21 June 2022).
55. ↑ Apple TV+ Lands Hot Package 'Dolly' With Florence Pugh On Board To Star (10 February 2021).
56. ↑ Florence Pugh to Star in Universal's 'The Maid' (16 December 2020).
57. ↑ Panaligan, EJ (10 September 2022). Marvel's 'Thunderbolts' Recruits Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and More.
58. ↑ 7 Florence Pugh performances you need to see – and where to watch them. *Evening Standard* (18 January 2020).
59. ↑ Gotham Winners: 'Marriage Story' Wins Big as Gerwig, Awkwafina Steal the Show Backstage. IndieWire (3 December 2019).
60. ↑ <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Keslassy, Elsa (21 March 2019). "Florence Pugh, Francois Civil Honored With Chopard Award for Rising Talent". *Variety*. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
61. ↑ Before There Was Florence Pugh, There Was Acoustic YouTube Teen Flossie Rose (9 January 2020).
62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 Florence Pugh and Toby Sebastian team up on new single. BBC News (15 May 2021).
63. ↑ George, Doug (13 May 2020). Oak Parker stages Zoom plays as COVID-19 benefits, casting Florence Pugh and more young Hollywood actors. *Chicago Tribune*.
64. ↑ Blair, Olivia (12 February 2019). Lily James, Jodie Comer and Letitia Wright named among the most game-changing under 30-year-olds in Europe. *Harper's Bazaar*.
65. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
66. ↑ Cuttler, Andrea (16 August 2022). Florence Pugh Is Just Being Honest.
67. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
68. ↑ 68.0 68.1 See Zach Braff's Comical Take on Social Media Influencers in New Short Film. E! (3 April 2019).
69. ↑ A Timeline of Florence Pugh and Zach Braff's Relationship: From Just Friends to Defending Their Love. *People* (9 April 2020).
70. ↑ Florence Pugh's Brother Was in 'Game of Thrones' and We're Shook. *Entertainment Tonight* (15 January 2020).
71. ↑ 'The Commuter': Review. *Screen Daily* (29 December 2017).
72. ↑ Netflix's 'Malevolent' Delivers Few Scares Or Surprises. *The Daily Dot* (8 October 2018).
73. ↑ Father of the Bride cast virtually reunite for third film about a Zoom wedding. *The Independent* (26 September 2020).
74. ↑ Template:Cite magazine

## External links

* Florence Pugh at IMDb**Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 36: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).**

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