Florence Pugh has quickly become one of the most beloved actresses in Hollywood, starring in films like Black Widow, Don’t Worry Darlings and Little Women. The actress bagged her first role when she was just 17 years old, but it was not without its challenges, especially when it came to her body.
In an interview with Glamour UK, Pugh opened up about what the role demanded of her at 17, and how she overcame issues with her body as a result. At 17, the actress starred with Messie Williams in a film called The Falling, which follows the story of two best friends in an all-girls school.
Florence Pugh says it was “apparent” that she had to “lose weight”
At 17, Pugh was no stranger to having her body under scrutiny, given that the actress shared her experience growing up, and how people were checking her out all of a sudden. Speaking to Glamour UK, she said:
“One of the most shocking things about growing up for me, was realising that my body was becoming a woman before I was mentally ready or prepared to be one. Suddenly you had to be OK with people looking at you or checking you out. It’s something that makes you grow up so quickly because as a young woman everything is forced to be so sexual, so quickly.”
Then, came the time when she was cast in The Falling. The actress regaled how her audition went, and what was expected of her at 17. She talked about the impact it had on her viewing her body. She said:
“I did a job where it was made very apparent that I needed to lose weight [by the team working on the production] and when it was over, I was very aware I didn’t want to do that kind of work.”
While the actress had decided that this might not be her cup of tea, it does not mean that she gave up staying in shape. The actress has mentioned multiple times, that she does not work out for aesthetics, even for films, rather focusing on skill-based exercises.
Florence Pugh overcame her issues at an early age thanks to the ordeal
The actress next talked about how the experience changed her, specifically the impact it had on the way she thought about herself. The actress revealed:
“Because I was faced with that, I realised what I wanted to represent, and had that not happened, I may not have overcome my issues with my body at such an early age. I’m happy about that, but a lot of women aren’t that lucky.”
Speaking about how she was lucky to overcome her issues as early as she did, the actress also pointed out that the struggle starts much later and is prolonged for other women, such that it hinders some aspects of their lives. Pugh is now one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actresses, which might not have been the case if her issues had not been dealt with so early in life.
