WOMEN WE LOVE: Florence Pugh

It’s almost disconcerting how completely Florence Pugh has been able to transform herself in the many roles she’s taken on this past year.

From an ambitious amateur wrestler in Fighting with My Family, or a traumatized young woman in the horror Midsommar, to her most recent and inspired portrayal of Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, Florence has had an award-worthy year. And she’s only 24.  

Growing up in Oxford, England, Florence (whose last name is pronounced "Pew", btw) was the third of her siblings, spending 7 years as the youngest child until her younger sister came along. Her father was a restaurateur and her mother a dancer, but it is acting that seems to run in the family.Her older sister is a stage actress, and you might recognize her older brother, Toby Sebastien, from his stint as Trystane Martell on "Game of Thrones".

Following in their footsteps, Florence was a performer from the very beginning. She took the stage in her first play at 7 and made her on-screen debut 11 years later in the mystery film The Falling, opposite Maisie Williams. That year (2015), she was nominated for Best British Newcomer at the BFI London Film Festival at 19 years old.

In 2015, Pugh took on a role that would mark the beginning of her rise to the top. It was Florence’s performance as Lady Macbeth, the unhappy young wife who turns from naïve to murderous, that caught Greta Gerwig’s eye as she was beginning to work on her adaptation of the classic Little Women.

Florence followed that up with appearances in The Commuter, King Lear, Outlaw King, and starred in the 6-part miniseries The Little Drummer Girl, cementing herself as the one to watch.  

And that wasn’t even her breakout year. In 2019, Florence outdid herself with each new performance. She convinced us she was a professional wrestler standing beside The Rock, she had us gripped with tension in Midsommar, and then she did the impossible -- she made us root for Amy March, perhaps the most infamous brat in American Literature, by redefining the youngest March sister as an intelligent, charming, capable young woman. It was a privilege to watch.

In 2020, it seems Florence’s impact is only getting bigger. She received a BAFTA for her role in Little Women, is currently nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, and will be starring beside Scarlett Johansson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest installment, Black Widow, hitting theatres this May.

She also knows how to make her own ice cream (and is the most entertaining person on Instagram). It pains me to say it again, but honestly, she’s only 24 years old.

Florence, we love you! And we’ll be cheering for you at the Oscar’s on February 9!