'Most definitely abused my own self': Florence Pugh recalls trauma during 'Midsommar' filming
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Florence Pugh has made a name for herself with an impressive range of roles, but it's her turn as Yelena Belova in the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' (MCU) that has recently garnered her the most attention from fans. However, it was her work in 2019 that really solidified her status as a rising star.
In that year alone, Pugh portrayed WWE wrestler Paige in 'Fighting with my Family', earned an Academy Award nomination for her role as Amy in Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women', and left a lasting impression on audiences with her lead role in Ari Aster's horror film 'Midsommar'. Despite the opportunities that came her way after 'Midsommar', Pugh has since revealed that the intense performance took a toll on her.
RELATED ARTICLES
'Did they lose her real dress?' Florence Pugh trolled over Oscars red carpet look
'I am fully aware of their size': Florence Pugh blasts 'VULGAR' trolling over see-through dress
'I'd never played someone that was in that much pain'
Florence, in the 'Off Menu' podcast, stated, "When I did it, I was so wrapped up in her and I've never had this ever before with any of my characters." She added, "I'd never played someone that was in that much pain before, and I would put myself in really s**tty situations that maybe other actors don't need to do but I would just be imagining the worst things."
'Most definitely abused my own self'
Further in the podcast, Pugh said, "Each day the content would be getting more weird and harder to do. I was putting things in my head that were getting worse and more bleak. I think by the end I probably, most definitely abused my own self in order to get that performance."
Switching to 'Little Women' after 'Midsommar' wasn't easy
Florence Pugh recalls her time filming for 'Little Women' and having a weird emotional roller coaster. She said she felt like she had deserted Dani (from 'Midsommar') in the fields vulnerable to abuse. "I remember looking [out the plane] and feeling immense guilt because I felt like I'd left [Dani] in that field in that [emotional] state", Pugh said in the podcast. Later she added, "It's so weird. I've never had that before... Obviously, that's probably a psychological thing where I felt immense guilt of what I'd put myself through but I definitely felt like I'd left her there in that field to be abused...almost like I'd created this person and then I just left her there to go and do another movie."
Who is Florence Pugh?
Florence Pugh is a renowned actress notable for her performances in the MCU as the fan favorite Yelena Belova. She will be seen returning to the franchise as she has signed for 'Thunderbolts'. As per reports, she will supposedly be getting eight-figure salaries for her subsequent Marvel movies.
She was critically acclaimed for her role as Dani in 'Midsommar' and also received an Oscar and a BAFTA nomination for playing Amy in 'Little Women'. Previously in 2018, she was nominated for a BAFTA EE Rising Star Award.
Pugh made her film debut in 'The Falling' (2014). She also appears in 'Lady Macbeth' (2016), 'Outlaw King' (2018), 'Malevolent' (2018), and the AMC Mini-Series 'The Little Drummer Girl' (2018).