Dune: Part Two hit theaters on March 1 and is making waves with audiences. It’s earning high praise from both critics and fans, holding strong with an impressive 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Social media is buzzing about the actors’ performances in the movie, too. Moviegoers loved seeing Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya back on screen as Paul Atreides and Chani, and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha.
Florence Pugh’s portrayal of Princess Irulan (an important character from the book) is also receiving praise. Pugh joining Dune: Part Two was a thrilling addition, bringing another talented rising star to the film.
After portraying psychiatrist Jean Tatlock in Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer, she landed a role in another big blockbuster of this year. It seems like Pugh’s mother’s motivation keeps her focused.
Florence Pugh’s Unforgettable Gift from Her Mother Keeps Her Focused
Florence Pugh hails from a creative family. Her father, Clinton Pugh, worked as a restaurateur, while her mother, Deborah Mackin, was an aerobics instructor, as well as a former ballet dancer.
Besides, the Little Women actress, her parents have three more children together: Arabella Gibbins, Toby Sebastian, and Rafaela “Raffie” Pugh. And guess what? They’re all pursuing careers in showbiz, just like the rest of the family.
They all share a great bond, and one can totally see it shine through, especially in a recent chat Florence Pugh had with British Vogue. There 28-year-old told about this super special potion her mom concocted for her:
“My mum makes potions and smelly things. And she made me a spray, and it’s called “Focus for f*cks sake. And it’s got basil, grapefruit, lime, rosemary, coriander, sage, pepper, and spearmint. Some of the ingredients are from my mums garden and she does all of the testing herself, so whenever we com back home, she’ll have like red eyes and she’d be like, ‘I rubbed it in my eyes! It’s fine.’ And it smells [sprays perfume] really, really nice. So that’s just to remind me to focus, for f*cks sake!”
Flossie Rose also gives a shoutout to her parents for her confident demeanor. In an interview with cover Vogue‘s winter issue in January 2023, the Black Widow actress mentioned that she was raised without feeling self-conscious about her body. She said:
“We are human, we are bodies. Yes, I can put makeup on and look good for a premiere. But at the end of the day, I still have hair on the top of my lip, and I still smell after a workout, and I still get spots when I’m stressed. I think that attitude definitely has trickled down from when I was a child.”
The actress nominated for an Academy Award credits her family’s love and support for her success. Her recent role as Princess Irulan in Dune 2 is proof of her rising prominence in Hollywood. However, her role in the sequel appears diminished.
Florence Pugh Has a Small Role in Dune: Part Two
In Dune 2, Florence Pugh’s role is somewhat surprising. The princess of House Corrino isn’t a major character in the book, and she is mainly known for her writings at the start of each chapter.
Splitting Dune into two movies gave Denis Villeneuve more time to develop characters. With Pugh’s casting, it hints at a bigger role for Irulan. In Dune 2, Irulan is an important tool to the plot. We see her relationship with the Bene Gesserit and her views on what’s happening on Arrakis.
Paul proposing to marry her is a major development. Although Dune 2 gives Irulan more depth than the book, her role is still relatively small. A Good Person star portrays the intelligent princess well, hinting at more potential for her character.
Dune 2 sets the stage for Dune 3, potentially giving Pugh a meatier role. Just like Zendaya’s character Chani got a major upgrade, it seems Irulan might follow suit.
Villeneuve could be planning to elevate Irulan’s importance from Dune 2 to Dune 3. If that happens, it might make up for any disappointment about her role in the second movie.
Dune: Part Two is now screening in theatres.
