Florence Pugh has become one of the generation’s most sought-after stars in Hollywood. The A-lister has starred in multiple films that have been universally acclaimed such as Midsommar, Lady Macbeth, Little Women, and Fighting With My Family. She also featured in blockbusters such as Black Widow and the Best Picture contender Oppenheimer.
Pugh will be seen in the upcoming sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two. She joins other high-profile stars such as Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Christopher Walken, Austin Butler, and Rebecca Ferguson in the lead roles. Pugh mentioned that she was attracted to the character of Princess Irulan because of how different she was from the other roles Pugh had played.
Florence Pugh Loved Playing Princess Irulan In Dune: Part Two
Known for her ‘feisty’ and eclectic choice of roles, Florence Pugh mentioned that she was attracted to the character of Princess Irulan due to her quietness. Pugh has played many disturbed/troubled characters in the past. In Ari Aster’s folk horror film Midsommar, Pugh played the role of Dani, a woman who was troubled by the death of her sister and parents.
In her Oscar-nominated role in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, Pugh played the indecisive and jealous, yet loving, Amy March. She also had a bold role in Fighting with My Family, in which she played the role of wrestler Saraya Knight. Pugh’s role as the troubled and depressed Jean Tatlock in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer was also appreciated.
Hence, Florence Pugh mentioned that the first thing she loved about playing the character of Princess Irulan in Dune: Part Two was her silent scheming. Pugh said that though the Princess was quiet, it did not mean that she was not in control or had ulterior motives. In an interview with SFX Magazine, she said,
“I think she’s probably one of the quietest characters I’ve ever played. She is someone that is constantly listening, and always learning, and that was something that I was so excited [about] when I was reading the script. I always acknowledged that she was always aware, maybe when other people weren’t aware, that she was recording probably internally what was going on. She’s calculated.”
Florence Pugh mentioned that though Princess Irulan may not be as loud or vocal as her other characters, she still had depth and used her intelligence in other ways.
Who Is Princess Irulan In The Dune Franchise?
Florence Pugh joined the cast of Dune: Part Two along with Christopher Walken and Austin Butler. Pugh played the part of Princess Irulan, the eldest daughter of Walken’s Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, and had an important role in the politics of Arrakis. In the novel Dune by Frank Herbert, Irulan is mentioned multiple times in the epitaphs of each chapter and only appears at the end of the novel.
The character was first played by Virginia Madsen in David Lynch’s adaptation of the novel, while Julie Cox played the role in the miniseries Frank Herbert’s Dune. Florence Pugh mentioned that she was still discovering the character of Princess Irulan and that she loved how calculative she was in her moves.
Being the eldest daughter of the Emperor, who does not have any sons, Irulan has to guard the throne carefully. Pugh said,
“I think that excited me the most, to see someone that was planning. You don’t necessarily know what they’re planning for, but they are aware and they are planning. That’s a very exciting character to get to work with because you’re trying to figure out where her loyalties lie, where her wisdom ends, and what her abilities are…That’s been a really nice fine line to play. We’ll find out more about Princess Irulan, I’m learning about her as well.”
Princess Irulan also appeared more prominently in the sequel books Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. With Denis Villeneuve being confident that an adaptation of Dune Messiah would be greenlit, Dune: Part Two may not be the last time audiences see Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan.
